Before boarding his float for the Cleveland Cavaliers championship parade Wednesday, LeBron James said he plans on staying with the Cavs next year.
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Cleveland Cavaliers fans are flooding downtown for the team’s championship celebration parade Wednesday.
“I love all of y’all”, James said. I love being here.
While Cleveland hosts other parades like a popular one on St. Patrick’s Day, there hasn’t been a sports parade of this magnitude since 1995, when the Indians’ first appearance in the World Series since 1954 was celebrated. I get it. I’m supposed to do it, too.
Or, maybe it was the parade talking. Near the start of the route and just feet from where his iconic, 10-stories-tall banner hangs, James stood and posed with his arms outstretched just as he does on the giant mural – life imitating art, the photo op of a lifetime.
Many fans wore team jerseys – 23 for James or 2 for Kyrie Irving were the most popular – and waved team flags, some of them dancing with joy.
The rally closed with Browns great Jim Brown passing James the Larry O’Brien trophy in a symbolic passing of the torch for Cleveland sports icon.
James is expected to opt out of his contract to re-sign for more money, a move several National Basketball Association players are making because a new television contract is raising the salary cap and amount players can make under a max contract.
J.R. Smith captures the moment by taking a selfie.
Here we go again in the cryptic saga of the relationship between LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
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James averaged NBA Finals highs of 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists and led the way with more than two steals and blocked shots a game as well – not to mention his pinpoint passing and defensive swagger. And if he is able to duplicate how he played in this year’s Finals next year, the Cavs have a strong chance at winning back to back titles.
