On Sunday night, the greatest era in Cavaliers franchise history came to a quiet end with a one-sentence press release announcing LeBron James had agreed to a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. The guys look back on the uneasy alliance between LeBron and Cavs owner Dan Gilbert that ultimately couldn’t last, the bizarre work in progress that is the Lakers’ roster that LeBron will be joining, the increasingly unbalanced landscape as the league’s biggest star becomes the latest elite player to go west, and the uncertain future of the Cavs.
It was a painful NBA Finals – both figuratively and literally – for LeBron and the Cavs. Dodgy officiating, a killer mental mistake and a punched white board punctuated Game 1, and the Wine and Gold never recovered for the remainder of the series. The guys discuss the late-game proceedings in Game 1, LeBron’s busted hand, the burden on the Cavs’ front office navigating the draft and free agency in light of LeBron’s potential departure this summer, the Warriors’ weird dynamic with Kevin Durant, and how long Golden State can keep its nucleus together.
Dropped a big leg, hit ’em with a steel chair, threw them through the Barber Shop window…Take your pick of wrestling metaphors. Kevin Durant made a shocking heel turn this week by walking away from the Thunder to join the Warriors. The guys dive into NBA free agency with the fallout of the most surprising move in six years, as well as its implications for the Cavs and the rest of the league. … Plus: From memes and custom championship belts to T-shirts and locker room beer baths, WWE has developed an unlikely crossover appeal with mainstream pro sports and Sports Illustrated’s oral history of ‘American Gladiators.’
