Thank you Cavaliers for finally returning to the court. I'm not sure I could have gone much longer without seeing you play, especially given the depressing way the Tribe has stumbled out of the gates (yet again). And before I get into last night's Game 1, I can't help but thank the powers-that-be for allowing us the incredible good fortune of landing the King back in 2003. I still remember the LeBron Lottery night like it was yesterday. It was the night that things changed in Cleveland... and the night I became a Cavs season ticket holder on a drunken whim, which ultimately ended up being one of the better decisions I've made in the last few years. Fast forward 6 years to last night, seeing LBJ hold up that MVP trophy. Some people are saying that LeBron should have singled out the fans of Cleveland to thank them in his speech given at SVSM on Monday afternoon. I can't fault him for maybe forgetting that during his impromptu speech... and I really think maybe it should be the other way around - we the fans thanking him. So thank you LeBron for exceeding our lofty expectations. And we all know there's still more work to be done.
LBJ hoisted the first of his many likely MVP trophies Tuesday night at the QGame 1 against the Hawks went about as well as any of us could have expected. The Cavs shook off some rust in the first half and then sped away to a 99-72 win (highlights) at the Q to take a 1-0 lead in the series. LeBron led the way with 34 points (16 in the 1st quarter), 10 rebounds, and 4 steals in just 34 minutes of work. Mo also chipped in 21 - his fifth consecutive game of 20+ points vs. the Hawks. Also encouraging was Ben Wallace's 15 minutes of energy off the bench. He looks to have really benefited from the long layoff. And Sasha rose from the dead with 7 points in 12 minutes. He will be needed at some point in time over the next 5 or 6 weeks, so it was important to get him some confidence.
Now the Cavs will enjoy just one day of rest before moving on to Game 2 tomorrow night. Five down, eleven to go. Go Cavs.
