Cavs Finally End Losing Streak, but Fans Learn Something about LeBron

Approximately one year ago, it was great to be a fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team finished the season with a very strong 61 - 21 record and they were the champions of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. In fact, they had the best record of all teams in the entire Eastern Conference, making them formidable foes for nearly anyone.

Obviously, things have changed dramatically in just one year's time. Since LeBron James bolted for the Miami Heat, you could feel the shift of Eastern Conference power like a massive snow storm flowing slowly to the east coast and shutting down every city in its path. Right now, the Miami Heat are on top of an eight game winning streak, while the Cleveland Cavaliers just set an all-time NBA record with 25 straight losses. Fortunately for the Cavs, loss number 26 was barely averted, but you can feel the collective snarl from fans who know that the next losing streak will probably start in about two days.

Obviously, everyone expected that LeBron's exit would hurt the Cavs. Many consider him to be the best player in the NBA and one of the greatest players of all time. Some even expected that the Cavs would become a below average squad without LeBron. But no one expected that they would sink to become arguably the worst team in the history of the NBA.

The fact that the Cleveland Cavaliers have become such a horrifically bad NBA team after LeBron's departure makes a very clear and impressive point: This man was able to nearly single-handedly turn one of the worst teams in the history of the NBA into a serious title contender. He took the worst of the worst and put them up among the very best. That's nothing short of awesome.

This new revelation may also explain why LeBron felt that he had to leave Cleveland. James was highly determined to bring a title to his home state, no matter what the cost. He elevated his game to mind-numbing levels, all in hopes that he could do what many considered to be the impossible. I saw James do the same thing in high school, as his lowly group of mediocre teammates were able to beat the heck out of the number one ranked team in the nation, Oak Hill Academy (a school whose entire existence seems to be built around basketball). It was during that game eight years ago that I knew LeBron James was not your ordinary superstar.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert had good reason to chastise and attack James in public, in large part because he knew that, deep down, he'd never be able to replace LeBron. In fact, the NBA may never see another player like him. To remove a team from the basement of NBA history and give them a chance to put them within striking distance of an NBA title is nothing short of legendary. Nothing sends that signal clearer than the amazing losing streak that just came to an end.