Game 7 could start the Apocalypse for the LeBron James Era Cavs
If the Cleveland Cavaliers lose Sunday, the LeBron James Era could be at its end in The Land.
The Cleveland Cavaliers matchup against the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Playoff’s opening round has the potential to not just end the Cleveland Cavaliers’ long and arduous 2017-2018 season but the end of the LeBron James Era in Cleveland.
I’m not just talking about “The Return”; the time frame between the 2014-2015 season and this season, in which James returned to the Cavaliers franchise and reignited the city, fan base and organization. I’m talking about what the LeBron James Era truly has been in Cleveland.
“The Return,” “The Decision,” and James’ first seven years as a professional athlete. Something I’ll just dub “The Ascent,” as it was the time frame in which James raised his player profile from a childhood prodigy to the best player in the world.
An achievement that’s been taken for granted but truly shouldn’t have, given the tales of players like Harrison Barnes, O.J. Mayo, Sebastian Telfair, Lance Stephenson and countless other players who failed to live up to expectations to be an MVP-level player despite distinguished careers in high school or college and a desire to crown them king before they held court with the most elite talent the world has to offer.
For as long as many fans can remember, LeBron’s name and image has synonymous with Cavs basketball. He’s their all-time leader in just about every statistical category despite spending four seasons with the Miami Heat. In fact, even when he was in Miami, the storylines in Cleveland were LeBron-centric because of the sheer fact they were narratives borne in an apocalyptic post-LeBron world.
After going 61-21 in James’ 2009-2010 season, the Cavaliers won just 19 games the following season.
When they won the top pick in the NBA Draft, the natural question was who could they select to replace LeBron?
They selected Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and in his first three seasons, he led the Cavaliers to 21, 24 and 33 wins respectively.
Even in James’ worst season with the Cavaliers, they won 35 games. By his third season, the Cavaliers were a 50-win team. Oh, and they reached the NBA Finals that year.
Because it’s what the world does, with the Cavaliers struggles began the narrative that Kyrie couldn’t lead a team. Not like LeBron could anyways.
It didn’t matter that, all the while, Cleveland’s attention was focused on what LeBron did after feeling spurned by the King in that summer’s free agency.
When he failed to put up MVP-level numbers in the 2011 NBA Finals, appearing afraid of the moment, Cavaliers fans were gleeful. When he won a championship before the Cleveland Cavaliers, despite team owner Dan Gilbert’s promise that he wouldn’t, there was anger.
When he came back to town to play, there were signs asking him to come back.
Then he did, announcing his decision to leave the Heat and rejoin the Cavaliers in a Sports Illustrated piece titled “I’m Coming Home.”
An event that showed a relationship between player and city that’s only modern-day parallel is the one between Derrick Rose and Chicago. A relationship that’s endearing, bewildering and eternal.
The next three years would be filled with highs that Cavs fans never thought they’d experience when James departed.
A return to the top-tier of the NBA hierarchy. Annual trips to the NBA Finals. MVP-level performances from both LeBron and Kyrie, who had proven to be one of the most dangerous duos in NBA history and a perfectly complimentary set of perimeter talent.
A championship.
While the 2017-2018 season started off on a bittersweet note with the trade of Kyrie and only got worse after ego, injuries and a lack of execution proved to be Achilles heel of the Cavaliers prior to the trade deadline. After cutting the ego loose, the Cavaliers would still struggle to stay healthy and fail to execute like a top-flight team should.
Yet, because of the presence of LeBron, a fan base without strong reasons for why their team will win a championship will hold out hope for a return to the NBA Finals.
LeBron, whose 15th season in the NBA saw him seamlessly meld together skill, IQ and athleticism, reach unparalleled statistical marvels and perform athletic feats that 33-year-old players with his mileage just shouldn’t be capable of, has a magical effect on the Cavaliers fan base.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end and though James seems like he’d prefer to stay, he’s certainly not saying he’ll stay no matter what. In fact, we’ve already known that if the Cavaliers don’t look like they’ll be able to compete for championships, the most important thing for James as a basketball player at this stage of his career, then he’ll strongly consider leaving in free agency.
Unfortunately, the Cavaliers haven’t looked capable of winning an NBA championship and even the player that everyone thought they could rely on (outside of LeBron) isn’t showing up. In fact, this has been Kevin Love’s worst play in a playoff series since the 2016 NBA Finals.
The possibility that today is the last time James is seen in a Cavaliers uniform, at least until a ceremonial retirement, is real. If it is, the LeBron James Era in Cleveland will finally be at its end; there is no hope of him coming back to play a meaningful season like there was the first time.
If he should ever return again, he won’t be in his prime and he won’t be playing for the sole goal of winning championships. He could be the best player in franchise history but end up on a team led by a new face.
A new future. That is, if he decides to leave of course.
That said, enjoy today and cherish the moments. Never take a good thing for granted. LeBron isn’t just the best player in the world but the biggest story in NBA history.