Andrew Bogut didn’t play one second, but it didn’t matter.

The Australian centre, with a NBA Championship cap on his head and champagne bottle spraying out of his right hand, celebrated with his Golden State Warriors teammates after they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-97 on Tuesday to claim the title.

It was the San Francisco Bay area club’s first championship in 40 years, winning the series 4-2.

• Time-wasters make amazing basketball trick shot 
• A long, painful death for the NBL?

“We have a team full of believers,” said Andre Iguodala, the guard/forward who took Bogut’s spot in the Warriors’ starting line-up and went on to be crowned the NBA finals’ MVP.

Before the finals, the team believed Bogut was one of the keys to winning but, after going down 1-2 in the series against the LeBron James-led Cavaliers, Warriors coach Steve Kerr took Bogut out of the starting line-up.

The smaller unit won three straight games and the title for a team which dominated the season.

“This group is a special group,” said Stephen Curry who, with 25 points, was the equal top scorer with Iguodala.

“It’s what we envisioned from the start of the season.”

Bogut joins the elite group of Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Patty Mills and Aron Baynes as Aussies who have won a NBA title.

The Cavaliers were undermanned after losing two All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to injury during the playoffs.

James was herculean with 32 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists, but needed help from his teammates that didn’t come.

Cavaliers’ Australian point guard Matthew Dellavedova had a disappointing game, taking only three shots and missing all of them.

His only point was from a free throw.

Dellavedova’s future with the Cavaliers’ is unknown, with his contract ending.

After a heroic game three in the finals, Dellavedova never recaptured the form and his stock with other clubs might have fallen.

Dellavedova and Bogut will be teammates on the Australian team when they take on New Zealand in a two-game Olympic qualifier later in the year.

– AAP