Can LeBron James and the Cavs Get it Right in Time for the NBA Finals?

At 3-3, the newly superstar-clad Cleveland Cavaliers have hardly been the inspiring force that fans expected upon LeBron James’ arrival.  Not entirely surprising, the trio of James, Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving haven’t quite clicked so far this season; something quite common for a team just getting used to playing with one another.  With a record at .500, they’ve been considerably average.  While there is certainly a great deal of time to go before the NBA Playoffs for them to get this right, if the team continues to struggle they may miss out on the postseason entirely, let alone contend for the NBA title.

Further adding to the problems have been the rumblings bubbling under the surface.  Rumor has it that Love may opt out of his contract at the end of the season and push a move to the Los Angeles Lakers.  While it seems strange that he would want to leave so soon, based on the lackluster start to the season there certainly could be a disharmony amongst the key new arrivals.  Especially given his former star status with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he may struggle in the shadows of the team’s favored child, LeBron.

Meanwhile, an apparent heated chat between James and Irving could have led to a further trouble within the locker room.  Following a loss in which Irving failed to notch a single assist, the episode raised skepticism about whether the team will ever truly click like the championship-winning Miami Heat did for James.

As far as I can tell, this is far too early to tell if the Cavs will be contending for the title.  Possibly more than any other sport, basketball players must truly play with one another for an extended period of time before they reach their full potential as a team.  Given the talent alone of these three star players, a failure to start winning games with consistency would be a complete failure.  Also, one must understand that these guys are professionals.  They’ve played basketball for their whole lives and certainly know how to work well with others.  Constructing a championship caliber team simply takes time.

But what about the Cavs’ title hopes this season?  LeBron James certainly is capable of taking any team far, but a complete team cohesiveness is needed to win titles.  Evidence of the fact can be shown in the Heat’s Finals loss in James’ first season in Miami, as well as the San Antonio Spurs’ team effort to win the championship this past season.

The big question will be as to whether the stars of the Cavaliers can grow together in this year and compete for the title.  Fortunately, the generally weakened Eastern Conference should provide an easy route to the NBA Finals for them, but the Western Conference champion will likely prove to be very competitive amongst the likes of the Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, and Houston Rockets.  It’s never easy to win in the NBA, even with LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving!  Chances are that the early struggles will continue for the better part of the season and that the Cavs will probably not win a title this year.  However, as the players grow (considering Irving and Love stick around!), Cleveland should expect to earn an NBA title in the coming years ahead!

AAA Sports Memorabilia has a great selection of Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James sports collectibles.  Our autographed memorabilia is obtained through paid private signings with the athletes, include life-time authenticity guarantees, and are backed by the most trusted companies in the industry.  All of our non-autographed sports collectibles are officially licensed by the respective league.  We add new products all the time so visit us often to find out what is new.

Are the Cleveland Cavaliers the Best Team in Basketball Now?

It’s incredible how much the landscape of the NBA can change in just a couple months, but such a turnaround also speaks to the awesome talent that is LeBron James.  The Miami Heat (James’ former team) just went from potential 3-peat NBA champions to utterly decimated by his departure.  Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers went from having one of the league’s worst teams to arguably it’s best, because the arrival of “King James” has now led to a cascade of other big name arrivals and NBA Finals-winning potential.

Are the Cavs really the best NBA team now?  With a young superstar point guard in Kyrie Irving, the impending arrival of another young All-Star power forward in Kevin Love, and with the veteran presence of James, Anderson Varejao, Shawn Marion, and Mike Miller, on paper this Cavaliers team should certainly contend for the NBA crown, and could very well be far and away the best team in the league next season.

This is the incredible attraction of teams to LeBron James.  You see, when Cleveland was able to prize their prodigal son back home, it wasn’t just him they were signing.  They were able to shine a bright beacon from an otherwise forgettable franchise to scores of NBA stars that would potentially like to come join a championship caliber team.  Take Kevin Love for example, a proven star at the Minnesota Timberwolves.  His team suffered to a sub-.500 record and has never even made the playoffs in his 6 seasons at the club.  In Cleveland with James he’ll have a chance to make a name for himself and win it all.

A similar experience had been unfolding for Cleveland’s point guard Kyrie Irving, a top draft pick who has yet to taste the NBA playoffs in his 3 years, two of which he has been named an All-Star.  Put the 3 of these guys together and you have another Big 3” similar to the guys in Miami, except they are 10 years younger and are only going to get better as they develop.

At 29, LeBron James will be the undisputed leader of the team; a position he often times gave up to Dwayne Wade in Miami.  This is now his time, when he’ll bring a title back to his home city of Cleveland.

While the team looks destined for glory, I do have reservations though.  Putting together a championship team takes time for players to click and really gel.  Even the Miami Heat was defeated in their first season with James.  Especially with Love and Irving’s youth and inexperience in the playoffs, there could be some growing pains.  Many may argue that the San Antonio Spurs remain the best franchise, or perhaps even the Oklahoma City Thunder or Houston Rockets.  But one thing remains certain: that with LeBron James back in his home uniform, the Cleveland Cavaliers will definitely be contenders once again.  The city has experienced so much sports heartache over the years that for someone of his talent to return to the team is a real blessing.  People may actually begin to stop hating LeBron and hope that he does earn Cleveland the championship that they so covet!  This fresh team will be a delight to watch in the coming seasons ahead and will probably win a title within 3 years.

AAA Sports Memorabilia has a great selection of NBA autographed sports memorabilia and officially licensed sports collectibles.  Visit us at www.AAASportsMemorabilia.com and find your next collectible with us.

A Look at the Surprising LeBron James Move to the Cleveland Cavaliers

When the NBA Finals ended in disappointment for the Miami Heat, no one thought that this sort of cataclysmic fall would happen to the organization, but in the weeks since, superstar LeBron James has opted out of his Miami contract and moved up north to rejoin his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.  This move will have a very dramatic effect on the entire league and has now ended the budding dynasty for the Heat.  However, it also presents an opportunity for James to do something miraculous for the city of Cleveland: to bring it a major sports championship, a thing not accomplished since the 1964 Cleveland Browns, in a time before the Super Bowl even existed!

For a city to go this long without any sort of title is quite appalling, and this inevitably brought so much pain to Cavs fans when LeBron deserted the team for Miami in 2010.  But with his return, the league’s best player could help lead the city back to glory.

There is no doubt about it, LeBron James is the face of the NBA, and he immediately makes the Cavaliers contenders.  Also, he isn’t coming to a broken team without a hope for anything.  With several recent top draft picks, the Cavs contain incredible young prospects like Anthony Bennett, Kyrie Irving, and Andrew Wiggins.  While the jury remains out on both Bennett and Wiggins, Irving is already a 2-time NBA All-Star and will likely become a top contributor alongside James.

And this will put LeBron James right into the role that he is ready to take on, that of team leader.  While he was the main ingredient for the “Big 3” in Miami, many felt that Dwayne Wade was really the vital cog of that team, as he had earned an NBA Championship years before James ever came to town.  In Cleveland, it will be all about LeBron helping educate these young stars and creating a new power team in the Eastern Conference.

LeBron James has set about building a project.  He saw that time was nearing the end in Miami and he wants to do something great for his hometown.  How can anyone argue against what he’s shooting for?  Sure, it will take time and he’ll probably take a lot of criticism if the first few seasons don’t go exactly according to plan, but if LeBron can tough it out and deal with the growing pains of this young supporting cast, the Cleveland Cavaliers could very well become the best team in the league within 3 or 4 years.

The challenge with LeBron will be what happens if these youngsters never materialize?  No sport experiences draft busts like basketball, and should neither Bennett or Wiggins succeed, life could become hard with the Cavs.  Recruiting top caliber players to Cleveland will be nearly impossible with competition from teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks in the fold.  If LeBron is stuck with a mediocre squad in a year’s time, he could opt out of this contract and move on.  However, I don’t think this will happen.  While this project may not enable James to equal Michael Jordan in titles won, he could build a miraculous success for his hometown team and officially become a hero in Cleveland, helping the city to win its first sports title in over a half century!

Whether you root for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, or another NBA team, you will find your next sports collectible at AAA Sports Memorabilia.  We have a great selection of autographed sports memorabilia along with non-autographed officially license sports collectibles.  We add new products regularly so visit us often at www.AAASportsMemorabilia.com.

Cleveland Cavaliers Fans Upset Over LeBron James Leaving

Sports retailers everywhere are practically giving away LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers merchandise. Fans that have Cavaliers collectibles involving LeBron are setting their once prized possessions on fire. Even a 10-story-tall mural in downtown Cleveland is being demantled. The billboard has dominated the city's skyline for years but is now useless since James is moving on to the Miami Heat.


This is what happens when a hometown hero suddenly becomes a villain.

Fans in Ohio have cheered on this Akron native since he was a teenager. But now, after feeling betrayed, they are burning his jerseys, throwing rocks at the mural, destroying his collectibles, and finding other ways to display their anger.

Retailers are suffering the most. At Dicks' Sporting Goods in Westlake, they have reduced LeBron James' jerseys to $29.99 and then offering another 75% off. Fathead.com, which is owned by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, dropped the price of its LeBron Fathead wall decals from $99.99 to $17.41. The price is ironic as it is the same year Revolutionary War traitor Benedict Arnold was born. Some bars in the area are offering free drinks in exchange for James jerseys or t-shirts.

Gilbert also had some harsh words for LeBron James. He posted a letter to Cleveland fans ripping James for:

a several-day narcissistic, self-promotional buildup culminating with a national TV special of the decision unlike anything ever ‘witnessed’ in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

LeBron James needs to go to another team with two superstars already so he can win a championship. We will win a championship before (the Heat) do. … It’s not about him leaving. It’s the disrespect. It’s time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions. Is this the way you raise your children? I’ve been holding this all in for a long time.

Gilbert also accused James of quitting in the playoffs the last two seasons during an interview with the AP.

AAA Sports Memorabilia specializes in authentic autographed sports memorabilia and we have a great selection of NBA sports collectibles. Our autographed sports memorabilia includes a certificate of authenticity and a lifetime guarantee. Our also carry officially licensed non-autographed sports collectibles. New products are added daily so check back with us often.