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There are often moments in sports that change players, franchises and cities.  These are moments that change the course of expected events and move a team ever closer to an achievement that previously seemed desperate.  Lebron James’ game-winner as time expired on Friday was one of those moments.

THE HISTORY:

Cleveland sports history and the Cavaliers’ history are filled with mostly moments of despair and failure.  This is a city whose last championship came in 1962 when Browns won an NFL Championship, 4 years before the NFL-AFL merger and the inception of the Super Bowl.  The Browns as we are familar with went on to tear the hearts from the city’s fans losing the 1986 AFC Championship game at the hands of John Elway and “The Drive”.  The following year they lost as Earnest Byner fumbled at the goal line en route to a late fourth quarter game-tying touchdown in the title game, again to the Broncos.

The Cleveland Indians lost the 1997 World Series to the Florida Marlins, in the process becoming the first team to have lost a lead while heading into the 9th inning of the seventh game.  Jose Mesa gave up the game tying run and in the 11th inning the Indians lost as Edgar Renteria drove in the game winning run.  Then of course there are the Cleveland Cavaliers and “The Shot”.

MJ celebrates "The Shot"

If ever a franchise was defined by one play it is the Cleveland Cavaliers.  In 1989 the Cavaliers faced Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the first round.  In the deciding game Craig Ehlo, who played on a sprained ankle had 24 points and was defending MJ with the Cavaliers up 1 with three seconds left to play.  The Bulls inbounded the ball and Jordan received the ball on the right wing and immediately dribbled twice to his left.  Jordan picked up his dribble and raised up for the shot as Ehlo came flying across obstructing his view, but only temporarily as Jordan seemed to hang in the air and as well know now, drilled the game-winner.

Has there ever been a city whose most memorable sports moments have not created heroes, but rather individuals who have been inexorably linked and have become symbols of the city’s sports futility.  Earnest Byner, Jose Mesa and Craig Ehlo represent each Cleveland franchise in this respect and until recently has been what nationall the city was known for.

THE SITUATION:

In the history of sports there may not be a player who has managed to infuse a city with as much hope and optimism as Lebron James.  Optimisim is a quality that previous to James’ arrival was absent from the average Cleveland fans’ mindset.  Since his arrival in 2003 the Cavaliers have only gotten better, winning their first Eastern Conference Chamipionship in 2007 over a heavily favored and experienced Pistons team.

This year James and the rest of the Cleveland team reached the NBA’s elite, winning 66 games, 39-2 home record and capping of the season with Lebron’s first MVP Award.  As the playoffs began the team seemed to just get better, sweeping their first two series with eight straight double sigit victories.  Even Cleveland fans seemed to be getting comfortable with being favorites and up 63-48 at halftime in Game 1 of their series against the Magic everything was going according to plan.

Lewis celebrates after he gave Orlando the 107-106 victory in Game 1

That’s when it happened.  Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglue and the rest of the Magic started drilling three pointers as Dwight Howard dominated the paint.  Lebron played what was perhaps his finest game, but down 106-104, Rashard Lewis drained a three pointer that gave the Magic a lead and the final score they would win by 107-106.  As the fans stramed out of Quicken Loans idea the sense of fear and panic was palpable and Cleveland’s supporters wondered if perhaps the curse over this city had not been lifted.

As Game 2 began the Cavaliers once again came out on fire, leading the game 43-20 midway through the second quarter.  Once again the Magic chipped away at the lead and captured the lead during the fourth quarter at 86-84.  The teams traded baskets until Mo Williams drained a three to give the Cavaliers a 93-90 lead.  It seemed that Cleveland was safe, but Turkoglu hit a three to tie and with the Magic having the ball with 13.7 seconds left, Turkoglu got the ball again this time defended by Sasha Pavlovic.  Turkoglue dribbled at the top of the key dribbled to his left and raised up from about 18 feet away hitting a jumper with one second remaining an Pavlovic’s hand right in his face.

Boom.  Cleveland was down 95-93, one second left, facing an 0-2 deficit and once again Cleveland fans faced the likelihood of failure.

THE MOMENT:

In the timeout Cleveland coach, Mike Brown drew up a play for a lob to Lebron James to tie the game.  The Magic however were onto it and were ready preventing the play.  With time running out and needing to get the inbounds pass, James, who was being defended by Turkoglu, checked back to the top of the key behind the three point line.  Mo Williams saw James check back and hit him perfectly in stride for a perfect catch and shoot situation under the circumstance.

James gathered himself, turned and launched a shot over the out stretched arm of Turkoglu.  Make no mistake moving away from the basket, turning and fading, this shot was as tougha s it comes.  As soon as James received the pass there were only three players who moved at all.  James, Turkoglu who was defending him and Rashard Lewis desperately trying to get there to alter James’ shot, everyone were spectators just like the 20,000 plus fans who were deathly silent leading up to the play and during it.

Lebron and 20,000 plus watch as the game winner goes up

James’ shot went up and started to head down.  This seemed like another cruel end though for a Cleveland team the city had embraced as Lebron’s shot seemed destined to miss.  The ball started its path down to the basket as the buzzer finall sounded as the crowd still sat in stunned silence, hoping against hope for the unexpected.  The ball hit the back rim and everyone expected the ball to rim out, teasing all the fans who stayed even after Turkoglu’s seeming game-winner.  Then a funny thing happened.  The ball went through the hoop and the Cavs’ won the game 96-95.

James’ reaction said it all.  It wasn’t the look of a cold-blooded killer like Chauncey Billups or Ben Gordan.  It wasn’t the swagger and arrogance that Kobe walks away with after nailing game-winning strike.  No James’ face conveyed the emotions that all Cleveland fans were experiencing at the same time.  Unbridled joy combined with the sentiment of “did that just happen”?

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN:

This shot may end up, but being a blip in an Orlando series win with the next two games in Orlando where Cleveland has had no success this year.  Something about this seems different though.  This is not Carlton Fisk hitting a home run in Game 6 and creating one of the magical moments in sports only to have his team lose in Game 7 of the World Series.  Something about this seemed different.

This shot has elevated all three parties directly linked by it; player, franchise and city.  Lebron James has been knocked for not being clutch, though he has been the best in the league at the end of games.  With Cleveland blowing a lead, losing Game 1 and the same fate looming at the end of Game 2 the league’s MVP needed to step up and save his team.  As the shot went up and Lebron watched it fall through a weight must have been lifted from his shoulders.

Lebron took over Game 5 against the Pistons in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals

Remember Kobe is clutch now, but he failed several times most notably against the Jazz shooting two airballs at the end of the 4th quarter and overtime in the 1998 Playoffs against Utah.  Sometimes it’s similar to how certain players just need to see the ball go into the hoop once to end a slump.  In fact it’s hard to say James was in a slump at all in clutch moments after two game-winning layups against the Wizards in 2006, his 25 consecutive points against the Pistons in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs or his classic duel with Paul Pierce in Game 7 last year in the playoffs with 46 points.

Something has certainly been missing from his resume and perhaps even his mindset, but this shot could be the turning point for James.  He will now have the confidence of knowing that he can do it and should make him even more dangerous in late game situations from now on.  James looks as if he is developing the ability the legends have of willing their teams to victory and not accepting failure in the process from themselves or anybody else.

Cleveland’s image as a franchise has also been drastically changed.  A franchise long associated with losing and the image of Craig Ehlo collapsing in incredulity after MJ’s game-winner are now replaced by James’ game winner.  Perception is everything and as important as it was to win the game for the Cavaliers it was more important that it be James, the franchise savior to hit it and validate the belief and faith the franchise had in him.

Most importantly is the city.  A city that has had no succes to speak of.  A city that has long been plagued by anti-heroes and its teams’ failures experienced somethind different.  They can now go into the future knowing that nothing is impossible and that they will always have a chance to win with James on the team.  They have finally had their faith rewarded and that by itself will change a city that for too long experienced only the feelings of failure.  After that shot failure seems a distant prospect, because Cleveland fans know that James will do everything in his power to carry this team across the finish line with a championship the perfect ending.