As the NBA Playoffs get underway, the Cleveland Cavaliers—fresh off a second straight season in which they led the league in victories—are clearly one of the favorites to win the championship.
At the beginning of the season, most experts tapped Cleveland, Orlando, and the L.A. Lakers as the teams to beat—an easy prediction to make, and one that has held up.
For Cleveland, especially, the pressure is on to deliver a title. LeBron James has turned in another MVP-like season, and acquisitions like Shaquille O’Neal, Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon, and Leon Powe have made the Cavs a more formidable opponent than they were a year ago.
Not so fast, however. A glance at recent NBA history reveals a pattern that is not promising for Cleveland—or any other franchise without a championship in their past.
Take all the talk of parity in professional sports, and throw it out the window. In the NBA, especially, the concept has been a myth. When it comes to winning the ring, a handful of teams have dominated the league over the past 30 years.
Beginning with the Lakers of Magic, Kareem, and compa ...
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Article written by Tom Delamater
2010 NBA Playoffs: A Cautionary Tale for LeBron James and the Cavaliers
April 16th, 2010 by Tom Delamater Leave a reply »
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