The Washington Wizards may have lost a few battles against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they most certainly won the war. Think about it…the first salvo was Jamison to the Cavs, a talented, but defensively impotent player who was abused routinely by Kevin Garnett in the Cavs’ beatdown at the hands of the Celtics. Now, the Cavs are stuck with an exorbitant salary for a player with a clear, defined weakness on a roster that’s inspiring nobody.
But that wasn’t enough for Washington…oh, no. They could’ve been content with implanting a tumor on their once rivals, but instead, they had to go ahead with the water torture…an agonizing week long period where, thanks to the Wiz’ trade with the Bulls for the cap killing Kirk Hinrich, Cavs fans everywhere have to watch their team squrim and gasp for air. The Cavs will surely die, LeBron will be on the Bulls in no more than 10 days and the Wizards have John Wall and cap space for the future (Melo?).
As for the Cavs? The Cavs have nothing.
And when LeBron leaves? The team, hell THE CITY will have even less…nothing more than a series of celebratory t-shirts and a couple division banners in the rafters. The Cavs narrative will come completely full circle…a team of non-talents and malcontents defined the pre-LBJ era and it will define the post-LBJ era, at least until the team moves or folds due to bankruptcy that’s almost assured in this, the most terrible of sports markets.
I’m sure you all don’t care, and I don’t blame you. For some reason, there’s this feeling around the country that LeBron NEEDS to be in a larger market, and frankly, it’s probably true. But it’s also the final death knell for everything that this city holds dear…we don’t care about success or money or whatever…the number one thing Clevelanders care about is loyalty.
I’m not going to say we’re going to get betrayed, because that’s not what this is about. LeBron is not beholden to a gunslinging owner or some Chinese investors, he’s beholden to his own success as some sort of prophecy where there aren’t enough fingers for rings and enough banks to hold his money. As a Clevelander, how the hell can we begrudge him, a man in his mid-20′s with the world at his fingertips for wanting to bridge out and make the most out of his days on Earth?
I certainly can’t.
But that doesn’t make it feel any better. I’m not filled with anger or bitterness or contempt, I’m filled with sadness. Sadness for a city that desperately needs a hero, who found that PERFECT hero, and now has to watch him take the trip so many of the Midwest’s young elite have taken…the road to Chicago. Sadness for a region that hasn’t had a whole lot to cheer for for the past decade. Sadness that it had to end like it did, with the team as dysfunctional as it’s ever been against one of its most bitter rivals.
A storybook ending? For Cleveland…yea.
Christian Eyenga will lead the Cavs back to glory.
On the bright side, Cleveland is still the home to Dennis Kucinich and Spencer096.
Needs a hero? You have Colt McCoy for Pete’s Sake. His name alone screams hero.
pardon my ignorance on this, but if/when the cavs lose le bron, i assume that free’s up a ton of cap room right? i don’t really understand what a max-contract is, but the cavs will have enough money to sign a player to a max-contract correct? i realize that whoever they sign isn’t going to fill le bron’s shoes, but surely the team has a back-up plan right?
none of the FA’s are going to come here. too many teams in too many nicer cities with much more talent already there have similar cap space.
You watch your mouth! Nuggets are already negotiating another deal.
Between Shaq, Williams, Jamison and Varejao I don’t think the Cavs have any room to sign anyone of significance.
i don’t think shaq is under contract.
I thought he had one more year, but looks like you are correct. Although even minus shaq and Lebron they are right at the cap. If they lose Lebron the best thing to do would be to dump everyone and start anew. Mo Williams aint carrying that team to the playoffs.
And Craig Ehlo ain’t walking through that door.
Dude, this made me sad. Now I can’t even finish this bowl of coke or have sex with this Asian prostitute.
However, this is wonderfully written. Great job, Spence.
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I think you can begrudge Lebron for leaving. Ok, so most of Northeast Ohio has to leave in order to attain the success professionally that they want. Business professionals,researchers, etc have to go elsewhere–they have to follow the money. Lebron’s not going to make anymore money elsewhere, his brand speaks for itself—in fact his brand might be hurt if he leaves Cleveland as it basically says he is not good enough to win (like MJ was). But getting to my main point—-Lebron doesn’t have to leave like all those other professionals who love where they were raised. For him to leave speaks volumes about what he really thinks of Northeast Ohio, a place he claims to love.