Title | : | The Comeback: LeBron, the Cavs Cleveland |
Author | : | |
Rating | : | |
ISBN | : | 1938441885 |
ISBN-10 | : | 9781938441882 |
Language | : | English |
Format Type | : | Paperback |
Number of Pages | : | 235 |
Publication | : | First published October 14, 2016 |
Fans felt gut-punched in 2010 when local hero and MVP LeBron James announced he was leaving the Cavaliers and Northeast Ohio for Miami. The Cavs nose-dived in the standings and struggled to recover.
Then, in June 2014, LeBron announced he was coming home. And he had a mission: Lead the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals and give Cleveland its first championship in 52 years.
But would LeBron's return be enough to restore his reputation, revive the franchise, and reward the long-suffering fans?
Veteran Cleveland sportswriter Terry Pluto tells how it all happened.
How LeBron won back fans with a heartfelt message -- and savvy PR . . .
How the Cavs' front office crafted a championship-caliber team with a big three of James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love and a bench stocked not only with talent but character and chemistry . . .
How LeBron's added experience from four seasons and two titles in Miami prepared him for this second chance in Cleveland . . .
How the Cavaliers reached the 2016 NBA Finals to face a Golden State Warriors team, led by MVP Stephen Curry, that had just set the NBA record for wins and had vanquished the Cavs in the Finals the previous season . . .
How LeBron and the Cavs, down a historically hopeless three games to one, sparked an unprecedented come-from-behind surge (symbolized by LeBron's superhuman block in Game 7) to stun Golden State and bring home the NBA Championship . . .
And how the ecstatic fans joined the team in a joyful celebration that brought more than a million people together in downtown Cleveland.
Pluto tells it all with insightful analysis, extensive front-office details, and a deep empathy for the fans.
The Comeback: LeBron, the Cavs Cleveland Reviews
-
Started reading before LeBron left again, and I put it down until now. I'm glad I didn't forget about it and that I picked it up and read it start to finish. Another excellent job by Terry Pluto, telling the story of what went on behind the scene as the Cavs and LeBron eventually came together for LeBron's return in 2014 and how the team was built to win Cleveland's first title in over 50 years in 2016.
This is NOT a book about LeBron. It is about the Cavs and their unbelievable 'comeback' as a team and more specifically, in the 2016 NBA finals vs Golden State. Thank you, once again, Terry Pluto. -
Quick, easy read. and good, informative account of the years leading up to LeBron's return to the Cavs, specifically the front office's dealings during the Miami years, LeBron's Decision broadcast/building his brand, and the overall maturation of LeBron as a player, businessman, and person from his high school years on. Pluto scratches the surface on a little bit of everything LeBron: he interviews his high school coaches and teammates, covers his time with the Cavs in his first Finals, his business decisions that led to his regretful Decision broadcast, his departure to Miami, and his eventual return to Cleveland. Probably the most interesting part of the book is the front office dealings that led to LeBron's return, alongside LeBron's career transformation. Pluto is also great at explaining highly complicated salary tax issues at a much lower level. Though I will say this: Unless you're from Cleveland, or a die-hard LeBron follower, this book probably won't resonate too much, especially since Pluto gets a bit sentimental to lead off and end the book. But if you are interested in LeBron's legacy-in-making without diving into some 500 page biography, this is a solid start. And if you're from Cleveland, this is a 180 page reliving of Cleveland's first championship in fifty years, and who doesn't love that? Go Cavs.
-
First off, let me say I've lived in Cleveland all my life. I was born in 1964. Ive played sports all my life and have faithfully watched the Indians, Browns, and Cavs every season, regardless of their success or lack of it. But I have never seen a major sports championship in this city in my lifetime. I'm not sure, unless you've also lived here the past 52 years, that you can understand what this meant to us in Cleveland.
Terry Pluto has lived through this drought as well. But my main criticism of this book is that it reads more like a collection of separate articles than a tale building up to a city changing event. Yes, there is plenty of insightful commentary and insider knowledge. The book has plenty of that. But it feels a little haphazard in its organization and frequently explains people and relationships it has explained in previous chapters. I know Keith Dambrot coached LeBron in high school. You told us that. Give your audience some credit. It doesn't need to be explained again near the end of the book. This and other similar restatement of already established facts gives the impression each chapter having been written almost as stand alone sections focusing on individual facets of the story, written at different times and in a different order.
Still, the anecdotes and commentary are very worthwhile and Pluto has plenty to say. Well worth a read--especially if you are from Cleveland and a sports fan--though I wish it would flow a little smoother and be a bit less disjointed. -
In The Comeback: LeBron, the Cavs and Cleveland, Cleveland Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto recounts the events that lead to the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers overcoming a 3-1 game deficit and dramatically winning the NBA Finals. Pluto begins with LeBron James “Decision” in 2010 to leave the Cavaliers and join forces with fellow NBA stars Chris Bosh and Dewayne Wade in Miami to create a modern super team. Pluto examines the events that led up to James decision to depart and the dark days of the post LeBron Cavaliers. During his four year absence, James found the success he had been searching for in Miami while the Cavaliers toiled and began to acquire the pieces necessary to lure James back to his home town in the summer of 2014. The Comeback is an enjoyable read for any Cavaliers fan to relive the excitement of the championship 2016 season that is filled with insight and details of all the transactions that went into creating such a magical title run. The Comeback does fall short in it feels more like a collection of sports columns than a free flowing book. Some events and introductions of players and coaches feel a little overlapped and jumbled. The 3-1 series championship comeback was many years in the making and definitely a journey worth revisiting.
-
I truly enjoyed reliving the first CLE championship in 52 years. Terry Pluto is my favorite local sportswriter and he did a nice job of recounting all that lead up to LeBron's return to CLE and how the Cavaliers organization achieved their championship goal in two years.
There were a number of historical references that were made more interesting being viewed through the perspective of having won the NBA title years later. Pluto did a nice job of summarizing the comeback in a concise but complete way.
I would say this is required reading for any CLE sports fan. Now ... let's go win another. -
This was an in-depth account of the Cavaliers rise to the NBA championship in 2016. Terry Pluto does a great job of bringing the story to life even for those of us who watched every game. There is so much to the story than just game statistics and Pluto brings that out for the reader. This would be an interesting book for people who are not necessarily Cavs fans because it takes the reader inside the world of professional basketball.
-
Very solid read covering the six-year period from Lebron's bolt to South Beach in 2010 to the NBA title in 2016.
There were a couple miscellaneous chapters that I could have done without as I didn't feel they really belonged in this story.
But for the most part it was very entertaining. -
Best Cavs championship book by far...
Although it's the same old facts, the author makes this book their own through thoughtful editorializing and interesting backstories. I appreciate the book skipping to the meatier portions and not outlining every game, series, headline, etc. -
No better way to relive the moments of those championship days. This book does such a great job of reminding me of all the things that lead to the championship. I love Terry Pluto's writing because he gets us, Cleveland sports fans.
-
Relive all the emotion of LeBron from his departure from Cleveland to the thrilling 2016 championship! It still gets me all teared up!!!
-
6/25 and first book of the summer. Great details regarding LeBron and the Cavs. Good read to get psyched up for the 2017 Finals!
-
I lived through it so I t was nice to read again but it felt like it was written by an 8th grader
-
I'm not much of a sports person but I do believe in trying to read on a variety of different topics. Terry Pluto is thorough, concise and easy to follow. I've read several of his books now and always look forward to reading his newest. This one was especially fun to read because it details an event I honestly never thought I'd see in my lifetime- a national championship trophy. The Cavs won it all, against incredible odds, in 2016. I wouldn't be surprised if there was already a movie script in the works. Pluto states he had been working on this novel for a while, and it must have been rewarding to end it the way he could. He starts with the departure of LeBron James (infamously known as The Decision). He goes through the struggles of the Cavs in the next four years, the return of James, the injury-plagued 2015 championship games and the sweet success of the 2016 victory. Pluto includes scores of interviews and articles from players, coaches and even has a chapter dedicated to fan's reactions during Game 7. I'm sure Cavs fans will want to get this book so they can relive the joy of breaking the 52-year drought of national championships with the sports trinity of pro football, baseball and basketball.
-
As a Cleveland sports fan, I always enjoy Terry Pluto's writing and his endless optimism. This book, however, fell a bit flat for me. Perhaps it's because I'm already too familiar with the recent history of the Cleveland Cavaliers and this book didn't offer much in the way of new revelations. I almost gave it two stars, but how can you only give two stars to a book about a Cleveland championship?
-
True Cavs fans will enjoy reliving the chase for the championship.
-
Spine-tingling to remember... but a missed opportunity
The author can write. He was there for all the key moments in Cleveland's unforgettable 2016 NBA title campaign. And he obviously has great contacts around the Cavaliers organisation. But overall this feels rushed - like a bunch of columns hastily pasted together to capitalise on a warm afterglow rather than a carefully crafted narrative of one of the most compelling comebacks in recent sporting history. This is most frustrating when the same facts are constantly repeated within pages or even paragraphs of each other. This is my main gripe; the other, the constant use of short sentences, is something I accept is pretty much standard among sportswriters these days. Doesn't mean I like it though. -
A fine piece of journalism once again by Terry Pluto. Every Clevelander who lived through LeBron's wonderful homecoming story, and subsequent leading the Cavs to the city's first sports championship in 52, will enjoy this!
Get behind the scenes stories about how Dan Gilbert and company made LeBron's return possible by rebuilding the Cavaliers during the year's he was in Miami.
Simply put, this was a fun read! -
Terry Pluto did an awesome job remembering the history of our CAVS.
-
There seemed to be a lot of repetition in the writing as if the author thought the reader would forget what they read in a previous chapter. Example: Yes, I know Dru Joyce III is the son of Dru Joyce II. Why do you keep on telling me this fact? Maybe Terry needed to meet a certain word count or something... Go Cavs!
-
Terry Pluto is a wonderful sports writer who clearly loves Cleveland. If you're a Cleveland sports fan, read this book. It definitely helped explain some backstory that I was unaware of. Simple, fact-based writing, but overall enjoyable.