The Franchise: LeBron James and the Remaking of the Cleveland Cavaliers

Author: Terry Pluto
Publisher: Gray & Company, Publishers
ISBN: 1938441605
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 226

Book Description
"Not your typical sports biography . . . Take[s] the reader behind the scenes in the Cavaliers’ front office, revealing how championship contenders are built" — Library Journal Two award-winning sports journalists give an in-depth look at how a team and a city were rebuilt around superstar LeBron James. When the Cleveland Cavaliers drew the top pick in the 2003 NBA draft, an entire city buzzed with excitement. After all, how often does a LeBron James come along? Especially for Cleveland, a midmarket Rust Belt city without a sports championship in forty years. Especially for the Cavaliers, a long-struggling team that had never reached the NBA finals. Soon, everyone had something riding on LeBron—billionaire team owner Dan Gilbert looking for a return on his investment . . . teammates eager for a championship ring . . . the league in need of the next Michael Jordan to promote . . . the shoe company with its multimillion-dollar endorsement deal . . . even popcorn vendors in the stands of Quicken Loans Arena and servers waiting restaurant tables in a downtown that now booms every game night. Terry Pluto and Brian Windhorst tell the converging stories of a struggling franchise that had to get worse in order to get better and a highly touted teenage phenom, the local kid who became their future. This book will fascinate any basketball fan who wants the inside story of how LeBron James became the young superstar shouldering the weight of an entire NBA franchise. Chock full of facts and analysis.

Return of the King

Author: Brian Windhorst
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 1538759683
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 342

Book Description
In this New York Times bestseller, get the inside scoop into LeBron James's return -- and ultimate triumph -- in Cleveland. What really happened when LeBron James stunned the NBA by leaving a potential dynasty in Miami to come home to play with the Cleveland Cavaliers? How did the Cavs use secret meetings to put together the deal to add star Kevin Love? Who really made the controversial decision to fire coach David Blatt when the team was in first place? Where did the greatest comeback in NBA history truly begin-and end? Return of the King takes you onto the private planes, inside the locker-room conversations, and into the middle of the intense huddles where one of the greatest stories in basketball history took place, resulting in the Cavs winning the 2016 NBA title after trailing the Golden State Warriors three games to one. You'll hear from all the characters involved: the players, the executives, the agents, and the owners as they reveal stories never before told. Get the background on all the controversies, the rivalries, and the bad blood from two reporters who were there for every day, plot twist, and social media snafu as they take you through the fascinating ride that culminated in a heart-stopping Game Seven.

The Comeback

Author: Terry Pluto
Publisher: Gray Publishers
ISBN: 9781938441882
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
This epic homecoming tale recounts one of the greatest Cleveland sports stories ever -- how LeBron James and the Cavaliers took fans on a roller coaster ride from despair to hope and, finally, to glory as the 2016 NBA champions. Fans felt gut-punched in 2010 when local hero and MVP LeBron James announced he was leaving the Cavaliers and Northeast Ohio for Miami. The Cavs nose-dived in the standings and struggled to recover. Then, in June 2014, LeBron announced he was coming home. And he had a mission: Lead the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals and give Cleveland its first championship in 52 years. But would LeBron's return be enough to restore his reputation, revive the franchise, and reward the long-suffering fans? Veteran Cleveland sportswriter Terry Pluto tells how it all happened. How LeBron won back fans with a heartfelt message -- and savvy PR . . . How the Cavs' front office crafted a championship-caliber team with a big three of James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love and a bench stocked not only with talent but character and chemistry . . . How LeBron's added experience from four seasons and two titles in Miami prepared him for this second chance in Cleveland . . . How the Cavaliers reached the 2016 NBA Finals to face a Golden State Warriors team, led by MVP Stephen Curry, that had just set the NBA record for wins and had vanquished the Cavs in the Finals the previous season . . . How LeBron and the Cavs, down a historically hopeless three games to one, sparked an unprecedented come-from-behind surge (symbolized by LeBron's superhuman block in Game 7) to stun Golden State and bring home the NBA Championship . . . And how the ecstatic fans joined the team in a joyful celebration that brought more than a million people together in downtown Cleveland. Pluto tells it all with insightful analysis, extensive front-office details, and a deep empathy for the fans.

The Blueprint

Author: Jason Lloyd
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1524741906
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 306

Book Description
An unputdownable, must-have sports book for every LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers, and NBA fan. June 19, 2016: the greatest moment in Cleveland sports history, when the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Finals and broke the Cleveland Curse. It was the triumph fans had been waiting fifty-two years for, and it wasn’t easy to get there—but thanks to LeBron James, an audacious plan to build a winning team, a couple of maverick GMs, and an incredible community of fans, it happened; and 2016 saw the birth of a new Cavaliers dynasty. But how did they get there? It was a roller-coaster ride from tragedy to triumph, one that Jason Lloyd, a longtime Northeast Ohio resident turned reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal, got to see firsthand. He was witness to the Blueprint, as he calls it, which the Cavs put together to win their star player back from Miami and build a team that could win the ultimate championship. It incorporated several losing seasons, some high-risk draft picks, and an entirely new understanding of how to build a championship team. The best part of the plan is that it worked, culminating in the most exciting Finals series in NBA history. And, most important, the end of the Cleveland Curse. Jason Lloyd, a true insider, tells the story of how the NBA really works, and how everyone—from the front office to the stars on the court to the new generation of coaches—worked together to create an unforgettable winning team.

Cleveland Is King

Author: Brendan Bowers
Publisher: Triumph Books
ISBN: 1633197166
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 150

Book Description
All In. The moment that LeBron James declared his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, there was no doubt the franchise was all in on ending the city of Cleveland's over half-century drought without a major sports championship. From the mid-season coaching change to a 3-1 NBA Finals deficit, the Cavs were determined to overcome any obstacle to capture the first NBA title in franchise history. Unlike in 2015 when they were decimated by injuries, they stayed largely healthy in the 2016 playoffs and torched the Pistons, Hawks, and Raptors on their way to a Finals rematch versus Stephen Curry and the record-breaking Warriors. Packed with unmatched analysis and dynamic color photography, Cleveland Is King takes fans through the Cavaliers historic and improbable journey, from Tyronn Lue taking over as coach during the season, to LeBron shaping the team in his image, to the team rallying from the brink of elimination in dramatic fashion to steal the championship in Oakland. This commemorative edition also includes in-depth profiles of King James, Finals hero Kyrie Irving, big man Kevin Love, and more key players in the Cleveland's extraordinary championship run.

LeBron, Inc.

Author: Brian Windhorst
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 1538730863
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 182

Book Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of Return of the King comes the story of LeBron James's incredible transformation from basketball star to sports and business mogul. With eight straight trips to the NBA Finals, LeBron James has proven himself one of the greatest basketball players of all time. And like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan before him, LeBron has also become a global brand and businessman who has altered the way professional athletes think about their value, maximize their leverage, and use their voice. LEBRON, INC tells the story of James's journey down the path to becoming a billionaire sports icon -- his successes, his failures, and the lessons both have taught him along the way. With plenty of newsmaking tidbits about his rollercoaster last season in Cleveland and high-profile move to the Lakers, LEBRON, INC. shows how James has changed the way most elite athletes manage their careers, and how he launched a movement among his peers that may last decades beyond his playing days.

Lebron James

Author: Terry Pluto
Publisher: Gray & Company
ISBN: 9781598510591
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 156

Book Description
Biography of NBA star Lebron James.

Loose Balls

Author: Terry Pluto
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439127522
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 456

Book Description
What do Julius Erving, Larry Brown, Moses Malone, Bob Costas, the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs and the Slam Dunk Contest have in common? They all got their professional starts in the American Basketball Association. What do Julius Erving, Larry Brown, Moses Malone, Bob Costas, the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs and the Slam Dunk Contest have in common? They all got their professional starts in the American Basketball Association. The NBA may have won the financial battle, but the ABA won the artistic war. With its stress on wide-open individual play, the adoption of the 3-point shot and pressing defense, and the encouragement of flashy moves and flying dunks, today's NBA is still—decades later —just the ABA without the red, white and blue ball. Loose Balls is, after all these years, the definitive and most widely respected history of the ABA. It's a wild ride through some of the wackiest, funniest, strangest times ever to hit pro sports—told entirely through the (often incredible) words of those who played, wrote and connived their way through the league's nine seasons.

G.O.A.T. - LeBron James

Author: Bob Gurnett
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
ISBN: 1454933224
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 112

Book Description
Who is the greatest basketball player of all time?Thisstunning book, filled to the brim with color photographs and information, makes the case that it’s KING JAMES! G.O.A.T. is an acronym that stands for Greatest Of All Time—and it takes lifelong dedication, nonstop hard work, and undeniable, unbelievable talent even to be considered for that honor. And if you asked five basketball lovers, "Who is the greatest player of all time?" you might get five different answers. But this fun book, written just for young fans, makes the case for current NBA superstar LeBron James. It backs up that choice with plenty of statistics, engaging quotes, and entertaining sidebars. You can be sure it will spark lively discussions among sports-crazy kids.

LeBron James: Champion Basketball Star

Author: Valerie Bodden
Publisher: ABDO Publishing Company
ISBN: 1629680222
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 114

Book Description
This title examines the fascinating life of LeBron James. Readers will learn about James's childhood, family, education, and rise to fame. Colorful graphics, oversize photos, and informative sidebars accompany easy-to-read, compelling text that explores James's early interest and skill in basketball that led to him joining the Cleveland Cavaliers then the Miami Heat. James's NBA championship wins, MVP awards, Olympic medals, and his charitable work are also discussed. Features include a table of contents, glossary, selected bibliography, Web links, source notes, and an index, plus a timeline and fun facts. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.