NBA: 30 Storylines Driving The 2015-16 Season

Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) sits on the bench before game six of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Cavaliers – Needing to Win it All

Losing is never easy. Dropping a game at home is even worse. Watching another team celebrate a championship victory on your home floor, though, is simply demoralizing. When Lebron James returned to the Cavaliers last summer, it was with hopes of a title being won in is hometown. Instead of him being the one to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy over his head at the Q however, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors celebrated a six-game series win in Cleveland.

After forming a dynasty of sorts in Miami with the Heat’s rendition of a Big Three, his return to Cleveland implied that he’d be able to bring that same level of prestige and championship aura to a city that has lacked it for many decades. At his side was a younger (arguably better or worse) duo to round out a newer super-trio in the NBA.

Just as the Heat did in his first season with them, the King James-led Cavaliers made it to the NBA Finals but suffered a devastating loss once they got there. Granted, the Cavs faced many depth issues brought on by injuries to their stars and role players alike, the fans in Cleveland will be left with thoughts of what could’ve been (as well as a hatred of Kelly Olynyk).

Now in his second season back at home, Lebron will need to secure an NBA title for his homecoming to be deemed a success. I realize how harsh it is to say that the only way a man can reprove his worth and allegiance to his city is by bringing them the greatest prize in a sport, but anything less has to be deemed a certain failure.

Should the Cavs lose in the Finals again, or fail to make it to the big dance at all, it’ll be perceived as a step backward. He needs to bring championship prestige back to the Cleveland-based franchise and community as a whole, and it needs to happen now.

Next: Celtics: Direction?