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How did you became a Cavs fan? For those who are not from Cleveland.

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Should we rename this thread "how you became a Cavs fan/meet the new LeBron bandwagoners"?
 
I'm Australian. Dad is American and grew up about an hour outside of Cleveland and Mum is Australian. Hence i support everything to do with Cleveland ha
 
Born in Cleveland, since moved away. Grew up loving the Browns and tribe, and liking the Cavs, with a distant memory of Joe Tait in the background.

But I remember the first moment that made me realize how real sports are and how much they make a person feel like they are part of something bigger - the time winding down, the struggling to get open, the hanging in the air for an eternity and slight hesitation, my stunned disbelief, and that son of a bitch Michael Jordan jumping in the air and pumping his fist while Ehlo collapses to the floor in agony.

I'll never forget it. Partly because ESPN plays it at some point during every Cavs playoff game. My instant hatred of MJ thus began along with my everlasting love for the greatest sport there is and my hometown Cavs. No other sport can match that kind of intensity or drama. I've only missed a few games since.

So welcome to the bandwagon, suckers. I say that in all honesty. It's fun rooting for the underdog, and even though a lot of people here won't admit it, sometimes it's fun knowing you don't have a chance but always wondering what if it could happen just this once. Lebron's first run here was fun, but we never really had enough to get it done. And now, even pessimistic me can see that we finally have a real shot. Should be fun.
 
Let's see.... I was actually born in Cleveland, but have lived most of my life outside of Ohio. My dad never really liked sports, so growing up I didn't have those father-son moments tossing a baseball around or anything sports related. The rest of my dad's family are big Indians fans, so whenever I would visit my grandpa or spend time with my uncles I'd watch the Indians or go to home games. I remember never really getting into baseball unless I was at the game, but during the 90's when we had Jim Thome, Kenny Lofton, Manny Ramirez, Sandy Alomar, and Albert Belle, it was easy being a fan.

I knew baseball wasn't for me when I met Albert Belle in person. I waited after a game for a long time just to meet him since he was my favorite player at the time. When i asked him for his autograph he told me he doesn't sign anything unless he gets $50 first. I had a ball and everything and I just remember the look he gave me when I told him that I didn't have any money. I was 7 at the time, but still, that one moment killed that sport for me thereafter.

I moved to California with my dad a few years after, so all my sports connections to the city were lost for that time. Having a lame dad also made it hard to get into any sports or teams, since he never wanted to watch it on the TV or go to any local games. A lot of my friends growing up were Giants fans, 49ers fans, Raiders fans, etc. California was were I spent most of my life, but it never really felt right following any of their teams.

It's funny that my start into the basketball world was following the Pacers since I liked their pinstripes. I heard about Reggie Miller being such a great shooter and Jermaine O'Neal being a great up and coming player, that made it easy to like them. Just like whenever my friends would pressure me into being a Lakers fan or a Kings fan, it just didn't sit right that I was following a team that I have no actual connections to. That fandom lasted for a few months lol.

I remember the first time I heard Lebron's name when I was visiting Cleveland and some family back in 2002. They were talking about how great he was, how he was this amazing player and he was actually from the area. My grandpa took me to a St. Vincent St. Mary game and I remember him not playing, but EVERYBODY was talking about him. I wanted to see what he was about, how he played, how people could be this passionate about a guy in high school. That was around the time the Cavs really sucked, so nobody was talking about them, it was all about Lebron. Just that passion alone seemed to be the thing I was missing all those years.

Growing up around people who literally followed the Kings one moment, the Lakers the next, it was nice to see people passionate about something that didn't even have to do with winning. That's when I knew that I was meant to be a Cavs fan. I wanted to be able to share that passion, that excitement, that die hard fandom that came from being proud of where you're from and not from how many titles you won recently. It's one of the main reasons I hate player fans, bandwagon fans, whatever you want to call them. Being a fan of sports is not something that was ingrained in me, it wasn't something that was passed down from father to son. It was something that as funny as it sounds, it was something that came over me like I was one of those people in the church that the Holy Spirit took over. Winning titles shouldn’t be what makes you passionate about the team you follow, it’s nice of course, but being proud of your team’s history and the city behind it is what truly means something.

All the negativity that Cleveland has gotten over the years, all the laughter at our struggles, all the jeers about Lebron leaving only strengthened my resolve. I lived across the country, but that passion for where I was born meant much more than the fake fandom of whichever team was the IT team out in California. This is why I'm proud of my team, my city, and one of the reasons I’m proud I moved back to Ohio. Even though Lebron was the reason I became a fan of the Cavs, it was before he was even drafted that I knew that my connection to this city meant more than the titles the Lakers were winning at that time.

You don't have to be from Cleveland to understand what true fans really believe in. That even after 50+ years without a title that people are still passionate about their hometown team. This is why I can't respect people who just hop from one team to to next like the flavor of the month. A championship will mean so much to this city and the fans that have decades of service to the teams they love, not the players who come and go.

I love this team regardless of who the coach is, who the star is, because like what one of the other posters mentioned already, we’re a family. We may not be from the same neighborhood, the same race, same age, but we are united in our love for this team. So, I’m sorry if player fans will read this as being stupid or why the team doesn’t mean as much as the players on it, but to me you’re an idiot.

Sorry for the long post. I don’t really post much since I like lurking and just reading what others have to say, but for those that took the time to read, thanks.
 
Hi im from Saudi Arabia and im 3 months younger than LeBron so when I turned 18 I started watching the NBA . to be honest I was a lakers fan but one night our T.V network showed a cavs pistons game and I was hooked with this guy named LeBron. it was in his sophomore season so I always watched cavs games online or when ever it was aired here I saw every playoff game he ever played in . when you consider time zone differences I think it speaks a lot about my passion to this sport .

when he left to Miami I felt sorry for Cleveland and actually I cheered for both teams .

you can call me a bandwagon fan but I enjoy watching greatness . which LeBron presents every time he steps on a basketball court .
 
Grew up a NY Football Giants / NY Mets Fan like my Dad while we lived in New Jersey & London until we moved to NE Ohio (Stark County) in 1971. Not many East Coast kids in that area, but I continued to follow the NY teams as best I could. I had Walt Frazier's book and also followed the NY Nets with Dr. J (only by newspaper -- no TV for the ABA). Made my first call to Pete Franklin's show in early 1976 -- I got on the air just after Bill Bradley left (reason for my call) and had a typical NYC attitude. When Pete called NY a cesspool, I yelled "Why didn't you say that when Bill Bradley was on?" Got the phone slammed in my ear of course.

The Knicks had injury issues in 1975-76 and listening to Pete Franklin along with my friends all being Cavalier fans -- plus Joe Tait's amazing game calls -- got me interested very late in the 1975-76 season. The Cavs clinched the division on the next-to-last game by beating the Knicks -- I had mixed feelings but was glad the Cavaliers made it as the Knicks were out.

In the epic series with Washington the Cavaliers lost Game 1 at home and were trailing by 5 late in the game, but rallied with two late buckets, a palming call on Dave Bing and then Bingo's bomb with 2 seconds left put the Cavaliers up by one with two seconds to go. Unseld missed a desperation shot to tie the series.

Game 3 -- 16 years old, and my mother allowed me to drive from Jackson Township up 21 & I-77 to the Coliseum. Waited over an hour on I-271. Had my 14-year-old brother along. First NBA game, and we were in the corner, upper section, halfway up. Very cheap seats (maybe $5?) -- and, unlike today, the upper section had TONS of brothers from the 'hood. Loud. Rowdy. Two rows above us had vuvuzelas. The noise was crazy even before the intros.

Those of you who never had the chance to see the Coliseum -- it was far, far noisier than the Q. Loges were at the very top - two rows. It was just a giant bowl of seats, split halfway up by an inner concourse. Thick smoke.

You couldn't hear the introductions of the players -- it was too loud. At every time out, the lights over the court would dim, and the lights over the crowd would come on. All you could see were fans clapping, yelling and shouting -- through the smoke. The noise was just unbelievable.

We blew the Bullets off the court that game.

BUT, even then, part of me was still a Knicks fan - link to my Dad (who had moved overseas), loyalty and all that.

Game 5. Series tied 2-2 after losing Game 4 in Washington. Cavs down by 1. Elvin Hayes to shoot 2 with seven seconds to go. Missed both, Cavs timeout, then Washington has a foul to give. Five seconds to go.

I'm listening by one of those old 60's style stereo/radios that is as big as a bookshelf (old guys will kjnow what I mean). There was no local TV of the game.

"Pass out to Bingo ... Bingo on the run, the gun, no ... REBOUND CLEAMONS --- SCORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

That did it for me. F*ck NY.

I also saw Game 4 in the Boston series (we won & tied it up 2-2) but without Chones we couldn't close it out. Cavs had the misfortune of being good at the wrong time, as that year the ABA folded and the weak teams in the NBA got to draft ABA players from disbanded teams like Artis Gilmore and Maurice Lucas. Meanwhile we drafted Chuckie Williams and Mo Howard -- still gives me the willies.

Still have the original "Miracle of Richfield" album.
 
I'm from Germany. While most people were in friggin soccer clubs, I got influenced by a Croatian neighbor to play basketball in the late 90s. We could only follow the Nba by magazines, trading cards or playstation games. I really can't recall watching any live games on TV, there was only a 30 minute highlight show that I can sort of remember. I was interested in the Lakers quite a bit and even bought a Shaq jersey sometime around 2000.
After years of playing outside, often by myself, the interest in basketball faded away completely.
Then around 2008 I was at a birthday party from a friend and he had a nice schoolyard hoop on their big property. Since that day I began playing basketball regularly again and picked up my interest in the NBA again. It was a pleasure being able to watch so many games with live streams in contrast to the limitations of being a basketball fan in the 90s.
I began watching games of different teams every night and ultimately started to follow the Cavs more closely, obviously Lebron was a big reason for that. In the end, I became addictive watching Cavs games whether they won playoff games or lost the majority of games post-Lebron. Glad I don't have to go through another 26-game losing streak in the upcoming years though, that was tough...
 
Some terrific stories in here & a great idea to start this thread.

I know it says "for those who are not from Cleveland", but I decided to break the rules a bit :chuckles:

Born & raised in Cleveland, still live here.

Basically, was born a Cleveland sports fan. When I first came home, my dad started reading the sports page to me, all the while teaching me about it & informing me of our teams. He was a die hard, loyal to the end Cleveland sports fan. I was basically hooked since he did that the 1st time. He did that everyday until I was 4, when I started reading it to him.

I started collecting sports cards around that time, hoping I'd get a Cleveland athlete in the packs & used to memorize the stats on the backs of all of them, to the point where, when I was 5, if someone gave me a name on a card & a stat, I could tell them what it was (and in the form of baseball, tell them what hand they threw with or hit with).

Not to get all sappy, but my dad died when I was 7 & basically, my Cleveland sports fandom went to & has grown to unhealthy lengths over the past 23 years since then :chuckles:
 
When I was 13 I fell in love with the rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. As you all know, the group is from Cleveland. As a result, I spent a lot of my mornings, afternoons and evenings singing "Cleveland is the city where we come from so run, run, run!"

A year or two later, I started producing music and hooked up with some rappers from Columbus who, together with myself and a couple of other Ohio-based rappers, recorded tracks with multiple shout-outs to the state of Ohio (including a "FROM MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA TO COLUMBUS, OHIO!" line).

From there, the affinity simply grew. I started to learn more about the city of Cleveland, and other artists from the state of Ohio.

My die-hard passion for the Cavs would've started the season LBJ actually left us. NBA Game Time was launched and as a result, I was able to watch all 82 games of every season. Previously, it was only ESPN Wednesdays and Fridays and playoff games. I simply couldn't call myself a "fan" watching 1 game a month but I always had the Cleveland sports teams in my heart. In '09/'10, it really kicked into gear. My first full season included the losing streak etc. so I've never had the opportunity to be fully immersed in any winning seasons. The seasons we were winning with LeBron, I was nowhere as die-hard as I am today.

And that's pretty much my story. I have a bunch of rappers from Cleveland to thank. As a result, I walk around Melbourne, Australia with "Cleveland is the City," "CLVLND" and "Cleveland Pride" t-shirts and hoodies as if I were born and raised. My love for Cleveland as an international cannot be explained, but I can only assume it must feel as real as living in the city itself. As a result, I'll be in Cleveland in February to catch a Cavs game and see see where Bone Thugs grew up.

And without a doubt, I'll be wearing Cleveland across my heart, like I do every day of the year, half way across the world.

Note: Sorry to the bandwagon fan, but I'll never understand "player fans." And there's no such thing as "Blind following." If you refuse to experience the passion and emotion generated from the trials and tribulations of any sports team, you'll never understand what it feels like to truly win, nor what it feels like to be proud to see how your team and the city has grown. Could you honestly say "this is the greatest day of my life!" when Miami won championships? Can you say it if it happens in Cleveland? Because I know we can. And unfortunately, that's something I'm afraid you and thousands like you will never truly understand.
 
Born and raised in Cleveland always been loyal. When I went to college at OSU back in 2006, my loyalty kinda went through the rough as it was the firs time I was in a city where there were sizable groups of fans of opposing teams. I think rooting for your team and region is what being a fan is all about.

People who follow a player team to team flies in the face of what it means to be a fan. As a fan, you support your team through thick and thin because those darkest moments are what makes the triumphs truly special. Player bandwagon fans have no loyalty, face no adversity and ignore the concept of a team, which is the most important part of sports.
 
Ruken said:
Born and raised in Cleveland always been loyal. When I went to college at OSU back in 2006, my loyalty kinda went through the rough as it was the firs time I was in a city where there were sizable groups of fans of opposing teams. I think rooting for your team and region is what being a fan is all about.

People who follow a player team to team flies in the face of what it means to be a fan. As a fan, you support your team through thick and thin because those darkest moments are what makes the triumphs truly special. Player bandwagon fans have no loyalty, face no adversity and ignore the concept of a team, which is the most important part of sports.
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The bold, a thousand times over. We've had our fair share of #1 picks over the years, but when I saw the ping pong balls fall in our favor this year, the complete euphoria was incomparable to anything I've experienced in life. Not even sex can trump that kind of feeling. Then when LeBron came home, it was no sleep for 48 hours. There's nothing in life, and I mean nothing, that can give you the spine-tingling, rapturous rewards that being a die-hard, loyal sports fan can.
 
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