What was once an incredibly somber story has now completely changed. The moment, the block, the seventh game have all erased what has ever come before it in the eyes of Cleveland fans. It used to be the factory of sadness, ye Sunday night was anything but.
High-fiving strangers and dancing in the streets, Cleveland fans finally got to experience what Pittsburgh feels like all that time. Raised in Pittsburgh and moving to Cleveland for college opened my eyes. Not every city is jaded by championships. This was a long period of losing, a drought some might say for Cleveland. Well, if that’s what they called it, Sunday night was a hurricane. The streets flooded with emotion as King James hoisted up his well-deserved trophy. Finally basketball fans everywhere got to see what it is really like to be a unanimous MVP.
Silencing critiques everywhere with his powerful performance in the finals, LeBron finished out the series with the most points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Try and tell me that anyone in the game right now deserved to be an MVP other than him.
Sit down, Skip Bayless. Your 15 minutes has ended. You are irrelevant and simply redundant at this point.
LeBron James is undoubtedly one of the most influential people in sports history. His decisions on and off the court have lead him and this city to such an exciting and emotional journey over the past few years. Having the best point guard in the league by his side this year definitely made a difference.
LeBron didn’t owe this city anything, but fulfilling such an enormous promise fills a void that this city has been carrying around for far too long. Over five decades of disappointment has now come to a screeching halt.
Wherever this journey takes LeBron next, Cleveland fans will always remember how Sunday night felt. Those who burned jerseys in spite of him were dancing on firetrucks celebrating him. The king came back, kept a promise and took care of his city, and for that Cleveland will forever be grateful.