Читать книгу The Redemption of the King - Vince McKee - Страница 10

CHAPTER TWO

The Next Level

The Cavaliers had narrowly missed the playoffs, and the team’s next move needed to be landing the right head coach. LeBron showed he could play at an elite caliber level, but he needed the right team around him with the best head coach to guide them in order to achieve national championship success. Former player Danny Ferry returned to Cleveland to become the general manager, and his biggest move was signing new head coach Mike Brown.

Kenny Roda gave his input on why Mike Brown was chosen to be the next head coach to lead LeBron and the Cavaliers:

Number one, Dan Gilbert was impatient, and I think he will admit that now. I liked Paul Silas and thought he was from the old school and taught things to LeBron James that only an old-school guy could teach. Mike Brown was coming from an organization in the San Antonio Spurs where they were the model team many teams wanted to structure themselves after because of the success that they had. Mike Brown was a defensive-minded coach from Gregg Popovich’s system and organization, and if you’re not going to hire a retread coach, then you’re going hire the young, up-and-coming assistant from a good program, and that is exactly what Mike Brown was. Dan Gilbert felt that with Mike Brown being around Popovich and watching him handle the likes of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginóbili, and players like that, based on his pedigree and his work ethic and ability to learn from Gregg Popovich, that put Mike Brown at the top of the Cavaliers wish list, and that is why they went after him so hard. Danny Ferry also had something to do with it and spent time in San Antonio as well. Danny Ferry knew of Mike and the Popovich way, so you can connect the dots there. A new owner, with Danny Ferry the new GM coming from San Antonio, and it kind of just fit the needs of the Cavaliers at that time.

Mike Brown began his basketball career as an unpaid video intern with the Denver Nuggets. He would spend five years as their video coordinator. Then Brown went on to spend time on the coaching staffs of the Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs. Brown was with San Antonio when they won their NBA Championship in 2003. It was different then, the life of fame and high expectations that LeBron had for the last 10 years. For the Cavaliers fans, it would be interesting to see if the two personalities would mesh. Mike Brown was used to being around a team-oriented style of offense and not relying on just one superstar player. To his credit, as the years went on, LeBron was seen as the ultimate team player and one who made the players around him much better. Perhaps it was the best of both worlds for Mike Brown that his first coaching gig would have the game’s best up-and-coming player to lead it, and any playoff spot would be seen as an immediate impact in the right direction.

Ken Carman, radio host of 92.3 The Fan, provided his thoughts on why they brought Mike Brown in:

I think they brought him in because of the shared time that he had in San Antonio. A lot of guys—and we do this a lot, because he was an assistant for a great coach—we falsely assume he is going to be great. Mike Brown may have been a great assistant coach, but he was not ready for an NBA head coaching spot at that time. If Mike Brown was a college coach and had players listening to his every word, I think he would do very well at that level as a head coach. He really is a good guy with a lot of good things about him, and I think that when you have players listen to him the way they would have to in college I think he would do very well, much better than he did at the pro level. In the pros, this isn’t the Bill Fitch era anymore or the Red Auerbach era—now these players have egos. You have 12 different players with 12 egos and personalities to handle. There are a lot of guys that you have to rein in, and there is a pecking order, clearly. One of Mike Brown’s greatest challenges would be reining in the egos of players such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in his career.

Jerry Mires supplied his input on the hiring of Coach Brown:

A lot of it was because he was connected to that system, that San Antonio–type system that Dan Gilbert is in love with—the no-superstar type of thing. Paul Silas to me was the right kind of coach for LeBron James because he puts the hammer down, no offense to Austin Carr. I think that’s what the problem was. He wanted to make LeBron James pay his dues; there is a real thing to that no matter how great someone is at something. They still have to earn it—even if doesn’t take them long and it is not very hard for them—they still have to earn it. If the player doesn’t earn it, then they don’t respect the coach. Mike Brown was a great coach, I liked him, [but] a lot of people don’t because of his offensive skill set with coaching. The problem was that he was dead in the water the second he said, “I’m lucky LeBron James lets me coach him!” The minute you say that, you’re done, man! Unfortunately, the whole NBA has become a caterer-to-one-player-on-each-team sort of thing, which is terrible for the sport. If you don’t cater to them, the coach gets fired because an owner isn’t going to move the star out. Trust me, if LeBron James doesn’t like a coach, then he’s gone. I’m not saying that superstars run the team, but LeBron James pretty much does.

Danny Ferry wanted to bring the best talent to Cleveland, but after premier players such as Ray Allen, and Michael Redd signed elsewhere, he had to settle for B-level free agents Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, and Damon Jones. Despite not getting the top-tier free agents, the Cavaliers were expected to compete fiercely for a playoff spot that 2005–06 season.

Larry Hughes tasted success early in his basketball career when he was playing for Christian Brothers College High School, leading his teammates in a winning effort for the Missouri state championship in 1997. From high school, Hughes went to play only one season of college basketball at Saint Louis University. He performed well in his one and only college season, averaging 20.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.16 steals. He was St. Louis University’s best player and led the Billikens to the NCAA tournament that year, making it to the second round of 32 teams after a win over the University of Mass­achusetts before getting knocked out of the competition. It was still a strong showing for the smaller school. He was named Freshman of the Year and had some pre-draft hype as he was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first-round pick of the 1998 NBA draft. The main reason the Cavaliers wanted to sign him in free agency was that he was known for being a versatile and athletic guard with strong defensive abilities—the perfect fit for Mike Brown’s system.

As Hughes bounced around from team to team in the NBA because of his inconsistent offense, it was his defense that kept him in starting lineups. He was selected to the 2004–05 NBA All-Defensive First Team as a member of the Washington Wizards, where he led the league in steals per game with an average of 2.89. Many were surprised, however, when Hughes signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers as a free agent in the summer of 2005. Many feel that it was a clear sign of desperation as they searched for veteran help of any kind for LeBron, and after Ray Allen and Michael Redd both passed, Hughes was the next best remaining free agent out there. He did average 16.2 points and 37.6 minutes per game. Hughes was generally seen as a nice guy by many reporters in the local Cleveland media upon his arrival, and later on he received the inaugural Austin Carr Good Guy Award, which recognizes the Cavaliers player who is most cooperative with and understanding of the media, the community, and the public.

Unlike Hughes, Damon Jones was an undrafted free agent after playing three years in college with the University of Houston Cougars. Before arriving in Cleveland, he had never played with the same team for more than one season. He was coming off the best season of his career with the Miami Heat, where he set career highs in games started, minutes played, field goals made and attempted, field goal percentage, three-point field goals made and attempted, three-point field goal percentage, free throws made and attempted, rebounds, steals, blocked shots, and points scored. His 225 three-point field goals was third best in the NBA, and his three-point field goal percentage was fifth best that season. He also scored in double figures on 48 occasions. The main attraction of bringing in Jones was his playoff experience playing with Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade, as he had played in 15 playoff games, averaging 12.1 points and 4 assists, and shot 42.9 percent from the three-point range. Jones decided to leave Miami and signed a four-year contract for $16.1 million with the Cleveland Cavaliers on September 8, 2005. Sadly for Damon Jones and the Cavaliers, many in the local media and fans alike saw his time in Cleveland as a failure. Roda would often refer to him as “Amon Ones,” with no D and no J, meaning that Jones couldn’t shoot or play defense. Many others felt the same way as Roda.

The new coach and key free-agent pickups worked well for the team, as they brought a 31–21 record into the All-Star Game and were clearly one of the league’s most improved teams. LeBron took his place as one of the best players in the game: He won the Most Valuable Player award in the All-Star Game, scoring 29 points with 6 assists and becoming the youngest player to ever win the award. He also led the Eastern Conference to a double-digit come-from-behind victory. The Cavaliers remained hot under LeBron’s incredible playing and went on another nine-game winning streak before the season ended. The team finished with 50 wins for the first time in years, and LeBron was about to enter the NBA playoffs for the first time with one of the hottest teams in basketball by his side. It was an incredible turnaround for a franchise that had only won 17 games just three years prior. Coach Brown had brought the Cavaliers to the playoffs in his first season as coach, and it looked as though general manager Danny Ferry was making all the right moves with his young team led by the league’s best and brightest rising superstar.

The Cavaliers’ first-round playoff opponents were the Washing­ton Wizards, led by a trio of superstars: Antawn Jamison, Gilbert Arenas, and Caron Butler. The Wizards were the fifth seed and seen as a sharp first challenge for the LeBron-led Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron was coming off his best season as a pro, and many wondered how he would handle the pressure of his first playoff series. The 21-year-old LeBron ended all doubts in game one, scoring 32 points with 11 assists and 11 rebounds en route to a triple-double. The wunderkind’s terrific effort was more than enough to lead the Cavaliers to a 97–86 victory. LeBron was later quoted after the game as saying, “It’s a God-given talent. I don’t know how the box score will end up at the end of the game. I just try to go out there and play my game.” This quote showed that LeBron was a team player focused on doing whatever he could to help the team win and not focus on his own statistics.

The “big three” of Washington were too much for Cleveland to handle—they dropped game two 89–84 to even up the series. Game three took place in Washington, and LeBron again displayed a masterful performance. The Cleveland Cavaliers trailed all game but used an incredible 14-point fourth quarter effort from LeBron to come from behind and win 97–96. LeBron scored 41 total points and hit the game-winning shot with 5.7 seconds remaining in the game. It was apparent not only to Cleveland but also to the basketball world that LeBron was quickly becoming unstoppable. Coach Brown summed it up perfectly when he said, “LeBron James is special.” It was short but extremely accurate.

LeBron followed his stellar game-three effort with another impressive performance in game four by scoring 38 points. It wasn’t enough, however: He didn’t get much help from his teammates, and the Wizards won 106–96, once again tying the series.

Game five returned the series to Cleveland. The dramatic back-and-forth series was quickly becoming a classic, and this game did not disappoint. The game remained tied after four hard-fought quarters. As overtime began, the fans in attendance at the Quicken Loans Arena could sense another dramatic conclusion. Gilbert Arenas made two pressure-packed foul shots to put the Wizards ahead with only 3.9 seconds left in overtime. Mike Brown called time-out, and the Cavaliers drew up the final play. LeBron received the inbound pass and cut to the hole with enough time to lay in a game-winning shot over Washington defender Michael Ruffin. It was LeBron’s second game winner of the series, capped off with a 45-point performance. Cavaliers fans and basketball fans worldwide began to realize they were witnessing something truly special.

Game six returned to Washington with the Cavaliers on the brink of advancing to the next round of the playoffs. This game, just like game five, went into overtime. Washington had led throughout the majority of the game, and the Cavaliers used a strong second half to force overtime. Anderson Varejão had double-digit rebounds, Hughes chipped in with 12 assists, and LeBron had 35 points, but the key points came from backup shooting guard Damon Jones. With 4.8 seconds left in overtime and the Cavaliers down one, Jones’ jump shot put the Cavaliers into the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Detroit Pistons. It was a huge win for the Cleveland Cavaliers and another magical moment in a classic series.

Few people outside of Cleveland gave the Cavaliers any chance at defeating the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. Through the first two games it looked like the skeptics were correct, as the Pistons handled the Cavaliers with ease, winning both games held at the Palace of Auburn Hills. With the series returning to Cleveland for game three, the Cavaliers were desperate for a victory—and that’s just what they got. LeBron had another triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists to push Cleveland back into the series. LeBron was proving to be a clutch player when they needed him the most.

For the second straight game, the Cavaliers were without a starting shooting guard because Hughes was mourning the loss of his brother, Justin, who had passed away earlier in the week. The Cavaliers played hard for their teammate, using a gritty defensive effort to beat the Pistons 74–72 and even the series. The team used Hughes’s family situation to become stronger as a team and grow together as men. They were a team united—and suddenly a real threat to upset the defending two-time Eastern Conference Champion Detroit Pistons.

Game five returned to the Palace of Auburn Hills, with Detroit looking to reclaim the series lead in front of the team’s hometown fans. The Cavaliers used a 32-point effort by LeBron to upset the Pistons 86–84. LeBron again showed his ability to make those around him better by finding power forward Drew Gooden with 27 seconds left, allowing Gooden to hit the shot that put Cleveland ahead for good. LeBron was quoted by the Cleveland Plain Dealer after the game as saying, “They aren’t the Big Bad Wolf and we aren’t the Three Little Pigs. We are all grown men and we know we can beat them!”

Detroit was able to use late offensive rebounds by Rip Hamilton in game six to steal the victory and force a game seven. The Cavaliers played miserably in game seven and were defeated 79–61, ending their magical playoff run. It was a disappointing end, but it showed that, if given another chance, LeBron could lead the Cavaliers deeper into the playoffs. He proved he could make game-winning shots when called upon and also set up his teammates. He had answered many questions, but one of the biggest ones would now arise: Could LeBron get past the Detroit Pistons? It was the same exact question that his idol Michael Jordan once had to face and, like his idol, LeBron’s best days were yet to come!

LeBron James drove past the Detroit Pistons on his way to the 2007 NBA Finals.

Photo: Tom Culp