James came home with the trophy he promised, and the championship Cleveland has coveted for 52 years. The parade (a route of 1.2 miles according to WKYC-TV in Cleveland), which started at 11 p.m. EST, finally finished near around 4 pm., as fans flooded the route, filled the streets and vehicles had to wait for them to be cleared.
Cleveland Cavaliers superstar forward LeBron James is now on top of the world after bagging the 2016 NBA Finals championship trophy. Besides, logic proves that no one wants to come to court searching for a impossible parking space downtown that day anyway.
“It’s a championship for the Cavs, but it’s a championship for the people”, said Byner, wearing his No. 44 Browns jersey.
Not only did LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers make the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history to dethrone the Golden State Warriors, they broke viewership, social media and souvenir sales records as well.
The parade will conclude with a massive rally at Mall B, a large outdoor public space where James and other celebrities are expected to speak.
The crowd, some fans arriving Tuesday night to camp out so they could get as close as possible, overwhelmed downtown Cleveland to celebrate with James, Kyrie Irving and their teammates. The tri-color banner will be on the wall of the paint company’s headquarters for about three months.
Fans of all size, shapes, colors and ages are lining downtown Cleveland streets dozens deep hours before a parade celebrating the Cavaliers’ improbable National Basketball Association championship. “Get ready for next year”. He said he’ll be back with the Cavs next season.
A parade held somewhere else for more than a half-century is rolling through Cleveland. For the first time since 1964, when the Browns ruled the NFL, Cleveland is a title town again.
Expecting heavy crowds in downtown Cleveland for the Cavaliers’ NBA championship parade and rally, the city has chose to not issue arrest warrants for defendants who miss court Wednesday.
Cleveland has also been grappling with the controversial fatal police shooting in November 2014 of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was playing with a toy gun.
He grew up in nearby Akron, was drafted by Cleveland, bolted to win two championships with Miami and then returned two years ago with unlimited potential for seldom-seen sports redemption.
James – who turned in a performance for the ages in the Finals, sealing his place in the pantheon of the sport’s greats – stood atop the convertible in which he was traveling, extending his arms to the crowd.