CLEVELAND: There always seems to be a feeling of doubt that creeps into the minds of Cleveland pro sports fans whenever their team is considered a championship contender.
After all, Cleveland has a series of heartbreaking iconic moments that begin with “The.”
Willie Mays and the “The Catch.”
John Elway and “The Drive.”
Michael Jordan and “The Shot.”
Art Modell and “The Move.”
LeBron James and “The Decision.”
Not included in that list is the broken foot Jim Chones suffered during a practice as the Cavs competed in the 1976 NBA playoffs. Chones had just helped the Cavs win their first playoff series ever — 4-3 over the Washington Bullets — and was preparing to play against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.
With Chones unable to play, the Celtics beat the Cavs 4-2 as the “Miracle of Richfield” season came to an end.
Now 66 years old, Chones is a radio analyst for the Cavs and is confident James can break the so-called “Curse” and deliver a title to Cleveland in his second tour of duty.
“I am a forward-thinking guy,” Chones said Tuesday at Quicken Loans Arena before the Cavs beat the Toronto Raptors 115-84 in the 2016 Eastern Conference finals opener.
“Whatever is in the past is in the past. I never dwell on it or reflect back, unless I am writing. I am getting stories published in about three months.”
The Cavs hosted Game 2 against the Raptors Thursday with Chones and former teammates Austin Carr and Campy Russell in attendance. Carr and Russell each work as Cavs television analysts, and all three said this could be the year.
“It is just good to be this close to LeBron James,” said Chones. “I have never seen a player this good, and I played with a championship team [in 1980] and Hall of Famers when I was with the [Los Angeles] Lakers. I have never seen a player this complete and this good. He is the best player I have ever seen. He does so many things well. He is totally team committed, he has great leadership ability and he comes to play every night.
“Just for the Cavaliers to be where are right now, I hope no one in Cleveland takes it for granted. First of all, they are seeing greatness every night and they haven’t seen greatness since Jim Brown and the 1964 championship Browns team. We have an opportunity to win a championship this season and I think we are going to do it. I really believe it. We have everything we need to be successful. All we have to do now is just play.”
Chones said it is difficult to compare the 1975-1976 team to the 2015-2016 team.
“The media outlets are stronger — it’s a different era and there is more visibility,” Chones said. “There is more knowing by the fans, and expectations are higher because of the way social media plays into all of this. We were good, but we weren’t this good.
“I knew we were good because when we had to get better or we were behind or we had lost momentum, we had enough continuity and instruction from [coach] Bill Fitch that we could play better. That’s what this team does. They weren’t doing that earlier in the year.”
Chones started at center in the 1975-1976 season with guards Dick Snyder and Jim Cleamons and forwards Bingo Smith and Jim Brewer. The Cavs’ top reserves were Clarence “Foots” Walker and Carr at guard, Russell at forward and Nate Thurmond at center.
James is the kid from Akron on this year’s Cavs team, and the squad 40 years ago also had local flavor with three guys from nearby high schools — Snyder (North Canton Hoover), Thurmond (Akron Central) and reserve center Luke Witte (Marlington).
“It was such a great time because back in our day, and I always say our day, we were part of the fabric of the community primarily because we lived here all year around,” Russell, 64, said. “We were not transients. All of the kids grew up with the neighbors and the people here looked at us as part of their family. Back at that time, the crowds were spectacular at the Coliseum.
“When I look back to those days, those were some great days for us, for the Akron area, for this whole Northeast Ohio area. Everyone was connected to that team and felt good about that team. I believe, as all of us do, that we were a broken foot away from winning a world championship or at least putting us into a world championship opportunity. But those darn things happen.”
Russell said he regularly keeps in touch with his teammates from 40 years ago.
“Whether it’s Footsy Walker, Jim Brewer, Nate Thurmond, Dick Snyder, John Lambert, Rowland Garrett — we all stay in contact with each other,” Russell said. “All that happened because we were all young men at that time and our families grew up together.”
Russell said the Cavs team this year has a “bona fide chance to win a championship” and that it can not be compared to “any of the former or past teams because of just how dynamic they are and how they are getting it done at a high level.”
Carr, 68, is beloved by fans as “Mr. Cavalier” and still vividly recalls the Richfield Coliseum.
“It was really bad when I first came here [after being drafted No. 1 overall in 1971], and to see this team where it is now is great,” Carr said. “Not just the players, but also the way the franchise is being run. It is great to see this. This is a first-class organization.
“It was great to be a member of a team where we were so close. We hung out with each other. If somebody got married, we went to their kids wedding. If somebody had a baby, we were at the hospital. It was a close-knit team and it translated on the court. That was probably the best team I ever played on. We still have a bond with all our guys now.”
Chones lauded Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, general manager David Griffin, coach Ty Lue and James for helping instill a championship mentality. Carr said the team is “starting to develop that bond and it is starting to transcend itself on the court.”
“Last year, we were not healthy with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love out with injuries,” Carr said. “This year, everybody is healthy. Knock on wood that we stay that way.”