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Showing posts with label NBA Finals 2016. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA Finals 2016. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Cavs Fan Guide: 5 Cavs Championship T-Shirts We Love
With the Cavs victory in Game 7 of the NBA Finals June 19, Believeland devotees are finally able to splurge on championship gear for the first time since Dec. 27, 1964. We've all seen the coveted locker room T-shirt, but these championship shirts will help you stand out from the rest of the 216.
Seeing the King’s emotional celebration as he held the trophy following the Cavs win against the Golden State Warriors was a rush. Commemorate the moment with this cartoon version of LeBron James on the Ilthy Trophy T-Shirt. $32 in white or gold, ilthy.com
If you love official gear, you’ll want to check out this Fanatics Nike champions T-shirt with the image of King James’ hand holding the championship ring. $34.99, fanatics.com
Clevelanders always knew the Cavaliers were destined to become champions, but now that it’s official, it's time to proclaim our status to the rest of the world with the help of Fresh Brewed Tees Champions of the World shirt. $26.99, freshbrewedtees.com
Cleveland Clothing Co. plays off our wine and gold team colors with this clever Won & Golden championship T-shirt. $20.16, 324 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-736-8879; 11435 Euclid Ave., 216-465-9595; cleclothingco.com
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Cavs Fan Guide: "Believeland" author Wright Thompson Pulling for a Cavs Win
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| Wright Thompson photo by Joe Faraoni, ESPN |
“I’m literally on the edge of civilization,” says the 39-year-old Thompson, who is covering the Euro Cup soccer tournament. “And my translator is a Golden State fan.”
Thompson’s superb 2010 ESPN Magazine piece “Believeland,” written after the departure of LeBron James, is considered by many the definitive take on Cleveland’s culture of sports failures. He came up with the headline after seeing a T-shirt with the slogan during an eight-day stay that took him from Nighttown in Cleveland Heights to the Venture Inn in Garfield Heights.
“I was pleased that it [story] played well in Cleveland, otherwise people would have known it was bullshit,” says Thompson, who talks about tonight’s game and the player he once called “a 6-8 steel mill.”
ON GAME 6 // The universe has just allowed this to happen. To win two games in a row against this team [Golden State] is virtually impossible. But I’ll say they’ll win tonight.
ON LEBRON // You can’t ask more from a modern American celebrity than what LeBron James has done. He has managed to be the thing that people wanted him to be. And, other than the Decision, he has done it with grace and dignity.
ON A CAVS’ CHAMPIONSHIP // It would end all this waiting, which has become its own thing. I’m a lifelong Saints fan, and I cried when they won the Super Bowl. For a thousand different reasons it should happen, and I’m really hoping it does.
ON CLEVELAND // I feel Cleveland is a lot like New Orleans – if you’re not from there you’ll never be from there. I always thought Dennis Kucinich was a nut until I spent a couple hours with him. The guy is brilliant. We drove through his old neighborhood talking about quantum physics. I dream about Slyman's sometimes. I love that jazz club [Nighttown], and the Lithuanian Club is the coolest place in the world.
By Barry Goodrich
Friday, June 10, 2016
Cavs Fan Guide: Life According to Hype Man Ahmaad Crump
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| Ahmaad Crump and Nicole Marcellino: Aaron Josefczk |
Game 3 of the NBA Finals was a big win for the Cavs, but now the team — and their fans — need all the hype
they can get to protect their home court. They need hype man and in-arena host Ahmaad Crump. But maintaining
positive morale for more than 20,000 fans in The Q isn’t an easy task, so Crump
takes it each game at a time. We caught up with Crump ahead of tonight’s Game 4 matchup.
I knew I wanted to be
an announcer for the team when I joined the organization in 2003 as a
member of the Rock Squad for the Cleveland Rockers.
Each game, I just
look at the big picture. It’s not a sprint, it’s pretty much a marathon.
You’ve got to take it one game at a time and focus on the big picture and focus
on the goal that’s ahead.
Being the hype man
and getting to be a part of the games by doing the introductions and all of
that, it’s one of my favorite parts of the job.
Also being in the
community, I’m able to make an impact on the kids and the schools and
surprise them with tickets to the games.
My definition of hype
is excitement, passion and belief. To be a hype man of a team, you have to
believe in what you’re hyping up.
At the end of the
day, when you’re out there on the floor, it’s got to be all genuine and all
passion.
The difference
between the hype of regular season games and Finals is what’s at stake. The
regular season is great, but the playoffs and the finals — that’s a brand new
scene.
You have to take it
up a notch, every single game. Just like the players, you have to give
every fan a show.
With us playing the
Golden State Warriors for the Finals again, a lot of fans have emotions
about it, saying it’s a rematch and revenge. But me, I don’t get into that.
I believe in my heart
that we can beat them. All the passion that I have, I decide to just spread
it out to all of the fans via my microphone.
Being the hype man, and
most of all, being a Cavs fan is one of the greatest feelings ever.
Being able to be a
part of a team that I was such a big fan of when I was growing up, it’s
definitely a humbling experience.
Cavs Fan Guide: Steele’s Sage Advice for Cavs: Stay Aggressive in Game 4
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| ESPN's Sage Steele interviewing NBA commissioner Adam Silver at halftime of the June 8 NBA Finals game. Photo courtesy ESPN |
As Quicken Loans Arena quaked during the Cavs’ 120-90 blowout victory over the Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, ESPN broadcasters dealt with their own opponent – the crowd noise.
“I love having our set right in the middle of the fans, and they had a reason to be loud in Game 3,” says Sage Steele, host of ESPN’s NBA Countdown show, which broadcasts from The Q with pregame and halftime segments for Game 4 on June 10. “But it is very difficult to broadcast when it’s that loud. We’ve had to experiment with different microphones. Paul Pierce, who is working with us for the Finals, said he thinks Cleveland is the toughest place to play in the NBA.”
The 43-year-old Steele, in her third year as Countdown host, is energized by the fact the Cavs breathed new life into what had been a one-sided series. “I really expected a Cleveland win, because the Cavs are so good at home,” says Steele, who talks with us about the Finals, momentum swings and her friendship with the late Art Modell.
Q: How did the Cavs manage to turn the series around?
A: The Cavs came out and were so aggressive. They were angry… and they needed to be. We (broadcasters) tend to be somewhat critical when they don’t play that way all the time. It was the 20th playoff game this year that has been decided by 25 or more points. I hope we’re done with all the blowouts in this series.
Q: Why are there so many momentum swings in the playoffs?
A: I don’t think there’s ever been a swing like that between two games in Finals history. Every single game is an adjustment. I will be shocked if one, if not both, of the Splash Brothers (Steph Curry and Klay Thompson) come back with big games tonight. LeBron and Kyrie are going to have to show up for the rest of the series. In my mind, there are zero excuses. You’ve got to bring it every game.
Q: You were friends with Art Modell and his family while covering the Baltimore Ravens. What were your impressions of him?
A: I knew Art, his wife Pat and his son David pretty well. I knew them as people. I don’t expect Clevelanders to ever fully understand his side of the story. I totally get that. All I know is that the family missed Cleveland dearly.
Q: What’s it like working with Jalen Rose and Doug Collins on NBA Countdown?
A: Having graduated from Indiana, I’ll never fully love Jalen because he went to Michigan. And I love being around Doug because he’s so smart. This is my favorite year on the show. I’m having a blast.
By Barry Goodrich
“I love having our set right in the middle of the fans, and they had a reason to be loud in Game 3,” says Sage Steele, host of ESPN’s NBA Countdown show, which broadcasts from The Q with pregame and halftime segments for Game 4 on June 10. “But it is very difficult to broadcast when it’s that loud. We’ve had to experiment with different microphones. Paul Pierce, who is working with us for the Finals, said he thinks Cleveland is the toughest place to play in the NBA.”
The 43-year-old Steele, in her third year as Countdown host, is energized by the fact the Cavs breathed new life into what had been a one-sided series. “I really expected a Cleveland win, because the Cavs are so good at home,” says Steele, who talks with us about the Finals, momentum swings and her friendship with the late Art Modell.
Q: How did the Cavs manage to turn the series around?
A: The Cavs came out and were so aggressive. They were angry… and they needed to be. We (broadcasters) tend to be somewhat critical when they don’t play that way all the time. It was the 20th playoff game this year that has been decided by 25 or more points. I hope we’re done with all the blowouts in this series.
Q: Why are there so many momentum swings in the playoffs?
A: I don’t think there’s ever been a swing like that between two games in Finals history. Every single game is an adjustment. I will be shocked if one, if not both, of the Splash Brothers (Steph Curry and Klay Thompson) come back with big games tonight. LeBron and Kyrie are going to have to show up for the rest of the series. In my mind, there are zero excuses. You’ve got to bring it every game.
Q: You were friends with Art Modell and his family while covering the Baltimore Ravens. What were your impressions of him?
A: I knew Art, his wife Pat and his son David pretty well. I knew them as people. I don’t expect Clevelanders to ever fully understand his side of the story. I totally get that. All I know is that the family missed Cleveland dearly.
Q: What’s it like working with Jalen Rose and Doug Collins on NBA Countdown?
A: Having graduated from Indiana, I’ll never fully love Jalen because he went to Michigan. And I love being around Doug because he’s so smart. This is my favorite year on the show. I’m having a blast.
By Barry Goodrich
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Cavs Fan Guide: Mike Golic says Cavs are down but not out
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| Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic Photo courtesy of Joe Faraoni, ESPN |
“At home (Connecticut) I get up at 4:15 a.m.,” says Golic from ESPN’s set at Fan Fest at the Gateway Plaza. “While we’re here, I get to sleep until 5 a.m.”
Golic, the Willowick native who spent nine seasons in the NFL, returns home to find the Cavs in an 0-2 hole against the defending champion Golden State Warriors. “Cavs fans don’t want to hear it, but Golden State is the better team right now,” says the 53-year-old Golic. “The Cavs players look in the mirror and they know they have to play better. They’re good enough to beat this team, and I fully expect Cleveland to win tonight.”
While a potential victory tonight could change the narrative of the series, a loss will all but bury the team’s hopes for a title. “Tomorrow morning we’re either going to be talking about how the Cavs are right back in it or we’ll be talking about Golden State as one of the greatest teams of all time,” says Golic, who talks with us about the Finals, LeBron James and his co-host.
Q: What has been the difference in the series thus far?
A: The role players. In the first two games the bench for Golden State has shot 62 percent, and the bench for Cleveland has shot 31 percent. I was a role player in the NFL, and when you’re asked to perform, you need to contribute. Against a team like Golden State, you need all of your guys to step it up.
Q: Are you surprised by how the series has played out to this point?
A: I think everybody expected a different series. I thought with [Kevin] Love and Kyrie [Irving], Cleveland had a team that could match the Warriors’ 3-point shooting. With Love and Irving out last year, a lot of people didn’t believe Golden State won a legitimate NBA title. Right now, they’re showing everybody that they did.
Q: Are the Cavs relying too much on James in this series?
A: LeBron is the best player in the league. But you need more than one superstar to win in the NBA. That’s why he was able to win a title in Miami. Fairly or unfairly, a lot is asked of him. Cleveland’s offense is too segmented right now and LeBron has shot just eight free throws in the first two games.
Q: What’s it like working alongside Mike Greenberg?
A: The show has been on 17 years but with Greenie it feels like 30 years. We’re very different. We come from different upbringings. I have to explain to him the difference between a flat-head screwdriver and a Phillips screwdriver. Some times I just shake my head in disbelief.
Cavs Fan Guide: Three Songs of the NBA Finals
The music of a Cavs game can change the mood of the fans and a lift up the entire arena. But when DJ Steph Floss spins at the NBA Finals home games against the Golden State Warriors, June 8 and 10, he wants to catch the ear of the players first. "For the Finals, I try to cater more to the players than I actually do to anyone else, because I feel that they need the extra energy," Floss explains. "The energy that the players put out, the fans will reciprocate." Let's remind the Warriors that this is our Land by turning up the music and jamming out to Floss' three songs of Finals.
"Really Got It" by Jerreau
Floss got hooked on this song back around Christmas time but kept it on the down low until LeBron James recently put it to Instagram. "When LeBron posted the video of him in the car going crazy listening to this song, everyone was like, What is this, What is this? Everybody just fell in love with this song. Great connection. Amazing lyrics. It's a motivational song."
"Summer Sixteen" by Drake
Like Drake, the Cavs are looking for revenge the summer of 2016. "It's very simple," Floss explains. "We are looking for revenge playing the Golden State [Warriors] again this year." Some fans may be upset with Drake, ever since he dissed James and Kyrie Irving on Instagram. But let's let bygones be bygones, especially since Floss fired back plenty of friendly shots at Drake on his own Instagram, and James and Drake settled their dispute with a public hug and a near-kiss on the cheek.
"Trap or Die" by Young Jeezy
When the Golden State Warriors come to play on our home turf June 8, the Cavs are letting them know who's house it is, true to Young Jeezy's lyrics, "Last time I checked, I am the man on these streets." "People were questioning whether we are that good," Floss says. "But nah, last time I checked, we are the man."
"Really Got It" by Jerreau
Floss got hooked on this song back around Christmas time but kept it on the down low until LeBron James recently put it to Instagram. "When LeBron posted the video of him in the car going crazy listening to this song, everyone was like, What is this, What is this? Everybody just fell in love with this song. Great connection. Amazing lyrics. It's a motivational song."
"Summer Sixteen" by Drake
Like Drake, the Cavs are looking for revenge the summer of 2016. "It's very simple," Floss explains. "We are looking for revenge playing the Golden State [Warriors] again this year." Some fans may be upset with Drake, ever since he dissed James and Kyrie Irving on Instagram. But let's let bygones be bygones, especially since Floss fired back plenty of friendly shots at Drake on his own Instagram, and James and Drake settled their dispute with a public hug and a near-kiss on the cheek.
"Trap or Die" by Young Jeezy
When the Golden State Warriors come to play on our home turf June 8, the Cavs are letting them know who's house it is, true to Young Jeezy's lyrics, "Last time I checked, I am the man on these streets." "People were questioning whether we are that good," Floss says. "But nah, last time I checked, we are the man."
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Cavs Fan Guide: This Cat Loves the Cavs in a Very Special Way
Even when we are down, the booming energy of thousands of fans packing into and around The Q during home and away games in the NBA Finals' Cleveland Cavaliers-Golden State Warriors matchup is difficult to match. But Tina Adkins is content to skip the hoopla and watch her beloved Cavs team with her furry friend, Nala, at home. Adkins tells us why her feline is always her best basketball companion.
"It started with the first game of the season, almost as soon as Ahmaad [Crump] started announced the lineups. Nala came running down the stairs and jumped up on the cable box, and now every single Cavs game, she’s up on that cable box watching the game with me.
My father absolutely loved LeBron James, and I swear my dad’s spirit is in that cat. [LeBron’s] first season back is when my dad was getting really sick. Even when he was laying there dying, that was our thing. I’d head straight from work to the hospital and watch the Cavs game with him, and now the cat watches the Cavs games with me.
She will sit there and stare at that TV the whole time, from tipoff to the end of the fourth quarter. She barely moves. Sometimes she’ll put her paw up on the screen. Or when I start yelling at the TV, she’ll perk up and get really close to the TV.
She’s a very smart cat. She was born last July, so she’s coming up on a year. It was maybe like the seventh or eighth game of the season when I really started to notice it kept happening. And just out of emotion, I was like, OK Dad, I know you’re here with me." — as told to Kevin Stankiewicz
Miss nalas back at saying lets go cavs @foxsportsohio pic.twitter.com/IWDBJo5egg— TINA ADKINS (@TEEMARIE0523) January 26, 2016
"It started with the first game of the season, almost as soon as Ahmaad [Crump] started announced the lineups. Nala came running down the stairs and jumped up on the cable box, and now every single Cavs game, she’s up on that cable box watching the game with me.
My father absolutely loved LeBron James, and I swear my dad’s spirit is in that cat. [LeBron’s] first season back is when my dad was getting really sick. Even when he was laying there dying, that was our thing. I’d head straight from work to the hospital and watch the Cavs game with him, and now the cat watches the Cavs games with me.
She will sit there and stare at that TV the whole time, from tipoff to the end of the fourth quarter. She barely moves. Sometimes she’ll put her paw up on the screen. Or when I start yelling at the TV, she’ll perk up and get really close to the TV.
She’s a very smart cat. She was born last July, so she’s coming up on a year. It was maybe like the seventh or eighth game of the season when I really started to notice it kept happening. And just out of emotion, I was like, OK Dad, I know you’re here with me." — as told to Kevin Stankiewicz
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