Factory Of Sadness
FanSided

4 Cleveland athletes who deserve their jerseys retired

By Chad Porto

OAKLAND - 1998: Jim Thome #25 of the Cleveland Indians bats during an MLB game against the Oakland Athletics at he Oakland-Alameda County Colosseum. Thome played for the Indians from 1991-2002. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
OAKLAND - 1998: Jim Thome #25 of the Cleveland Indians bats during an MLB game against the Oakland Athletics at he Oakland-Alameda County Colosseum. Thome played for the Indians from 1991-2002. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA – DECEMBER 29: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on December 29, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA – DECEMBER 29: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on December 29, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

#23 – LeBron James (Cavs)

This is obvious. I’m not even a LeBron James guy and I think his number should be retired with the likes of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Mark Price, Larry Nance, Austin Carr, and Brad Daughtery. His numbers with the Cavaliers alone would warrant induction. James is number one in games played, minutes played, field goals made, field goals attempted, two-point shots and three-point shots made and attempted, field goals missed, free throws attempted, free throws made, and total rebounds.

That’s just some of them, by the way.

He’s also the man many claims are responsible for the team’s best two seasons in 2007 and 2016, where the Cavs went to their first NBA championship series, and finally won their first NBA championship respectively. He certainly didn’t do those things alone, mind you, but he does deserve the praise for helping lead the team to those landmark franchise moments. As good as some of those guys were that played with James, none of them had ever found success on their own for one reason or another.

Whether it’s Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, Larry Hughes, or even Ilgauskas himself, they all needed to have James to help get them over the hump. While James only led the team to one title, taking the Cavs to five championship games since 2007 is impressive. Though, they’re more the Buffalo Bills of the NBA than they are the Patriots.

Some mismanagement and shortsighted planning hindered the team in 2010 and 2018 after James left, but the team at least has a few years in NBA history where they were seen in a wholly different light.

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