On July 8th, LeBron James shocked the basketball world by announcing his decision to take his talents to South Beach, ripping the hearts out of not only Cavalier fans, but the entire state of Ohio in the process. A little less than five months later, the organization and its fan base were given their first shot at the one they embraced and worshiped for seven years. Not by burning his jersey or making an anti-LeBron add, but rather facing him on the hardwood. The precautionary actions taken for the safety of both the players and fans varied from enhanced security, to selling beer and other drinks in styrofoam cups instead of the usual plastic, glass, and aluminum. TNT, which televised the game, did its part by lowering the sound level of the crowd before tip-off, who had a lot more to say than 'boo'.
With the electric atmosphere that rocked Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena before the game even started, you would think it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals. How big was the game? Even Drew Carey showed up decked out in Cavs gear. Just how intense was the hostility? The Cleveland faithful boo'd every time LeBron lied hands on the ball, along with the minute long boo-fest they greeted him with during player introduction. Zydrunas Ilgauskas on the other hand, who played his entire 14-year NBA career alongside LeBron in Cleveland prior to signing with the Heat this past offseason, received a standing ovation. After watching the game slip past them as early as the final minutes of the first quarter, it wasn't long before Cavs fans began cheering louder for a LeBron missed field goal, than when Cleveland actually made a basket. However, that would eventually die down, as James soon found his comfort zone, leading Miami to a 19-point lead heading into the half.
Regardless of their team being blown out, the fans made sure they left a lasting impression, as they began chanting such expletives as, 'Ass hole' among others. But my favorite of them all was, "Akron hates you!", of coarse referring to James' birthplace. Fan made t-shirts and signs were also fan favorites and were just as funny as the boo's and chants. One shirt read, 'Quitness' instead of the former motto 'Witness', also poking at the controversy that suspected LeBron quitting on his team during the Playoffs last season. Another shirt in particular that took the cake for me, was 'The Lyin King'. For the better half of the game, James was seen on the sidelines laughing and conversing with the Cavaliers bench. Something Cavs head coach Byron Scott didn't take very likely.
But when it was all said and done, LeBron got the last laugh, scoring 38-points in route to defeating his former team, 118-90. Since the beating LeBron and company served up in Cleveland, the Heat have shown no signs of slowing down, going on to win the next three games and extending their win-streak to six, their longest this year. Many are pointing at LeBron's return to Cleveland as being a possible turning point for this Miami Heat squad that was thought such highly of coming into the season. Although they won't reach the Chicago Bulls territory of 72-regular season wins many believed they were capable of achieving this year, they could very well be a force to be reckoned with if they keep it up, even though they're yet to defeat a legitimate team. As for the rematch, Cleveland and Miami will meet again on December 15th, this time behind the support of LeBron's new posse.
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