By TIM DAVID HARVEY
Two Summers back you know what happened. A billboard fell from grace in Ohio as rocks where witnessing being thrown at it. LeBron James' opened arms no longer embraced Cleveland, they would now hold a talent meeting in South Beach. King James time on the Cavalier throne was dust like the chalk he threw up. Still these days it's not as bad as it seems in the town that Miami forgot. Thanks to the Cavs new family guy 'The Cleveland Show' is still playing despite bad ratings. After his banner 'Rookie Of The Year' there's a new kid in town and he's set to be a sophomore star. You all know the name.
It's Kyrie Irving.
The wine and gold may still taste champagne and see the glimmer of Larry O'Brien one day. Sure they're even a long way from the postseason but one day that could be a matter of months, not years. It's all about the new boy now. That's why Cleveland can give away their most consistent star Antwan Jamison to the Los Angeles Lakers bench. There's a lot more riding on Kyrie. Sure he's no 'Irving Johnson' but he has the magic to be the next great Point Guard in this league. Get a good team around him...and it's showtime.
The kid from Australia has come to the down under basement of the NBA with the ability to take Cleveland to the same high-rises he now lives in looking over his basketball town. The city is his. This number 2 jersey embroided, number one draft choice straight out the amazing alumni of Duke hasn't even turned 21, yet the 6 foot, 3 inch, 191 pound guard is turning heads and towering over the rest already. This writer caught first hand just how much talent he has in the Mecca of Madison Square Garden this March. Against the New York Knicks when he was still 19 this kid even took some of the basketball world and core's gaze off his marked man Jeremy who was at the height of his Lin dynasty.
Read all about it in the New York Times and start spreading the news like Sinatra because there's a new dynasty about to be wrote by the Jersey boy who grew up just outside of the city. Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Derrick Rose have to make way for the next great point maker. There will be a changing of the guard once Irving reaches his prime. Kyrie will play like Kane and lynch his opponents like he's playing video games. It all sounds better than Lana Del Ray...looks good too. It all looks better than you think, like the simple straight forward uniforms. This team-like Denver for 'Melo and Houston for Yao-changed their whole identity and color scheme when they drafted LeBron and now he's gone from the burned jersey's to the personnel and physical changes they've truly moved on.
Even though it's hard to move on from a guy that's given them so much and should still be appreciated for that. The number 23 was thought to have a Jordan like career as a Cavalier but instead a bad break up ensued and it was all over television like a Kardashian. You didn't have to keep up to see all the private matters aired out in public. The reaction was like a bull in a china shop. Still now the Cavs have licked their wounds with a new steed that could lead the charge to the precious hardware. The trophy cabinets remain empty just like when 'Bron was here, but there's still room. There's still time.
It's Kyrie Irving's time now. The 18.5 points and 5.4 assists per, the ten games with 20 points or more in his first 20 appearances, scoring 32 against the New Jersey Net team he supported as a kid with the 21 points in one fourth quarter and the 117 out of 120 top rookie votes are the digits that express it all. Uncle 'Drew is ready to take it to the max like Pepsi and handle the rock and his future in Cleveland in the NBA for years to come, palm injury permitting. As long as the dreaded sophomore slump doesn't jinx him it all looks good for Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers...so long as no more decisions are made. Irving's already shown he's a great player in his first term and he's no rookie no more. It's time to show his career, his city and his company just how great he can be.
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