Months after their loss in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, former Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes reflects on that difficult time in his career and how he reacted to it.

The Dubs infamously blew a 3-1 lead in that series and lost the championship that was theirs for the taking. Barnes recently recalled what happened right after the game and also shared when he knew the team will never be the same again.

“That was the hardest I cried in a long time, after (Game 7). To me, just the atmosphere felt like, this team will never be together again.

“After we blew that lead, everything went south, you knew this group would never be there. And I felt like, I had an opportunity to really help the team and I didn't come through. That is something that hurts, but you have to close that chapter and just move on.”

The 6-foot-8 North Carolina product was one of the team's players who struggled the most, especially in Games 5 through 7 when they tried to close out the series. When Kevin Durant announced his decision to join the Warriors last summer, Barnes already expected that the team would let him know that they wouldn't re-sign him.

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“When I left the exit meeting … they made it clear where they were standing. They were going to pursue free agents. There was no secret who they were going after. I was kind of in this place where I still felt like I had to go out there and prove myself.”

Barnes received an offer from the Dallas Mavericks and decided to join them for four years, $94 million. He looks at this stage of his career as a time to show everyone that he belongs in the league and is worthy of the hefty paycheck. He also uses the failures from last season as motivation for him to continue to get better.

The Mavs may have only have a 287 record right now but that does not reflect how good Barnes has been to start the season. With averages of 22.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, the team will rely heavily on him to help string a few wins together and get them back on track.