[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9452]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS ON WINNING THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, last night was a big night for Ohio and 
for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA finals.
  I have tried not to rub it in today. My colleague Senator Brown and I 
have been careful not to offend our California colleagues. However, I 
did wear my Cavaliers tie today.
  It was a very exciting night for Cleveland. I rise to simply commend 
the Cavs for an outstanding performance and a really gutsy performance 
throughout the entire series.
  This team worked together and they showed that together they could 
overcome all kinds of obstacles and challenges: Kyrie Irving, Tristan 
Thompson, Kevin Love, J.R. Smith, Mo Williams, Matthew Dellavedova, 
Richard Jefferson, Iman Shumpert, Coach Tyronn Lue, and then, of 
course, the king, LeBron James. It was an amazing performance.
  There have been a lot of good teams and a lot of great professional 
sports in Cleveland over the past 50 years, but this is the first 
championship won by a Cleveland team since 1964 and first ever for the 
Cavaliers so this is a big deal in Cleveland. We are very excited about 
it.
  During that long drought, it would have been tempting to go give up, 
but Cleveland fans never did. They never do. Cleveland is 
``Believeland,'' as it has been called recently, and now it is the 
comeback city.
  It was not an easy series. It followed a tough year last year. We had 
a lot of injuries last year, which hammered our ability to be 
competitive in the finals, and we changed coaches in the middle of the 
season. We were trailing three games to one. I went to the game a week 
ago Friday when we lost in Cleveland and went out West. It was a tough 
situation. Being down 3 to 1 in NBA finals means you usually lose. In 
fact, no one had ever won being down 3 to 1. But the Cavs aren't just 
any team; they overcame the odds and showed real grit and persistence, 
determination, and perseverance. And that is more than just basketball; 
that embraces and embodies the spirit of Cleveland, and it is a lesson 
for all of us.
  LeBron James put it well when he said:

       In northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. 
     You work for what you have.

  And the Cavs certainly earned it. They worked hard for it, and they 
deserve it.
  It was fitting that the win was sealed by LeBron James, a proud son 
of Akron, OH, a graduate of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, and the 
unanimously chosen NBA Finals MVP who, by the way, led all players on 
both teams in the series in every single major statistical category. So 
in points scored, in rebounds and assists, steals and blocks, he led 
everyone. We are told this is the first time anyone has ever done that, 
by the way, in any series. Extraordinary. LeBron scored or assisted on 
half of the Cavs' points in the finals. He became the third player in 
NBA history to achieve a triple-double in game 7 of the finals. He 
almost averaged a triple-double. Over the course of the series, he 
scored, on average, 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game.
  His mission to bring this championship to Cleveland is now complete. 
He came home to Ohio for the same reason so many Ohioans come back or 
stay in Ohio: That is where he wanted to raise his family, and I 
commend him for that and also the fact that he really wanted to bring 
this championship back home.
  When he announced his return to Cleveland, he said, ``Before anyone 
ever cared where I would play basketball, I was just a kid from 
Northeast Ohio.''
  Of course, I want to congratulate Golden State on a historic season, 
and I want to offer my condolences to my friends and colleagues, 
Senators Feinstein and Boxer. Senator Feinstein and I made a friendly 
wager on this. Tomorrow, since the Cavs have won, she will be giving me 
a case of California wine, and I am pleased I get to keep the case of 
Great Lakes beer that I had bought for her.
  Congratulations to general manager David Griffin, who made a lot of 
difficult decisions and took the risks necessary in putting together a 
championship team.
  Congratulations to the owner, Dan Gilbert. This is a guy whose strong 
and consistent support of Cleveland, both on the court and off the 
court, is paying off for Cleveland, and we appreciate him--and, of 
course, for his helping to be sure LeBron James came back.
  Congratulations, above all, to Believeland--to Cleveland--and to an 
incredible championship run here.
  Mr. President, I am all in for the Cavs.
  I yield back.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________