Cleveland Cavaliers: Starting Five From LeBron-less Era
Power Forward- #44 Luke Harangody
Luke Harangody is perhaps the worst NBA basketball player I have ever seen in my life. That is exactly why he made my starting five.
The first, painful post-LeBron season saw Harangody appear in 21 games for the Wine & Gold. He averaged 6.2 points and 4.2 rebound per game during the 2010-11 season, but one night in particular was unforgettable.
On March 4, 2011, I witnessed the pinnacle of Harangody’s NBA career. In 22 minutes of action, the Notre Dame legend dropped 18 points, grabbed four rebounds and went 6-of-11 from the floor. The ugliest jump shot I have ever seen in the NBA made 2-of-6 from deep.
It felt like Harangody’s “Rudy” moment. I wanted the entire team to carry him off the floor on their shoulders to chants of “Luke! Luke! Luke!”
Unfortunately, the game was at Madison Square Garden. New York Knicks’ fans weren’t nearly as excited as I was. A good friend and I would give Harangody a standing ovation every time he entered a game; whether we were physically there or not.
In total, he appeared in 42 games, starting one, and averaged 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Harangody appeared in only 70 games his entire NBA career before taking his talents to some European league.
But, if only for one night, the NBA’s “Rudy” balled out. Luke Harangody’s epic performance is the Cleveland Cavaliers rendition of Billy Doyle dunking in “White Men Can’t Jump.”
A Cleveland legend forever.