Cleveland State’s Win, in Limericks
December 16, 2014WFNY’s 12 Days of Christmas, 2014 Edition: Day Seven
December 16, 2014Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year is an annual must-read. Sadly, that the national recognition rarely has anything to do with the teams or individuals whom we cover. In turn, WFNY will soon announce its choice for 2014’s Cleveland Sportsman of the Year. Here’s one of the nominations for that honor by an WFNY writer.
Kyrie Irving is my Cleveland Sportsman of the Year because he has had the one of the more up-and-down, bizarre and downright important years of any Cleveland athlete. Over the course of the past twelve months, Kyrie has experienced the following:
- Voted by fans as a starter for the 2014 NBA All-Star Game.
- Won the MVP of the NBA All-Star Game because of silly stuff like this.
- Got in a public spat with Browns receiver Josh Gordon.
- Publicly refuted reports that he wanted out of Cleveland.
- Had a press conference with Dion Waiters where they had to explain that they in fact don’t hate each other.
- Signed a max-contract, becoming the first domino to fall in The Greatest Offseason in Cleveland Sports History.
- Posted a “signed a max-contract dance” video on the internet.
- Named the MVP of the FIBA Tournament.
- Posted a video of a sweet windmill dunk on a NERF hoop to the internet1.
- Debuted a Nike signature shoe and promptly dropped 37 on the Knicks.
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This pretty much sums up the last twelve months of Cavalier basketball, no? Lot’s of brilliant stuff with some mindnumbingly stupid things thrown in for good fun.
Of course, some of the entries on this list are of greater import than others. The Josh Gordon and Dion stuff is just hilarious; last year’s Cavs feels like a lifetime ago compared to where we’re at now. And I think it is safe to say that the “Kyrie or Dion” question has been definitively answered, no? We know who’s the odd man out.
The FIBA and All-Star Game MVPs are nice resume padding, but I’m not sure how much they really mean… asides from the fact that amongst talent, Kyrie stands out as special. Yes, the competition wasn’t of the NBA playoff variety, but we knew Irving is a gifted player and these awards just cement that fact.
To me, the most important entry is Kyrie signing the max deal. LeBron doesn’t come back unless Kyrie is here. Full stop. I still find it incredible that the Cavs first draft pick in the post-LeBron era was Irving. Knowing what we now know about the NBA draft, to hit on your first post-LeBron pick is pretty god damn insane. Irving blossoming into a max contract level player is the key development that lured LeBron back home (asides from the NBA rigging the lottery again Cavs winning the lottery and having the pieces to trade for Kevin Love).
But the most fascinating aspect to me is the first entry: Kyrie being voted as an All-Star starter. That’s pretty nuts, right? Non-LeBron Cleveland Cavaliers don’t usually win popularity contests. Kyrie became just the third Cavalier to be voted in as starter, after LeBron and Shawn Kemp.
I can at least wrap my head around fans selecting LeBron and Kemp. Kemp got voted in during his first year with the Cavaliers, when he still had that superstar shine and before everyone knew how fat he had gotten2. And LeBron is LeBron, there’s never been a Cleveland athlete in the modern era with his star power. LeBron’s the face of the league and he’ll be voted in until he decides to hang it up.
But Kyrie? How does that make sense? Were there some Cavalier fan hold overs from the first LeBron-era stuffing the ballot box? Is it all Uncle Drew? Is it the fancy dribbling? How do you explain him getting more votes than established stars like Dwight Howard and Chris Paul? Chris Paul, the guy who plays in a big market, on a flashy playoff team and has national commercials– Kyrie Irving on the crappy Cavs got more votes than him. Irving moves the needle and I’m not sure we fully appreciate that fact.
What struck me most about Kyrie’s All-Star weekend was how subdued the reaction was back in Cleveland. This should’ve been a celebration of our young point guard putting his stamp on the league, but instead we got reactions like this:
Kyrie's best game of the year not in a Cavs uniform…
— Aaron Goldhammer (@HammerNation19) February 17, 2014
Per @EliasSports Kyrie set a new career high for assists (14) …in the all star game…
— Aaron Goldhammer (@HammerNation19) February 17, 2014
I’m not sure we appreciate the position Kyrie was put in when he was drafted by the Cavaliers. LeBron’s shadow loomed over the entire franchise (it still does, of course). Just 19 years old, Irving became the face of a franchise best known for losing LeBron James in spectacular fashion. He was getting “are you gonna leave us like LeBron did?” questions before he even stepped on the court. He made the All-Star team during his second year and all anyone could focus on was his subpar defense (as if being a 50-40-90 threat as a 20-year old wasn’t enough).
Irving was the lone bright spot during the four years LeBron was off at championship college and it wasn’t enough. I feel we, myself included, too often look at Kyrie and focus on what he isn’t, rather than what he is. He’s not a good defender. He’s not a “true” point guard. He’s not LeBron.
What Kyrie Irving is an extremely talented basketball player. He was thrust into a nearly impossible situation (tanking, Mike Brown, “starting at small forward, Alonzo Gee”) and made himself into a multi-time All-Star. He weathered the storm that was the season of huh and came out the other side a max player. He was the first piece that lured LeBron back home. He can electrify crowds with his shooting as well as his handle (watching Irving dribble is pure basketball bliss). Plus, it seems like he’s starting to figure it out on the defensive end. He’s been a joy to watch and he’s only 22 years old.
In short, he’s the most important Cavalier not named LeBron James. I’m not sure if LeBron is even here if Irving isn’t. This is why Kyrie Irving is my Cleveland Sportsman of the Year.
2 Comments
I can’t wait until there is a better moniker to put besides Kyrie Irving’s name than “All-Star MVP” 🙂
You should really get your articles fact and grammar checked before you share them with the world. At least then, maybe you won’t sound as idiotic. Then again, ignorant is as ignorant does.