CLEVELAND: LeBron James led his pack of teammates toward the banner this city had waited 52 years to see. Then he laid his newly minted ring finger on the wine-colored banner before it was raised to the sky.
James delivered on his mission to bring a title to Cleveland. Now the Cavaliers are back at work trying to deliver another one.
James had 19 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds for his 43rd career triple-double and the Cavs opened defense of the franchise’s first championship by smashing the new-look New York Knicks 117-88 Tuesday night. James is now 3-0 on ring nights.
Kyrie Irving scored 29 points and Kevin Love contributed 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavs, who capped an electrifying day with an emotional victory.
Fueled by adrenaline, the Cavs blew open a close game after halftime with a dominating third quarter. The Cavs ended the night shooting 13-of-35 on 3-pointers, but the Knicks made just one field goal over a five-minute stretch in the third quarter, allowing the Cavs to extend a five-point lead to 69-53 on a night that was all about Cleveland from start to finish.
As James wiped away tears during the pregame ceremony and fiddled with his new ring that is stuffed with 216 diamonds — representing Cleveland’s 216 area code — the Indians hosted the Chicago Cubs across the street in Game 1 of the World Series. This city with so little to cheer for so many decades is suddenly overflowing with riches.
“At this point, if you’re not from here, live here, play here … then it makes no sense for you to live at this point,” James told a sold-out crowd that roared louder with every word. “Cleveland against the world.”
There was the story coach Tyronn Lue recalled before the game about the Cleveland family he met in Las Vegas, about how the man began to cry trying to explain how much the championship meant to him. There was Irving and Love embracing in the tunnel before taking the floor, Irving bouncing around with the joy of a child.
There were massive 3-liter bottles of Moet and Chandon waiting for every Cavs player in their locker, the same champagne they sprayed the night they ended Cleveland’s drought at Oracle Arena. Only these bottles were about three times the size and embroidered with each of the players’ names on them — just like the 3-liter bottles the Cavs owners received when James first returned to Cleveland two years ago.
And there was the Undertaker — yes, the Undertaker — in town to meet James.
James wore the WWE legend’s T-shirt before Game 5 of the NBA Finals, so the big man flew to Cleveland to meet the Cavs superstar. There was no prior relationship between the two, he told the Beacon Journal, just a mutual respect.
One by one, Cavs players exiting the locker room stopped and posed for pictures with the Undertaker. Love flashed the same WWE championship belt he wore during the Cavs’ parade last summer. The only player the Undertaker didn’t get to see before the game was James, who arrived at the arena early and began his pregame routine earlier than expected, postponing the meet-and-greet until after the game.
Between all the excitement, the Cavs won their season opener for the first time since James returned.
“This is for you,” Cavs owner Dan Gilbert told the crowd during the ring ceremony. “Words can’t thank you enough. When this thing is over and that banner goes up, there’s only one thing left to do — repeat.”
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.