Before the Cleveland Cavaliers began their journey to capture the Larry O'Brien trophy, LeBron James equipped his teammates with two very special gifts: headphones and shield. Wait, what? According to Richard Jefferson, James gave each player some dope Beats headphones which included a special, motivational message for each person.
Each of his teammates was handed a hand-crafted, life-size shield with the player's nickname inscribed, I've learned. Also, the armor included a message referencing protection and unity.
As for the shield, LeBron didn't spare any expense.
Per Chris Haynes of cleveland.com:
No photos have been released showing what the actual shield looks like, but it appears LeBron's teammates were grateful for the gesture. "For me, I appreciated it," Channing Frye told cleveland.com. "It just showed his thought process not just about the game, but about the mental aspect of everybody being on the same page."
Throughout the Eastern Conference portion of the postseason, the Cavaliers looked like a more unified group, on and off the court. Maybe the arrival of Lil' Kev has a lot to do with it, but we digress. With the NBA Finals heading to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4, the Cavs are being tested more than ever right now, down 2-0 in the series. If they have any chance of turning it around, they will need to put together a more collective effort on both sides of the court, especially on defense where communication is key.
When the Cavs players return home, maybe they should take a look at the shield and read that inscribed message regarding unity over and over. The team appears to have lost their way, but the series isn't over.
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