2015-2016 NBA Champions Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

2015-2016 NBA Champions Blu-ray Movie Review

A story 52 years, and a 3-1 deficit, in the making.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 10, 2016

Ah, Cleveland. A proud city that's hung its head in shame, at least when it comes to its sports teams. No tiles in 52 years. LeBron ditched the Cavs, without winning a ring, for greener (and more golden) pastures in Miami. The Indians came oh-so-close in 1997 and, just maybe, this is their year (here's hoping they end up facing Lucroy and the Rangers in the AL playoffs. That'll make for some great theatrics). The Browns, um, uh, well, hmmm...FirstEnergy Stadium is nice enough. And they won that playoff game against the Steelers that one time. Cleveland: a sports town eager for a winner hasn't really had one in a long, long time. Until this year. LeBron brought his talents back to Cleveland. Gone were Wade and Bosh and on his side are now Irving and Love. The Cavs made it to the finals last season but were dismissed by the powerful Golden State Warriors, 4-2. LeBron and company didn't seem to have an answer for Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and the rest of the team in blue and yellow. Could 2016 turn out better for LeBron and his hometown team? Could they win those last four games and change Cleveland's sports fortunes?

Finally.

2015-2016 NBA Champions runs a little quickly as it blazes through some recent Cavs history -- James' draft in 2003, reaching the finals in 2007, early playoff exits in the years after, his departure to Miami, the Cavs' rebuild with Kyrie Irving, and James' return to Cleveland -- before settling in to cover the team's season. The film spends most of its regular season time on Tyronn Lue's midseason promotion to head coach and his insistence that the team regain its physical edge and, later, its mental edge. It follows on through with a rapid look at the Cavs' relatively easy run through the Eastern Conference playoffs, with the only bump in the road a 2-2 series tie to Toronto in the ECF. The majority of the program's relatively brief 50-some minute runtime is spent covering the finals, game highlights for sure but also capturing the emotions around the city as the Cavs faced a dire 3-1 deficit before rallying to win three straight, including two on the road, to capture the title.

There are a few similarities between the Cavaliers' season run to a finals victory and that of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both teams made critical midseason coaching changes that worked each club out of funks that, along with a new voice in the locker room, helped propel runs through the rest of the season and into the playoffs. Both teams also feature top-heavy talent but a strong underlying support structure to help carry the load. For the Penguins, it was the pursuit of a fourth title and the try to win one in the city for the first time in decades. For the Cavs, it was the try to win one for the city for the first time in decades. No other basketball team deserved it more. Sure, the Warriors had a season for the record books, and don't be surprised to see them right back up at the top of the standings, and history, next season. The addition of Kevin Durant sure makes an already dominant team video-game good. But there's something to be said about the heart of a champion. That's Cleveland's story. No doubt there's talent galore on the team. A top five player in NBA history leads the team, two superstars in Irving and Love flank him, and a solid support core works alongside and off the bench. But that team had heart. Desire. Those intangibles that sabermetricians can't measure but that really do count in crunch time. Combine that with talent, and it's not a surprise that Cleveland walked away winners, and in dramatic, come from behind, all hearts-and-guts fashion at that.

2015-2016 NBA Champions Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

2015-2016 NBA Champions features a 1080i Blu-ray presentation framed at 1.78:1. The image is healthy without much room for complaint. Detailing is largely impressive. Interviews fare best. T-shirts and skin textures are excellent, revealing extremely fine definition. Interviews are razor sharp as well, with solid, deep black backgrounds that only once or twice lose that depth and show some hiccups in the way of macroblocking. Various slow-motion shots impress, again revealing strong detailing in uniforms and skin. A few TV clips, which are much more glossy and smooth, are scattered throughout. Colors are superb. Team uniforms are incredibly vibrant, and the Golden State paint scheme -- the yellow and blue on the floor -- is probably the most impressive burst of color in the entire program. Precious few artifacts, source noise, or other maladies are present. Overall, this is a very good, and highly enjoyable, 1080i image from Team Marketing.

2015-2016 NBA Champions Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Words and music. 2015-2016 NBA Champions' DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack doesn't feature much in the way of seriously aggressive output. The track does handle its needs well enough. Music enjoys a fair spacing out to the edges of the stage. Clarity never seriously lacks, but it never plays with the utmost realistic transparency, either. Little support sounds -- cheering crowds inside and outside the arena, dribbles, and other small added elements -- manage fair definition and stage presence, again, of course, only along the front. Dialogue pushes well enough to the center and remains firmly planted there. Clarity is just fine, whether player interview soundbites, play-by-play audio highlights, or narration. Only the occasional, and brief, hiccup and scratchiness interferes. The experience is hardly dynamic or system-stretching, but it performs well within its modest parameters.

2015-2016 NBA Champions Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

2015-2016 NBA Champions contains several supplements. A DVD copy is included with purchase. Note that this release ships in a DVD case.

• Trailer (1080i, 1:11): A preview for this film.
• The Association (March 2016) (1080i, 5:40): A glimpse inside Cavaliers practice. Interviews and a quick narrated look though the season, including a downward trend and the squad's resilience, are also included.
• Kyrie Top 10 (1080i, 3:17): Highlight moments featuring Cleveland's Kyrie Irving.
• LeBron Top 10 (1080i, 3:21): Highlight moments featuring King James.
• The Block (1080i, 0:59): An extended look at LeBron's key shot block at the end of the finals.
• 2016 NBA Finals Ultimate Mixtape (1080i, 7:12): A slickly produced finals highlight reel set to music.
• Game 7 Heard Around the World (1080i, 4:34): Finals highlights featuring foreign language broadcast clips.

2015-2016 NBA Champions Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

2015-2016 NBA Champions will delight Cavaliers fans. The program is a little short in runtime and a little thin on hard-hitting content, but there's enough here to get a good feel for the team's season and run through the playoffs. But beyond that, it explores the team's heart and soul and the city's love for its champions. It's a true shame that there's not a release that contains all seven finals games, much like there is for baseball's World Series games, but this is certainly a release Cavs fans will treasure, and basketball fans will enjoy. The release features solid 1080i video, a fair two-channel lossless soundtrack, and a decent smattering of fluffy extras. Recommended.