Right before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert sent out a message addressed to the Cavs’ fans.
Via his Twitter account, Gilbert spelled out what he believes are the main reasons why the Cavs made it to the Finals. It was a heartfelt message. The Cavaliers, as a franchise, went through so much in the past year.
They lost a superstar before the start of the regular season, they had a roster shakeup in the middle of the year, and the countless games where critics questioned their capabilities and decision-making.
Gilbert attributed the team’s success to LeBron James — arguably the best player of his generation. Right after returning to the Cavs, he immediately catapulted the team to be a legitimate playoff contender. He also mentioned the whole team for their “underlying belief.”
Finally, Gilbert highlighted general manager Koby Altman’s efforts. He was the person responsible for making the courageous move over the summer, which involved letting go of Kyrie Irving.
Come the middle of the season, a roster shakeup was orchestrated by Altman — which involved letting go of several Cavs veterans in exchange for young and untested young guns. Some questioned the move. But as observed, it has worked wonders for the Cavaliers. If Altman had not initiated those trades, who knows where the team would be right now.