Was LeBron James’ 2014 Return Cavaliers A Top 5 Cleveland Sports Moment?

This week marked an important anniversary for Cavaliers fans, as the city of Cleveland reminisced about LeBron James‘ famous Sports Illustrated announcement that he was returning to Northeast Ohio to fulfill his promise of winning a championship.

The date was July 11, 2014 and the collective celebrating that took place around the city that day, from honking horns to teary eyes hugs are well documented. It was a celebratory day, particularly given how James had spurned the city with his infamous TV special to announce “the decisions” to join the Miami Heat four years prior.

That was easily one of the worst days in Cleveland sports history, as videos of fans burning LeBron jerseys went viral before going viral was even a thing. His return, on the other hand was one of the best days in Cleveland sports history, so much so that it may just be a top five such moment of the last quarter century.

Why stop at 25 years? 1999 marks the year of the Cleveland Browns return to the city, which I think easily makes this list. That moment feels like a natural starting point for what we’ll call “modern Cleveland sports history.”

So does the day LeBron James returned to Cleveland qualify? Let’s find out.

The City’s first championship in 52 years has to top the list of course. It also directly correlates with LeBron’s return as this was the pay off of the dramatic saga. A destiny fulfilled, if you will. Gave 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals against Golden State will be a moment Clevelanders will never forget. Tears were shed. Hugs were shared. Everyone who watched that game live remembers where they were when the final buzzer sounded. Probably reasonable to include parade day and the party with 1.3 million of your closest friends as part of this moment as well. The entire sequence of events tops the list.

The Cavs title may be the No. 1, but the Browns are still considered the most popular team in town. Cleveland loves its football team, so much so that they approved Art Modell’s referendum in 1995 that would have funded a renovation to the old lakefront stadium, even after he announced he was moving the team to Baltimore. Hence why he’s the most hated man in Cleveland sports history. When the team returned in 1999 though breathed life back into the city’s sports life and fans showed up in droves to support their beloved Browns.

The Browns theme continues with what is the only playoff of some Browns fans lives in 2020. It was made that much sweeter that it came at the expense of the team’s most hated rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. 2020 also marked the first year the Browns made a postseason appearance in 18 years, so it was a season filled with firsts for plenty of supporters.

There are a few directions you could go when it comes to the Indians Obviously the 2016 run to the World Series was memorable, but the brutally heartbreaking ending to that championship quest perhaps makes that one a little too painful to make the top five. The 22-game win streak – which was the second longest in the history of baseball – one season later became the defining moment of two memorable seasons. By the time in ended in mid-September people assumed Cleveland was going to keep the momentum going on a return trip to the Fall Classic. Unfortunately it fell short in the ALDS. Just remember the good times, like Jay Bruce walking it off in the 10th against the Royals for win No. 22.

LeBron makes a return appearance with the moment we centered this whole piece around. His return on July 11, 2014 turned into an unexpected holiday that summer. More importantly it was a day of healing after he spurned the Cavaliers for the Heat on national TV four years earlier. There are certainly other sports moments that stand out in Cleveland over the last 25 years but I think this one edges the others out. Looking back on that day this past week was fun.