CLEVELAND _ There's nothing left for the Cavaliers to do except go out and win another one.
Tuesday night's banner raising at Quicken Loans Arena opened the window for another campaign and closed the door on the Cavs' memorable 2015-16 season.
They were accused of underachieving throughout the first half as rumors of discontent grew. They watched as coach David Blatt was fired midway through the season and replaced by Tyronn Lue.
They waltzed through the NBA playoffs, then fell behind 3-1 to the Golden State Warriors _ only to win the next three games and claim their first NBA championship.
It's a safe bet everyone at The Q remembered the road to raising that coveted piece of cloth, on which is written the names of all of the team's season ticket holders, was so difficult.
"It takes a lot to make this happen. Some of it you see, some of it you don't. This is for you Cleveland," Cavs owner Dan Gilbert said. "We cannot thank you enough. Words cannot thank you. You're the greatest sports city in the world. When this is all over and the banner goes up, there's only one thing left to do _ repeat."
Coming up with words to commemorate the occasion may have been difficult for Cavs superstar LeBron James during the morning's shootaround.
"I'm not sure if I'm addressing the crowd. I didn't have any plans on doing it," he said Tuesday morning. "I think I've never had to prepare to do anything like that. I've always been able to go off the cuff, of the heart, how my heart feels and go from there."
He followed his heart and it took him back to a place he was on June 19 when the Cavs claimed the title _ full of emotion but pledging his love not just to Akron but to Cleveland as well.
But after he collected his ring and in the ensuing moments as the banner _ unique because its colors contrast so marvelously with the ones already there _ slowly, deliberately ascended to the rafters of The Q, James revealed just a little bit more of who he is now.
"You know, we put a lot of hard work and dedication in last year," he told the more than 20,000 in attendance. "It's always (good) to know that hard work pays off and this is a true testament of it, and without you 20-plus thousand fans this would not be possible."
In that regard, there's a certain sense that this championship won by the hometown team he led means something more to James.
Lue, who owns hardware from his Los Angeles Lakers playing days, certainly admitted that in his pregame interview. He said it was an unbelievable experience as a Laker.
"The Lakers, they won 16, 17 championships _ that's a lot different. But being your first championship and having your hands on, it's going to be a tremendous night," Lue said.
James called it a night everyone will remember and, along with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, he chose to share it, well aware that the Indians were moments away from beginning the World Series across Gateway Plaza at Progressive Field. Gilbert finished his brief speech with a hearty, "Go Tribe! Go Cleveland Indians!"
James gave a shout out to the Tribe as well, something that shows where Cleveland is now as a sports community. It's a sign of mutual respect and support epitomized by 22-year-old Abbey Jo Deckard of Aurora, who attended the Cavs game decked in a jersey that was half James and half of Indians ace Corey Kluber.
Two parties. One mindset. Welcome to Northeast Ohio.
