The Comeback: LeBron, the Cavs & Cleveland [Autographed]

How LeBron James Came Home and Brought a Championship to Cleveland

Terry Pluto

$15.95

LeBron James came home on a mission: Lead the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals and give Cleveland fans their first title in 52 years. Could the star restore his reputation, revive the franchise, and reward the fans? In 2016, down 3-1 in the Finals, he and the Cavs launched an epic comeback and delivered glory. Cleveland’s top sportswriter tells how.

Softcover / 256 pages / 5.5 x 8.5 / 30 color photos

ISBN: 9781938441882

Description

This dramatic homecoming tale recounts one of the greatest sports stories in Cleveland history — how LeBron James and the Cavaliers took fans on a roller coaster ride from despair to hope to the brink of disaster and, finally, to glory as the 2016 NBA champions.

Fans felt gut-punched in 2010 when local hero and MVP LeBron James announced he was leaving the Cavaliers and Northeast Ohio for Miami. The Cavs nose-dived in the standings and struggled to recover.

Then, in June 2014, LeBron announced he was coming home. And he had a mission: Lead the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals and give Cleveland its first championship in 52 years.

But would LeBron’s return be enough to restore his reputation, revive the franchise, and reward the fans with a title?

Veteran Cleveland sportswriter Terry Pluto tells how it all happened . . .

  • How LeBron won back fans, starting with a heartfelt message — and some savvy PR . . .
  • How the Cavaliers’ front office crafted a championship-caliber team, with a big three of James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love and a roster stocked not only with talent but character and chemistry . . .
  • How LeBron’s added experience from four seasons and two NBA titles in Miami prepared him for this second chance in Cleveland . . .
  • How the Cavaliers reached the 2016 NBA Finals to face a Golden State Warriors team, led by MVP Stephen Curry, that had just set the NBA record for wins and had vanquished the Cavs in the Finals the previous season . . .
  • How LeBron and the Cavs, down a historically hopeless three games to one, sparked an unprecedented come-from-behind surge (symbolized by LeBron’s superhuman block in Game 7) to stun Golden State and bring home the NBA Championship . . .
  • And how ecstatic fans joined the team in a joyful celebration that brought more than a million people together in downtown Cleveland.

Pluto tells it all with insightful analysis, extensive front-office details, and a deep empathy for the fans.

Additional information

Weight0.55 lbs
Dimensions8.5 × 5.5 × 0.5 in
Format

Softcover, Softcover (Autographed)

Table of Contents

About this Book

A Trophy, a Parade and Forgiveness

THE DECISION

Courting LeBron James

Pat Riley’s Infatuation with LeBron James

What a Way to Make a Decision

Thunderclaps After the First Decision

SORTING THROUGH THE RUBBLE

The Long, Tough Road: Chris Grant Takes Over

Here Come The Draft Picks

The Darkest Days and the Dream

LeBron James Needed Four Years In Miami

The Return

The Kitchen Table Meeting

THE HOMECOMING

Making Bad Trades For a Good Reason

LeBron’s Old-School Decision

Dinner, a Phone Call and Love

THE VIEW FROM THE SIDELINE

Here Comes David Blatt

Coaching From the Shadows

David Blatt’s Coaching Nightmare

The Challenge of Coaching LeBron James

David Griffin’s Big Decision

SHAPING A LEGEND

LeBron: The Best of Michael Jordan and

Magic Johnson

The NBA Great Who Really Understands LeBron James

For LeBron James, It Started with the Shoes

No One Plays the Money Game Like LeBron

WINNING IT ALL

Kyrie Irving’s Midnight Meeting

How The East Was Won

Waiting For the Seventh Game

A Seventh Game For The Ages

 

Acknowledgments

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