After being informed by Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin that he was being traded, it took some time before Anderson Varejao came to terms with the decision.

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No one can blame the guy. He was primed to become a Cavalier lifer. He was there when the Cavs competed, and his loyalty remained even when the team was in the dumps. It would have been a perfect scenario to have him hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy in front of thousands of cheering fans in Northeast Ohio.

But fate had a different plan for the Brazilian forward and it couldn’t have been more interesting than what’s in front of him right now, as a member of the Golden State Warriors.

In a FOX Sports Ohio interview, Varejao talked about facing his old team for 11 and a half years in nowhere else but the biggest stage of all – the NBA Finals.

If there’s anyone in the league who knows better than most what a championship would mean to the city and franchise, it has to be Anderson Varejao. In fact, it’s a safe bet that he understands the Cleveland thirst in a deeper way than other players on the Cavs, but that’s not a knock on them.

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The city of Cleveland and Varejao will forever have that special connection. But in the next four to seven games, that warm feeling will be replaced by hostility brought about by fierce competition and burning desire from the Cavs and their fans.