And right there, in mid air, LeBron James remembered who injured Kevin Love in 2015, making his task of winning a title impossible in his first season back in Cleveland
The audio of Baker talking about the Browns that’s circulating today is an awful look from that reporter and never should’ve been retold publicly. This is why athletes don’t trust the media. I’d imagine she’s in quite a bit of trouble right about now. Really terrible.
Devastating news. Fred McLeod, the Cavs’ incredibly popular play by play man, has died, the team announced. Fred was a terrific man, an incredibly hard worker and a model ambassador for the team. He loved his wife Beth, his kids, golf and the Cavs. He will be missed dearly.
The Browns are 4-4 and the building is on fire and Odell is excused from practice. The Cavs are 4-4 and the GM is taking victory laps.
God I love Cleveland.
Jarrett Allen is always smiling. I mean, always. He left the arena last night through the concourse, which was a curious tactical decision from security. Smiled the whole way out. Smiled after catching that lob from Garland. Might be the happiest dude in the NBA.
Everyone knows by now how good Garland, Mobley and Allen are for the Cavs. So I’m going to keep pointing out guys like Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens, two undrafted forgettables they have developed into valuable rotation pieces. That’s really, really hard to do.
Daniel Carlson was drafted by the Vikings, who quickly gave up on him and traded him to the Raiders. Minnesota’s special teams coach at the time? Mike Priefer, tonight’s Browns interim head coach. That kick was a double gut punch for him.
Fred McLeod's funeral was today. Koby Altman, Larry Nance Jr., Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson were among those who attended. Anderson Varejao and Z went through last night.
Nice touch: Everyone who was around for the championship wore their rings today.
He will be missed.
So many strippers have arrived in Atlanta that the License and Permit Office ran out of ink Wednesday morning. Inside the wild world of the Super Bowl, strip clubs and the tens of thousands of dollars at stake this week.
Kyrie is like a real-life pro wrestler. He can turn face-heel-face so quickly. And just when you think you've got it figured out, he hits Danny Ainge with a steel chair and gives Brad Stevens a Stunner. Actually quite impressive.
Why is Kirk Cousins getting destroyed today? He plainly said he wears a mask out of respect for others. Now that’s not good enough either? Whew. People gonna outrage just to outrage.
I’ve seen a lot of silliness this week, so let’s just clear this up.
Kevin Stefanski is a really good head coach. The best the Browns have had since they returned in ’99. And it’s not even close.
Some of you really need to settle down.
It's worth mentioning that in LeBron's final days with the Cavs, he made it clear he wanted to play with guys who have high basketball IQs. So the Lakers went out and got him ... Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee.
This is the most I’ve watched of Game 7 since seeing it live. So many plays and little moments I’d forgotten or didn’t notice live. What a night. What a phenomenal series.
“Price into the forecourt, on the right wing. Price over to Ehlo, hands the ball to Nance, wham with the right hand!”
The sounds of my youth. RIP, Joe Tait. A Cleveland treasure.
Ten wins is a big deal. It’s a really big deal.
We all know this is their first 10-win season in 13 years. But it’s their second in the last 25 years. And it’s their seventh in the last 40 years.
This isn’t an accident. It’s really hard to do. It’s rare.
Enjoy it.
LeBron on Baker Mayfield:
"I think the quarterback of the Browns should always be the face of the city. The quarterback position is the most prestigious position in sports, period. ... They look like a different franchise when he’s at quarterback."
The Lakers lost to a Blazers team that James Worthy basically called a bunch of YMCA dudes. LeBron said he wants to drink wine and go to bed.
The Lakers have broken Magic, James Worthy and LeBron in the last 24 hours.
The Cavs are 34-21 and a game out of first in the East.
Francisco Lindor had a terrific year. The trade has worked out well for both sides.
Still, I can’t help but point out Lindor’s season is over. Gimenez, Rosario and the Guardians are moving on.
I covered every Cavs game in Miami for 8 years and never saw a win in that building. This is a young team gaining more and more confidence every night. And this is a beat down.
Totally disagree with Reggie Miller. That looked intentional. A crotch shot is always going to start a fight, but add a groin injury on top of it? I’d have thrown the ball at him, too.
Rodney Hood refused to enter the game when summoned in the fourth quarter Monday, angering a number of teammates, according to multiple sources. It was the only blemish on an otherwise impressive series sweep for the Cavs. Final Thoughts from the Q
That Cavs run from 2014-18 was the most fun I’ve ever had covering a beat. I was an OSU beat writer when the Bucks won the ‘02 title. I’ve covered mutliple BCS title games, a Final Four, Super Bowl, World Series...
Nothing will beat those 4 years. It feels like a lifetime ago.
Beatdowns happen on the road occasionally in the playoffs, especially when a team is clinging to postseason life. But for the Magic to beat the hell out of the Cavs AGAIN in consecutive games is inexcusable and pathetic. No other way to put it.
Was flying home tonight. Watched the game from the air and I’ve spent the last 15ish minutes listening to NY sports talk radio. I’ve never heard so many heads explode simultaneously.
The building isn’t on fire. They were never committed to him. The odds of that changing were always very, very low.
They took a big swing. They missed. They always had the most to “lose” of the finalists chasing Watson.
They did it anyway.
Tells you all you need to know.
I don’t care about uniforms. At all. You know what I like? Winning. Winning makes uniforms great. Losses make them ugly. Teams that don’t win focus on things like changing the uniforms. Teams that win focus on, well, winning. Choose your side.
The Cavs are moving their G-League team from Canton to Cleveland, according to a source. Home games will be played at Cleveland State’s Wolstein Center. Announcement expected later today.
Honest question: Why is it when the Indians suck, fans blame the Indians. When the Cavs suck, fans blame the Cavs. But when the Browns set themselves on fire for 20 years, fans blame...the media?
I love Cleveland. I wish for success for the fans. But sometimes I don’t get it.
The Cavs are 1 1/2 games out of the top seed in the East. As crazy as that is, it also leaves open the possibility J.B. Bickerstaff could coach the East in the All-Star game here next month.
The reaction from today's piece has been overwhelming. I read every response. Thank you. I've heard from some who picked up the phone and called their own dad. That would make mine very, very happy. We don't assume they'll live forever, we just assume they'll be there tomorrow.
I have no idea what I just watched, but I know it wasn’t a former coach accusing a team of trying to incentivize losing. Hue Jackson basically used SportsCenter as a platform to tell the world, again, that the Browns didn’t have any talent.
No kidding. Unbelievable. Moving on…
Rarely have I run out of words. Maybe when LeBron did some of those LeBron things you just shook your head and shrugged. Well I’m at that point right now with Joe F’ing Flacco. There are no words. Just shake your head and shrug
Coming tomorrow: A 3,000 word Q&A with Kevin Love on his legacy, his first year here, his group chat and his future. “Let’s get past the part where you ask me 3 fluff questions. Let’s just get into it,” Love said. “I don’t want to answer the bullshit.”
So, no bullshit. Promise.
LeBron is back in Cleveland this weekend. His picture is on the building again. At first he said he hasn’t thought about returning to play for the Cavs, but then we kept talking.
“The door’s not closed on that,” he said.
LeBron had a lot to say today.
Just experienced something that's never happened to me in all my years of flying.
@Delta
gate agent called me because they were getting ready to close the doors and wanted to see if I was close. They held the plane. Bless you, Delta.