If there's one lesson I have learned during my lifetime, it's that there are certain moments you will never forget. Once it happens, the memory can be triggered by the slightest thing; a sight, a sound, or a smell can become a powerful reminder for years to come of either tremendous happiness or crushing horror. Certain events can even bond together large populations of people.
July 11th, 2014 was one of these moments for the state of Ohio. Four years after "The Decision", LeBron James announced to the world his intentions to come home and play for the Cleveland Cavaliers beginning with the 2014-15 season. I will never forget where I was that afternoon (Trapped inside my cramped, drive thru "office" at work as a bank teller. I can recall the announcement of the hosts on 97.1 The Fan speaking in a tone of equal parts elation, surprise, and relief about the breaking news. It's probably a minor miracle I did not screw up any transactions for the rest of the day...). Many people within the Buckeye State could do the same exact thing if asked. The acquisition of perennial All-Star Kevin Love followed in the coming weeks. For the next couple months, anticipation and hype built throughout the state to what should have been an inevitable breaking point. Instead, that climax never arrived. The excitement continued to crescendo all the way up to opening night in late October. When LeBron did his trademarked chalk toss for the first time, the city could finally acknowledge the moment was real; it wasn't just a fantasy forged throughout four losing seasons. The Cavaliers, plagued by sloppy play by James, responded to the hype by falling flat on their faces and lost. The starting lineup that night was composed of James, Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Anderson Varejao, and Love. For the next few months, similar disappointing efforts followed. At one point in January, the Cavaliers owned a 19-20 record. Varejao was lost for the season due to an injury. Rumors of Love opting out of his contract after one season raged amongst the media. Calls for David Blatt to be fired furiously grew. Injuries continued to pile up on James leading many fans to wonder if his decline from omnipotent, league dominance had begun.
Now, fast forward a few months. The Cavaliers are facing the Atlanta Hawks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Kevin Love had suffered a shoulder injury after being put into one of the nastiest arm bars this side of the UFC, but the Cavs hold a 3-0 series lead and are looking to capture the franchise's second appearance in the NBA Finals. The starting lineup for the Cavaliers would consist of James, a limping Kyrie Irving, and Tristan Thompson. One more player that was in Quicken Loans Arena several months ago in October held the fourth spot. However, Iman Shumpert, was wearing orange and blue, instead of wine and gold back then. Another key role player, JR Smith, was in the same position as Shumpert. Finally, Timofey Mozgov, acquired via trade with the Denver Nuggets, would start the game at center. Cleveland's most beloved new athlete, Matthew Dellavedova, would bring his hustling effort off the bench. The Cavs, as you already know, would go on to get the sweep with a resounding 30 point victory.
Tomorrow, the Cavaliers will begin their series with the Golden State Warriors in LeBron James' (and James Jones!) fifth consecutive NBA Finals appearance. To say this appearance would be his most impressive would be a gross understatement. Yes, the Eastern Conference offered very little in terms of quality opposition, but this team took more tweaking than the previous four combined where James sat at the helm. An unknown coaching entity from international play had to learn how to handle three of the sport's most talented players. Draft picks would be wagered to mortgage the team's future on ending Cleveland's long and infamous championship drought this summer to pick up missing pieces. James would have to understand his own aging body learning when to press and when to relent. The roster upheaval alone during the course of the season would have been enough of an unprecedented challenge for any team to overcome to find success. As pointed out earlier, it was not always pretty, but watching this team finally blossom during the playoffs has been a treat. Shooting threats surround the best player on the planet forcing opposing teams to never take a possession off defensively. The aforementioned play of Dellavedova, as well as strong effort by Thompson and Shumpert, have created the solution to earlier problems regarding the Cavaliers' defensive ability.
Now, one of the NBA's most successful teams of all time is what stands between LeBron James and his desperate city from a long developed hunger for championship glory. Should the Warriors win the series, they will finish the season with the third most wins in NBA history. They are led by the league MVP, Stephen Curry, and his backcourt running mate, Klay Thompson. Curry's shot is one of the prettiest sights in the league, he makes behind the back passes look effortless, and his floaters leave big men unable to protect the rim. Their starting lineup also boasts a defensive pest in Draymond Green, whose life's purpose for the next two weeks will be to annoy LeBron James. Their depth and health currently trump the Cavaliers, even when factoring in the concussion like symptoms Thompson has been dealing with (All indications point to him suiting up in uniform on Thursday night). Golden State has won 46 of 49 games in Oracle Arena, giving them a home court advantage on par with college basketball's most dominant blue bloods in a series they hold the actual home court advantage. Their coach, Steve Kerr, picked the brain of Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson during his playing career as a reserve guard with the Bulls. Trends throughout NBA history also suggest there is a strong correlation the Warriors will win the series with what they accomplished during the regular season. Convinced this will be a challenge for the Cavaliers yet?
On a deeper level, it's rather fitting a finely tuned and flashy product from Silicon Valley will face this ruggedly pieced together bunch from the Rust Belt. Equally scrutinized along with Cleveland's failures in the world of sports is the decline in the city's economic activity. Anyone who has visited the city in recent years, including yours truly, can speak to the disheartening scenes throughout the city. Abandoned factories dot the outskirts of downtown. Minus certain blocks around the arena and stadiums, the rest of the downtown streets yearn for their glory days of yesteryear. Hardship and Cleveland have developed a symbiotic relationship in recent decades, and the blue collar spirit ingrained in the city's culture has fought to overcome the economic obstacles related to Cleveland's manufacturing past. It might sound ludicrous to certain people, but LeBron James elevated those optimistic efforts with his proclamation last summer because the city received something to believe in again. A glimmer of a new, promising future emerged for the city with his return to replace obsolete dreams from the 20th century, and even his previous time in Cleveland. Even Nike realized this spirit with a powerful ad they released just before the beginning of the season, showing the whole city of Cleveland preparing to go on this journey together. As blasphemous as all that sounds, this tale for Cleveland's championship is one of biblical proportions. The Prodigal Son might have initially taken his wealth elsewhere, but when he found himself and needed to return home, he was greeted with immense love. LeBron James caused the city of Cleveland devastating heartbreak when he took his talents to South Beach, but he has received nothing but respect, love, and admiration during this wild season. Even the fans who could be seen lighting his memorabilia on fire, like the bitter older brother, have come around to acknowledge the rebirth of the Cavaliers (Some might call these people fair weather fans, but if the heart and soul of your team decided to leave on national television, wouldn't there be some hard feelings?). The only question remaining is will the streets of Cleveland be able to erupt into a celebratory parade to rival the party thrown in the Book of Luke?
Back in January, I would have been ecstatic to see the Cavaliers simply make the NBA Finals in LeBron's first season back home. Momentum would be achieved for Cleveland's drought to come to an end next summer, following Kevin Love's recovery from injury and another season of figuring out the team's strengths and weaknesses for every piece of the puzzle. While definitely influenced by bias and fandom for the general underdog story, as well as this underdog in particular, I'm picking LeBron James and the Cavaliers to end Cleveland's half-century of suffering. The plays and games haunting fans of the Browns, Cavaliers, and Indians will be replaced by memories of the Larry O'Brien Trophy being hoisted into the air by Northeast Ohio's native son. 2015 has already shown us a third string quarterback can win a championship for an Ohio team. In this underdog world we seem to be living in, I like the chances of The King winning a long overdue trophy for his home's mantelpiece.
J. Nave
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