So, for those of you who don’t this already, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the 2016 NBA Champions. For some of you that title doesn’t really mean anything, nor do you care about the Cavs. I’m going to explain why this was one of the most historic moments in NBA history, coming from someone who does not like the Cavs one bit.
Whether you like him or not, nobody can deny the greatness that is LeBron James. Personally I hate him, but I know how great of a ball player he is. The thing I appreciate most about him is how he explains that nothing in Northeastern Ohio is given, it’s earned, and that he’s just a kid from Akron. This hits home for me since I spent almost 10 years of my life in Northeast Ohio.
Anyways, back to history. The city of Cleveland has not won a championship in FIFTY TWO years (yes, that’s right, 52). This was also the first championship that the Cavs have ever won in their history as a franchise. Also, it’s the first time any team in the history of the NBA has come back from a 3-1 deficit. If that doesn’t make it special enough, LeBron promised his city a championship when he announced that he was coming back to Cleveland (home). He was able to deliver on that promise which says more about him as a person than his on-court time sometimes does. Since I’m from Ohio, most of my friends support all Cleveland sports. I have never seen fans with so much heart, and so much commitment to their team. Of course, after LeBron left a lot of fans were dismayed, and those fans really aren’t true fans. True fans are those that always hold on to “It’s okay, there’s always next year.” That’s something I respect more than anything.
If you watched any part of the series between the Cavs and Golden State you know how hard the series was for multiple reasons. For one, it was a rematch for last year. Last year the Golden State Warriors took on the Cavs and won in six games. This year the Cavs won in seven. Former Cleveland Cavaliers player Anderson Varejao played for the Warriors during this series, so that’s super awkward. I know everyone always complain about the referees, but wow were they terrible this entire series. Poor sportsmanship was also shown by both teams, which of course isn’t unheard of.
This historic finals shouldn’t just be important to Cavs fans, but to sports fans everywhere. Many franchises go through droughts (except maybe the Cleveland Browns because they just always lose. Poor Cleveland though, seriously) but that doesn’t mean you should give up hope. Sports are always so unpredictable, and this outcome certainly wasn’t foreseen by many. My congrats to the Cavs, and their loyal fans. You guys show was it’s really like to be a sports fan, even if I always root against Cleveland (except the Indians). So here’s to the 3 made by Kyrie Irving in the final minutes of the game, and that major block by LeBron, and the heart and soul the Cavs put into this series. Congratulations Cleveland, now a city of Champions.
Post-game interview:
Final minutes of the game:
