When LeBron James left Miami to rejoin the Cavaliers last summer, many expected that he (and Kevin Love) would lead the team to the NBA Finals.
But the way it happened, with Love being lost in the first round of the postseason due to injury, and with Kyrie Irving being injured and out for two games of the Eastern Conference Finals, was anything but easy.
It’s been eight long years for Cavaliers fans since their team played in the NBA Finals, but that’s what James and his teammates delivered by completing a sweep of the Atlanta Hawks. Receiving a trophy on their home floor with confetti raining down is just what James and the Cleveland fans envisioned some 10 months ago, and they’ll hope to see it one more time in June once the Finals matchup with the Warriors (which isn’t yet official, but is widely expected) is finished.