by Bill DiFilippo

Note: Bill wrote this right after Cleveland was knocked out of the NBA playoffs by the Boston Celtics on May 13.

Right now, it’s 11:24 pm on a Thursday night. Normally, I’d be cozy in my bed with a book getting ready to go to sleep. However, I’m pretty sure I just watched professional basketball get completely murdered in one of the best sports cities on earth. And trust me, it was painful to watch.

Cleveland, Ohio has been a jinxed sports city forever. While I can write a book on all the issues they have had with the NFL’s Browns and the MLB’s Indians, we’re gonna focus on the NBA’s Cavaliers today.

The Cavs were first an expansion team given to Cleveland in the year 1970. As you can probably guess by the success expansion teams usually have, the team didn’t do well at all. In fact, they went 15-67 (by comparison, the New Jersey Nets went 12-70 this year, and some people call them the worst team ever). Lucky for them, the worst record used to mean the #1 pick in that year’s draft. Austin Carr, former Notre Dame scoring legend, was the lucky guy. Carr’s career never really took off though. Yes, he did average 21.9 points a game one season, but knee and foot injuries caused him to never totally reach his potential.

The Cavs ended up hitting a wall, have a bunch of seasons that ranged from “awful” to “playoff one-and-done.” However, Cleveland was able to build through the draft and trades, and had success under players like World B. Free, Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, Ron Harper, and Larry Nance. In the year 1989, Cleveland appeared to be one of the best teams in the league because of those last 4 guys. Too bad for them they had to play the Chicago Bulls and some guy named Michael Jordan in Round 1. In Game 5 of the first round (back when the playoffs rocked and the first round was best of 5), Jordan hit the most famous shot in Cleveland basketball history. In fact, it’s known in basketball circles as “The Shot.” MJ single handedly knocked the Cavs out of the playoffs in what would be the beginning of the dark ages for Cavalier basketball.

Daugherty, Price, Harper, and Nance eventually left Cleveland to pursue other careers in basketball and (in Daugherty’s case) analyzing NASCAR for ESPN. Between the years 1993 and 1998, Cleveland made the playoffs consistantly, but never made it past the 1^st round. Between 1998/99 and 2002, Cleveland averaged 28.25 wins a season. Then, something happened; a potential savior was in nearby Akron.

A junior at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in Akron was just given every award you can imagine. All-USA First Team (for the second straight year), Mr. Basketball in Ohio (ditto), Gatorade National Player of the Year, and countless other accolades were bestowed on 17 year old LeBron Raymone James. Somebody in Cleveland’s front office had a crazy idea “let’s do really badly and hope we get this kid in the draft lottery.” And guessing by Cleveland’s 15 win season that year, I’m guessing that was the plan.

The Cavaliers ended up getting LeBron in the 2003 NBA Draft. Bron-Bron joined Oscar Robertson and MJ as the only rookies to average 20 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists a game in a season. I’m gonna skip rambling incessantly about LeBron’s career as a Cavalier, but let the record show that the day the 2009 season ended, everyone started speculating where LeBron would go after his contract ended on July 1, 2010.

Time for a little personal rant. I don’t want LeBron to leave Cleveland. I don’t think any true basketball fans. For years, we have been looking for the reincarnation of Michael Jordan, someone who controls games like they’re Michael Corleone. Someone who controls the fans with their Tupac-esque “All Eyez on Me” demeanor. Someone who legitimately strikes fear into the hearts of opposing fans, coaches, and players. MJ reached that level. Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Bill Russell all did too. Even Kobe has had a few years where he looked like the next MJ. However, these players all had something LeBron never had: a sidekick.

Every great basketball player had someone during their halcyon days that could carry the load of their team for short periods of time. MJ had Scottie Pippen. Magic had Kareem. Bird had McHale. Russell had John Havlicek. Kobe had Shaq and, eventually, Pau Gasol. In basketball, every Batman has a Robin. On the Cavs, LeBron is Batman, but his second best teammate? Mo Williams? Antwan Jamison’s Corpse? Aretha “Shaq” Franklin? No. All these guys are fantastic players, but none of them can play at the level of a Pippen or McHale. Cleveland has been Bron and several nice guys who should be 3^rd bananas on most other teams. That’s the way it is, and that’s the reason why I think LeBron will leave Cleveland.

I will write a column on LeBron’s impending departure from LeBron’s point of view sometime soon. But this is about the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is about how a team is supposed to bounce back when the greatest athlete in their history looks like he’s going to leave. And honest to God, I don’t think they will. The best way to imagine it is like this: let’s say you have a boyfriend or girlfriend for 6 years. Let’s say it’s the best 6 years of your life. And let’s say just before you’re about to propose to them (in terms on this column, sign them to the biggest

Bill thinks this is how Cavs fans will look if LeBron leaves.

long-term deal in the sport’s history), they decide to leave you for a guy/girl with more money because you apparently “didn’t provide and support them.” Would you ever bounce back from that? It would take a terribly long time, wouldn’t it? You would wonder what else you could have done to make them stay with you.

For Cleveland, they needed to get Batman a Robin. LeBron needed a running mate like Shaq needs a salad. In February, when there was a rumor floating around that the Cavs might trade for Amare’ Stoudamire, basketball fans were terrified. “Is LeBron about to get the perfect big man to work with him?” “Would anyone beat Cleveland with those two?” “Would Amare’ be enough to keep LeBron in town?” However, Cleveland turned Amare’ into Jamison, who proceeded to be as effective as the prosecution in the OJ murder trial. Jamison wasn’t a suitable running mate. Neither was Shaq. Mo was close, but he isn’t enough of a point guard and more of a scorer. No, LeBron never quite got the help he needed.

Now, as of 12:48 am on Friday, May 14th, LeBron is probably leaving. If Cleveland was smart, they would sign-and-trade for Stoudamire and Chris Bosh. Like, right now. Give up Shaq, JJ Hickson, a 1^st rounder, and cash for them. Get LeBron a running mate. Show him you want him to stay. If he senses that, he’s staying. And if he doesn’t, he will leave. The Cavs needs him to stay. The NBA needs him to stay. And most importantly, the city of Cleveland needs him to stay. And for everyone in Cleveland’s sake, I pray he does.