{"id":108195,"date":"2024-11-21T09:05:58","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T14:05:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=108195"},"modified":"2024-11-21T09:05:58","modified_gmt":"2024-11-21T14:05:58","slug":"batman-spider-man-comparing-cavs-eras","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/21\/batman-spider-man-comparing-cavs-eras\/","title":{"rendered":"Batman vs. Spider-Man: Comparing Cavs Eras"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past two decades, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been synonymous with LeBron James<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Batman vs. Spider-Man: Comparing Cavs Eras<\/h2>\n

The LeBron James Era<\/h3>\n

James is the best player in franchise history. That\u2019s not just because of his career accomplishments, but the way he\u2019s left his mark on the Cavs specifically.<\/p>\n

He ranks first in myriad categories, including games played (849), points (23,119), assists (6,228), rebounds (6,190), steals (1,376), and triple-doubles (64). Just as importantly, he delivered the franchise their first championship and in historic fashion, mounting the only 3-1 NBA Finals comeback and taking down a 73-9 team headlined by Stephen Curry, a game-changing future Hall of Famer. In fact, he\u2019s the only star who seemed capable of leading them to the playoffs.<\/p>\n

On top of all that, he\u2019s a homegrown talent. The Kid From Akron was raised less than an hour away from Cleveland. As a result, there\u2019s sentimental value to him putting on a Cavs uniform and dominating.<\/p>\n

The Dark Knight<\/h4>\n

James\u2019s favorite superhero is Batman and that\u2019s who he was for the organization.<\/p>\n

They put up the \u2018bat signal,\u2019 and he came to the rescue. He put his body and mind through intense trainings, day and night. He spent beaucoup money to ensure<\/a> that he was in tip-top shape. Though he often seems superhuman, he\u2019s more so just a not-so-normal person.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also been able to swallow his pride when it\u2019s necessary, joining forces with other stars and forming his own Justice League. That being said, the 20-time All-Star is often criticized for who he\u2019s teamed up with.<\/p>\n

In his first stint, James didn\u2019t push for too many specific roster targets. Cleveland already had a couple of pretty good players, like Zydrunas Ilgauskas<\/a>. However, James made the game easier for Ilgauskus with his passing. When they traded for Shaquille O\u2019Neal<\/a>, he was in his penultimate season and well past his prime.<\/p>\n

In his second stint, the Cavs already had Kyrie Irving<\/a> but he asked for Kevin Love<\/a>, trying to replicate The Heatles<\/a>. Neither Irving nor Love had shown themselves capable of leading a playoff team up to that point though. So, while they helped James with the heavy lifting, they needed him more than the other way around. That\u2019s without even noting how James mentored Irving on how to play point guard.<\/p>\n

The problem is that the Cavs were too reliant on James. When he missed a game, it was like the sun fell out of orbit. When he actually decided to leave, the Dark Knight left the city shrouded in darkness.<\/p>\n

The Donovan Mitchell Era<\/h3>\n

For the first time since the 1990s, the Cavs have a perennial playoff contender that\u2019s not built around James. Even more enthralling is that they\u2019re not wholly reliant on the team MVP: Donovan Mitchell<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A five-time All-Star at the age of 28, Mitchell is one of the most gifted players to put on a Cavs jersey. He\u2019s only been with the team since 2022-23, so he hasn\u2019t really put a stamp on their record books. Nonetheless, he\u2019s tied with James for the team\u2019s highest points average (27.2) and fourth-highest steal average (1.6) in franchise history.<\/p>\n

He was also been a driving force behind them starting this season 15-0<\/a>, tied for the second-longest undefeated streak in NBA history. Darius Garland<\/a> and Evan Mobley<\/a>\u2019s breakout performances have been invaluable<\/a>. Kenny Atkinson instilling offensive principles<\/a> espoused by the Golden State Warriors was essential. Cleveland also has strength in numbers, as a different player could lead the team in scoring on any night.<\/p>\n

\n

Ty Jerome Postgame On Why He\u2019s So Comfortable With The Cavs:<\/p>\n

\u201cI look to my right, I see the MVP Donovan. I look behind me, I see Ev and JA. It just frees me up to be myself.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/aaMSdDFjps<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dylan\ud83d\udd2e\ud83e\udebc\ud83c\udf83 (@DylanWDesign_) November 21, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n