Cleveland Cavaliers, After Game 2

In 1986 the Cleveland Browns played a brilliant, thrilling overtime game against the New York Jets. That win left them looking like a team of destiny. The next game, they took a late lead in the AFC Championship game. The ensuing kick-off to the Denver Broncos was misplayed, leaving the Broncos with an almost impossible 98 yards to overcome in order to send the game into overtime. Of course that game made John Elway a legend while at the same time crushing the heart Cleveland. The next year that heartache was repeated by Earnest Byner's fumble as he attempted to complete the Browns own answer to the Broncos "Drive". Once again, the hearts of Cleveland were ripped out.

In 1997, the Cleveland Indians took on the look of a team of destiny as well. With the defection of Albert Belle, they were not expected to be the power they and turned into over the previous several years. In the American League Divisional Playoff series they defeated the defending World Series Champion New York Yankess who were highly favored. They defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the next round and took a lead into the ninth inning of game 7 of the World Series against the Florida Marlins. Of course Jose Mesa, who had been unhittable the entire season blew the save sending the game into extra innings where the hearts of Cleveland sports fans was crushed again.

In 1989 the Cleveland Cavaliers had assembled what Magic Johnson had called the next great NBA team. In the playoffs of that year they ran into a team led by the emerging talents of Michael Jordan. In game 5 of what was a shorter series at the time, Cleveland took a late lead into the final moments of the game. Jordan's game winning shot has been replayed to the point of nausea, one of the signature moments in NBA history and another time the hearts of Cleveland were ripped from its collective chest.

In 2007 the Cavs rode the emerging talents of LeBron James to the NBA finals where they proved James' supporting cast was not ready to play on the leagues biggest stage. This year, they rode his nearly fully developed talents to the best record in the league, aided by what was considered to be a much better supporting cast. After two games of the Eastern Conference Finals, that supporting cast is beginning to shrink, doubts are rising about their readiness to perform what is needed to aid James on an ever-growing stage.

Thankfully for the Cavs, James is vastly superior to his greatness of two years ago. His shot last night has fans in Cleveland proclaiming the heartaches of their sporting past are being erased, Jordan's ghost exorcised. The problem is, Cleveland craves a championship, their first since 1964. James is ready to deliver, but he is going to need help to bring the dream to fruition. Unless the rest of the James Gang steps up to support, the shot from last night may end up being a blip on the radar. A Cleveland phenomenon that raises expectations to the point that the ensuing fall hurts that much worse. James just raised the spirits of Cleveland, it is now up to the rest of the Cavaliers to make sure the heart isn't ripped out in the end.