It’s been five years since Anderson Varejao played for the Cleveland Cavaliers. But the veteran big man is thrilled to be back with the franchise he called home for the first 12 years of his career. The Cavs signed Varejao–who spent the past two seasons playing in his native Brazil–to a 10-day contract on Tuesday. The deal runs through the remainder of the season.
Varejao told the media he is ecstatic to be back home:
“I love the city. I love the fans. I love the organization,” Varjao said, via Evan Dammarell of Forbes. “I’m extremely happy and excited about coming back. It’s not about the end of this season it’s about the twelve years here.”
The 38-year-old went on to say he has been in discussions with the Cavs for some time and still makes his home in Cleveland, per Dammarell.
Varejao was a staple at the center position in his first 12 seasons with the Cavs, giving the team a tough rebounding presence and viable scoring option inside.
Cleveland dealt the veteran to the Golden State Warriors during the 2015-16 season, but Varejao said he understands the transaction was about the business of basketball:
“I understand. It’s part of the business,” Varejao said, via Dammarell. “I wasn’t the first or the last one to be traded. I was happy for this organization and this city even though I was on the other side of it. This city deserves it.”
None of that matters much now, though.
Varejao gives the Cavs another veteran presence in the locker room for the final stretch. That’s imperative for an organization that has experienced its share of turmoil as of late.
