CLEVELAND — I've been thinking a lot about 2018 lately, the year the Cavaliers made the last of their four straight NBA Finals runs with LeBron James.
For those of you who don't remember, despite the Eastern Conference championship banner, that season wasn't particularly fun. From the summer trade of Kyrie Irving, to the surliness of Isaiah Thomas, to J.R. Smith's wayward bowl of soup, to the impending free agency (and eventual second departure) of James, it seemed like a dark cloud was hanging over the organization, wins and losses be damned.
That dark cloud drifted into the postseason, where the formerly unstoppable Cavs suddenly found themselves having to scratch and claw their way through a seemingly inferior East. Sure, there were moments of gratification, such as yet another sweep of the bewildered Raptors and a gutsy Game 7 win in Boston (more on them later) for the conference title.
But overall, the whole journey just seemed more like a slog than a magic carpet ride, and it all came to a stinging end when Smith couldn't remember the score during Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Warriors.
Yes, it was exhausting, but now I look back and wish I had appreciated that journey a little bit more. Even with all the drama, I would still gladly take it over nearly every other season of my existence, especially since the Cavaliers followed it up with three straight campaigns at the bottom of the NBA standings.
Which brings me to the present day.
On Sunday, the Cavs defeated the Magic, thanks to a remarkable 18-point comeback in Game 7 of the first round, the largest such rally in any Game 7 since the league began keeping such records more than 20 years ago. The whole afternoon seemed to turn on a dime after a disastrous first half, with a loud and boisterous home crowd virtually willing the Wine and Gold to their first series win since the LeBron era.
Having been at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to witness it for myself, I was reminded of just how special these moments can be — a winner-take-all showdown with the entire season on the line for both teams. I was also reminded of something some of us too often forget: "This is supposed to be fun."
Heading into Game 7, instead of basking in the glory of "the two greatest words in sports," the conversation seemed to surround everything that is wrong with the Cavaliers. There's good reason for that: The team was blown out by the Knicks in last year's postseason, and this year backed into the playoffs after briefly knocking on the door of the NBA's elite. Even after basically "tanking" to get the opponent they wanted in the first round, they squandered a 2-0 series lead thanks to a trio of listless losses in Orlando.
That led to an onslaught of questions: Is head coach J.B. Bickerstaff on the verge of losing his job? Will a young roster once thought to be one of the league's brightest be blown up? Will Donovan Mitchell seek to leave for greener pastures? Where in the world will the Cavaliers go from here?
The doubts only grew louder as Cleveland fell behind, but then a funny thing happened: Mitchell, Bickerstaff, Darius Garland, and so many others rose to the moment, shutting down the Magic and hitting clutch shot after clutch shot to give more than 19,000 people something to cheer about again and again.
It was jubilant, it was intoxicating, it was (dare I say it) fun.
And that's what I hope we remember today. The name of the game in sports is to win, and to win an incredible Game 7 like that on your home court is always amazing. Those who were there (myself included) will likely remember the joy of it for the rest of their lives.
Warts and all, the Cavs are still alive, and have given themselves all one can ask for: a chance. They'll get it against the NBA's best team beginning Tuesday night.
Of course, whatever happens from here, there will still be plenty of things to address after the final whistle blows. Misgivings remain about Bickerstaff's future on the bench, and this roster will likely still need a makeover if it wants to be a sustainable contender. In the present, most question if this group will stand any chance matching up with the powerful Celtics.
Those concerns can be addressed later, though. Right now, as stressful as this series and season may have been, let's just be grateful we still get to watch meaningful Cavalier basketball. Speaking from experience, it certainly beats the alternative.