The Reason is Love

NBA 2011 Mock Draft: The ULTIMATE EDITION

   Well, it has certainly been a while hasn't it? I even forgot I had a blog for a while, mainly because I sort of abandoned ship due to a lack of readership compared to time invested and the whole "Decision" debacle derailing the Rodger Bramley sports-hype train.

   Before I get started with the actual article, I'd like to fill you in about my life real quickly. I graduated, finally, and will be attending Ohio University in the Fall. There I will study journalism and try to bring this passion for sports and writing of mine into some sort of career. I'm still just as obsessed with the Cavs, and in ways I actually like them more because of the underdog spirit and scrappy demeanor they've picked up. The Cavs this year, while nowhere near as good, embody Cleveland in a much more fuller sense than the teams of recent memory. The Mavericks beat the Heat, and for one (or more depending on the lockout, but let's hope they can handle their business) year, sanity remained in the NBA. For all the lunacy and hype during the season, team basketball won the only real important basketball milestone of the year.

     Enough rambling, though. The basketball gods smiled on our hometown Cavs and landed us the first and fourth pick in this Thursday's draft. While this draft has been labeled as one of the weakest in recent memory, as far as franchise-altering talent goes, it's actually pretty strong in overall talent. Expect a lot of contributors, solid starters, and maybe three all-stars out of this group. Maybe, just maybe, there will be a franchise talent. That's what the Cavs are hoping, and with one and four, fans should at least expect to have two of the five positions filled for the foreseeable future. Couple this with the trade exception and a couple of expendable players (Jamison, Sessions) and the future looks surprisingly bright. And if all else fails we can give Nick Gilbert the Wilt Chamberlain goggles and stick him in the post, "what's not to like?"

Cavs - Heat LIVE BLOG

Pregame:

Initial thoughts: He's trying really hard to be detached. Walked out running in sync with the team, threw down a ton of dunks in the layup line. Put up easy shots, almost like he doesn't want to miss in fron of everyone.

The boos are resounding. They reverberate through the Q and bounce off of hundreds of 'Quitness' signs and shirts, off shirts that spell out B-E-T-R-A-Y-E-D, and back on to the court. The court where Lebron James stands, trying too hard to look detached. When there is emotion it looks like sadness.

Antawn Jamison is the only Cavs player to come over and talk to Lebron. The moment is awkward.

*This moment has been so hyped for so long. I can't wait for it to be over in many ways.*


Lebron gets announced first. You can't here the announcer over the booing. It continues for Bosh, and turns into resounding cheers for Big Z. Boos for Wade, and cheers for Erik Spolstra. Probably because of the hard line he has taken with Lebron.

*The energy is electric again, like it was when Lebron played here. This is the Cleveland we know, the energy that has been missing all year. A win is definitely possible with this kind of energy.*

 No shots fired, no bottles thrown. This is all good, the fans have operated perfectly. Pretty sure there was an "A-hole" chant. He should be happy that's all he got

HE threw the powder. That should not have happened, it was classless.

Without further ado...bring on the game of the year.

"Rise"

What should I do? The answer is a question





I really like this spot. Lebron, and Nike needed to stand by their decision and spokesperson, respectively.
It was necessary. Consider this the press conference that should have been. But it's not an apology, and that may not be a bad thing.

Austin RIvers

Is going to Duke. This is tremendous for me as a crazed Duke fan. This kid is the number one rated prospect, a point guard, and he personifies talent. He is also Doc Rivers' son, and plays for Winter Park high school in Florida.

"I think so at times," ... "It's always, you know, a race factor." - Lebron James

(These are ugly.)


His...comments...regarding race, concerned me.

Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance

Well Lebron you did it. You broke my heart, you crushed a city, and you did it in horrible fashion.

 You have joined the Miami Heat. All the media who shook in glee over the free agent summit dealings have been vindicated, and Lebron, Wade, and Bosh have now united.

Lebron was shown a video of his jersey being burned, and his response was that "that is something I can't get involved in" - Well that's just one of the plethora of ignorant, narcissistic statements "The Decision" featured. He then later went on to say that he couldn't make this an emotional decision, but then stated that he had to do what made Lebron happy (yes, third person, he is THAT cocky).