The Redemption of the King. Vince McKee

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СКАЧАТЬ a long-term deal. Well, if you’re not willing to sign a long-term deal in your early 20s, why would big-name free agents come here to play with him and want to sign a long-term deal to play with him? There was too much of a chance of the rug being pulled out from other free agents if he left. Let’s be honest! Years later when he did leave, players like Mo Williams were upset, because he knew that he had to stay on a team that wouldn’t be good without LeBron. That’s just how these guys think. It is not an anti-fan thing or anything like that. It’s an opportunity-being taken-from-them type of thing. There are some real hurt feelings there. There’s always that “what if” players have in the back of their mind. I don’t think Danny Ferry was willing to make other moves because of trust issues. I think we were saving too much not to make moves until then because we were getting too farsighted and not enough nearsighted. I think it was too little too late with some of the pieces they got.

      It was a gutsy move by Ferry, but one he had to make to strengthen the team for another run deep into the playoffs. Hughes had been too injury prone and inconsistent, making him expendable. He wasn’t the solid number-two scoring threat that they had needed him to be when they signed him to the large free-agent deal in the summer of 2005. Drew Gooden had never quite reached his potential many thought he had when he was picked fourth in the draft several years earlier. Gooden was loved by the fans and his teammates, but Ferry knew that the trade wouldn’t be possible unless he included Gooden in it.

      Mires believed that Delonte West was the key part of that deal:

      Delonte West was the key of that trade. I realize people like to make snarky Delonte West jokes, but he was the key in that trade. Shaq O’Neal even said he would play anytime with Delonte West because he has that dog in him. He’s just a street fighter … that hungry player who’s going to fight for everything that you have. He is the kind of guy that when you’re in a dark alley, I’d rather have him covering your back than a 10-foot giant. He was so key, just look at the difference that last season after he fell apart—that was a big part of the reason the Cavs struggled at times in 2010. Not just legal problems, but he struggled with mental problems as well. He was sick with bipolar and other issues.

      The team reacted well to the new cast of players, as the Cavaliers won the first seven of nine games after the trade. It was going to take time to mesh, but the new players showed they were hungry to play well and contribute right away. They finished the regular season at 45–37 and looked poised for another run at the Eastern Conference Championship.

      The Cavaliers’ first-round opponent was a familiar foe: the Washington Wizards. It would be the third straight season the team had to face Washington in the opening round. The Wizards had their “Big Three” ready with Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison poised to do everything they could not to get beat again. The Cavaliers were ready for the Wizards to come out strong and fight them hard the entire game. In the end it took a 32-point performance by LeBron, and the Cavaliers took game one 93–86. The Wizards had led after the first and third quarters, but the Cavaliers used a 28-point fourth quarter to overcome them for good. West helped out with 16 points in his first playoff game as a Cavalier and also chipped in with 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 5 assists.

      Game two was not nearly as close, and the Cavaliers blew out the Wizards 116–86. It was a 30-point victory that proved how good Cleveland could be when running on all four cylinders. LeBron had another incredible night with 30 points, 12 assists, 2 blocked shots, and 9 rebounds. It was an impressive night for The King. Wally Szczerbiak hit 2 three-pointers on his way to a 15-point night. He was starting at shooting guard while West ran the point. They would travel to Washington with a commanding 2–0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

      Washington returned the favor in game three and blew out the Cavaliers at home by a score of 108–72. LeBron had 22 points, but only one other player was able to score in double digits. It was a poor effort that allowed Washington back into the series. LeBron would need more support from his surrounding cast if they were going to do anything in the playoffs.

      Game four was a back-and-forth affair that would come down to the wire once again. The Wizards held a four-point lead after the first quarter of action. The Cavaliers outscored them in the second quarter 30–16 to take a 10-point lead into halftime. Washington cut into the lead in the third quarter and only trailed by seven heading into the fourth. The gamed continued to be close, but in the end the Cavaliers managed to hang on for a 100–97 win. It gave the team a stranglehold on the series heading back home for game five.

      This game was another impressive effort by LeBron, as he scored 34 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. He was becoming an unstoppable monster in the playoffs once again. West also showed that he could be a great number-two scoring threat behind LeBron, chipping in with 21 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Game five back in Cleveland saw Washington slip by with a razor-thin win of 88–87. LeBron scored with ease again, finishing with 34 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. The effort by LeBron was amazing but not enough, and the series was headed back to Washington for game six.

      Washington used a 31-point first quarter at home in game six to take an early four-point lead. The Cavaliers held the Washington offense in check in the second quarter, allowing only 17 points and taking a 56–48 lead into halftime. They were only 24 minutes away from reaching the next round, and they came out of the half with the full intent on shutting Washington down for good. The Cavaliers outscored the Wizards 23–16 and took a 15-point lead heading into the final frame. Washington managed to cut into the lead a tiny bit, but the Cavaliers were just too much to overcome and won the game 105–88. Cleveland was headed back to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals for the third straight year.

      The game six–clinching win was highlighted by a 27-point scoring effort from LeBron and 26 points scored by Szczerbiak, including an incredible 6 three-pointers that broke the spirit of Washington and its fans. Gibson also scored 22 points off the bench, including 4 three-pointers of his own. The Cavaliers would need the momentum and positive energy to continue, as they were about to face the team with the NBA’s best record in the next round: the Boston Celtics.

      With the major acquisitions of perennial all-stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the off-season, the Boston Celtics finished the season with a record of 66–16 and posted the best single-season turnaround in NBA history, improving by 42 wins from the previous season. Garnett was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, while NBA executive Danny Ainge, who had executed what was deemed as “the most dramatic NBA turnaround ever,” was named NBA Executive of the Year. With Paul Pierce already on the roster of the Boston Celtics, Garnett, Ray, and Pierce became known as the new “Big Three.” The Celtics were the first team to form a super group of talent in free agency and trade. The Celtics also had a highly talented rookie point guard from Kentucky, Rajon Rondo.

      The Cavaliers were going to have their work cut out for them, because Boston was heavily favored to win the NBA Championship that year. The Celtics were coming off of a surprisingly grueling seven-game series against the Atlanta Hawks, where the Hawks shocked everyone by pushing Boston to play all seven games before Boston was finally able to put them away. Boston showed signs of fatigue in game one, and the Cavaliers hung in there until the very end. A clutch shot by Kevin Garnett in the closing minute was enough to seal the win for Boston, 76–72.

      Cleveland couldn’t recover in time from the close game-one loss and got blown out in game two, 89–73. The physical play by Boston was too much for Cleveland to overcome, as LeBron was just 8 for 42 in their first two games. The series was on its way back to Cleveland, and the Cavaliers would have to find the answer quickly.

      Cleveland entered game three in full desperation mode for a victory. A three-game deficit would be too much for any team to come back from, let alone against the league’s best team. Cleveland was taking no chances by jumping out to an early first-quarter lead of 32–13 and never looked back. The Cavaliers steamrolled the Celtics all night en route to a 108–84 victory. LeBron and West both had 21 points each in СКАЧАТЬ