Dear Cavs,
I hope that it’s all right I addressed you by your nickname. I feel like we have enough of a personal relationship to get away with it.
Let me first specify who this is intended for: The entire Cleveland Cavaliers organization (Yes, even you Sasha Kaun).
I think I speak for the entire city of Cleveland and Cavs fans worldwide when I say “Thank you.”
The 2016 season has been an incredible one to watch and be a part of on any level, and after Game 4 in the NBA Finals, many of us feared it would end too soon. But you gave heart and gave hope.
Simply put: Your push to come back from a 3–1 series deficit to force a Game 7 (being only the third team in NBA history to do so in The Finals), is an exact representation of Cleveland, Ohio, and those who live here.
We all could have guessed that to even have the opportunity to bring the first major sports championship to Cleveland in 52 years, it would’ve needed a Hollywood storyline, but this is something that I don’t think even the basketball gods could have scripted.
As I walked down East 4th Street following your Game 6 victory over the Warriors to force a do-or-die game for all the marbles, I wanted to thank everyone for what they have done for the fans and myself.
SASHA KAUN
Thank you for always being one of the first off the bench to high five LeBron. Yes, it’s true you have played a total of 95 minutes this season. That’s 1 minute less than two full NBA basketball games. Yes, it’s true you scored a total of 23 points this season (0.9 PPG), which is less than LeBron averaged per game. But you are Sasha Kaun…and no one can take THAT away from you.
JORDAN McRAE
Thank you for scoring 36 points in the last game of the regular season and for always looking dapper on the sidelines. Your D-League records of 61 points in a game makes us wonder if you could actually compete in the playoffs. I think we all would guess not, but it’s an exciting thought at that.
DAHNTAY JONES
Thanks for bringing one more veteran perspective to the team before the playoffs started. Even though you literally joined the team for the absolute last game of the regular season and are reaping the benefits of our 81 games prior that set us up for this run, you still look the most like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson than anyone else on the team. So thank you.
TIMOFEY MOZGOV
You’ve come so far since Blake Griffin obliterated your face when he dunked on you. Not many people could even recover from that, let alone reach the NBA Finals. But thank you for not letting your pride get in the way this post-season. You played in 76 games this regular and started most of them, but you have barely played meaningful minutes in the post-season and have always been ready. The fans appreciate very much that you have accepted your role as easily as you have made it seem.
MO WILLIAMS
You may be the first player in NBA history to have a 50-plus point game and then the following season be considered the third string point guard. Your constant readiness and willingness to take a backseat to do what is best for the team has not gone unnoticed. We still love the Mo Williams we got to experience back in 2009 and we thank you for rejoining us and returning to the city of Cleveland.
JAMES JONES
Thanks for making funky looking three-point shots. Just so this doesn’t continue to go unnoticed: LeBron isn’t the only one this season who made it to his sixth straight NBA Finals. That is right, you have, too! Thanks for letting LeBron get the credit though…
MATTHEW “DELLY” DELLAVEDOVA
Man, do I dislike you. I have always compared you to the novel The Catcher in the Rye; you either love it or you hate it. You aren’t even the only Australian- born player on the team [Kyrie Irving] so that makes it even less cool. However, I will give credit where credit is due. Thank you for playing your heart out every minute you are in the game and always giving it your all. Your NBA Finals performance in 2015 is the epitome of how you approach the game. But for everyone, please stop throwing up garbage alley-oops.
CHANNING FRYE
Thanks for reminding me about Burger King Chicken Fries every time I hear your name. They are very delicious and satisfying. In fact, almost as satisfying as your three-point stroke. Thank you for stretching the floor when you are in the game and taking attention away from those around you. And if you don’t get the attention you deserve, you make the defense pay.
RICHARD JEFFERSON
Thanks for still being so good even though you are extremely old. I can only imagine your sense of humor and antics have brought the team closer and helped build chemistry in the locker room. Your head is so smooth and it’s extremely pleasant to look at on TV. Also, thank you for introducing Lil’ Kev to the world.
IMAN SHUMPERT
Thank you first and foremost for providing Fox Sports Ohio with your half-decent songs to play during highlight reels and pre-game montages. Also, your hairdos are always on point and a strong talking point for people who pretend to like basketball and watch the game. Your defensive intensity has rubbed off on the rest of the team since the moment you arrived in Cleveland in 2015 and has shifted the mindset of the team as a whole.
J.R. SMITH
Thank you for somehow being more automatic when you have 3 pairs of hands in your face, than when you are wide-open. The defense is forced to respect your shooting ability and even when they do, it doesn’t matter. Fans and teammates alike always have confidence that you will make any shot you take from anywhere on the court; a feeling we haven’t experienced since… well ever.
TRISTAN THOMPSON
You know what they say? You can’t say “Tristan Thompson” without saying “Offensive Rebounding,” right? Anyways, thanks for fighting for every rebound and giving our team second and third chances on possessions. The city of Cleveland has enjoyed watching you grow since you entered the league and become a more confident big man in the league.
KEVIN LOVE
Thank you for signing a long-term contract with the Cavs. Despite what everyone may say in the media, we still love you. It is preposterous to think we would be a better team without you and I hope the organization realizes that. Thank you for having the confidence to shoot even when you miss your first 5 shots. We all know that you are still one of the best power forwards in the game. Oh, and the ladies thank you for making them want to cheat on their significant others with you.
KYRIE IRVING
Thanks for giving Cavaliers’ TV play-by-play announcer, Fred McCleod, the opportunity for awesome nicknames such as: Kyrie Swerving, Kyrie-diculous and others. Also, thanks for have the nastiest handles of any player in the NBA while still being able to bank the ball off the glass from any place on the court. It took a very humble kid to accept the return of LeBron James and welcome in Kevin Love after being the face of the franchise for a number of years. However, you have thrived in your role and grown tremendously and us fans have loved every second of it. You will always be the “Dark Knight” and “Uncle Drew” to us.
LEBRON JAMES
Thanks for coming back to Cleveland. Like, dude… much appreciated. Wish you never left, but… ya know.
TYRONN LUE
You were forced to step up and take over the number one team in the Eastern conference halfway through the season. You have successfully gotten the team to play your style of basketball and gave a fresh feel to an already exciting team. Thank you for propelling us to the next step and fueling the fire behind this legendary season.
DAN GILBERT
Thanks for dropping dough. When someone says “Luxury Tax,” you say “What’s that?” and do it anyways. You have helped put Cleveland, Ohio, back on the map and brought hope back to the city. Most of all, thank you for swallowing your pride and doing whatever it took to bring LeBron James back to Cleveland.
ANDERSON VAREJAO
Thanks for going to the Warriors and acting like you were on their side and being our inside man in their locker room. It takes guts to go undercover in the NBA and fuel a self-destruction of a 3-1 series lead.
DAVID BLATT
Thanks for taking a lot of heat for everything and also reminding everyone any chance you got of your successes overseas as a basketball coach.
For now, it’s on to Game 7. Win or lose, 20,562-plus of us have your back and will love you anyways. But just don’t lose because we’ll hate ourselves.
Sincerely,
The 216
