Cleveland fans believe LeBron can end all the heartbreak

CLEVELAND — It's easy to make small talk with strangers in a place like this.

Mention LeBron James. Or The Drive. The Fumble. Edgar Renteria. Art Modell.

So many chapters in Cleveland's sports history, with all that heartbreak, striking nerves that transcend race, gender and socioeconomics.

Were you guys burning jerseys when LeBron left?

The two men at the shoeshine stand – who were born here and raised on Cleveland sports — looked at each other Thursday, awaiting the other's reply.

"I wasn't actually doing it, but I can see why they did it," Matt Kaiser said. "He's got 'Loyalty' tattooed on him, and then leaves?"

Aaron Crider shakes his head.

"Y'all are crazy," Crider said. "Those jerseys cost too much money. I've still got my old jersey, and Bobblehead dolls from back then, too. To return to Cleveland says it all. He won all the fans back."

And how. With James leading the way, people all over town are pinching themselves with the prospect that their Cavaliers will win not only win the franchise's first NBA title but end an inglorious drought that dates back to 1964 – when the Browns were the last pro sports team representing Cleveland to win a championship.

"It's time for us," said Scott McNabb, standing outside Quicken Loans Arena a few hours before Game 4 tipped off. "We've got so many guys hurt right now, but this team reflects the fight of Cleveland fans."

McNabb is like so many diehard fans who keep coming back, despite one frustrating season after another – 143 consecutive seasons combined without a title — for Cleveland's teams. He's even holding out hope for the hard-luck Browns, who have had eight coaches and 16 starting quarterbacks since the franchise was revived in 1999.

"I wish the hell they get a quarterback," he said. "Johnny Manziel ain't the ticket, that's for sure. It's almost a proven fact. Too cocky."

If that sounds a bit personal, so be it. Good or bad, the teams and players are like family to the fans, and right now there is no better example of that in all of sports than James, who grew up in nearby Akron. When he opted last offseason to return home – after winning two NBA titles and advancing to the Finals in four consecutive seasons with the Heat -- James explained how his decision was driven by the Northeast Ohio fan base.

Now the best-case scenario is in reach, with the bitterness of his departure in 2010 an all-is-forgiven marker on the journey.

"I think time heals all," James said of reuniting with fans. "It was a bitter moment when I left the first time, but it's a sweet moment here now that I'm back. Both sides had an opportunity to kind of miss each other, and they say if it's worth having and it's supposed to be there, then it will always come back."

It seemed so fitting before Game 3 on Tuesday night, when James bowed to Browns legend Jim Brown, sitting courtside, just before tipoff. Even Brown was taken aback, telling The Northeast Ohio Media Group, "It was an honor for this young man to pay tribute to an old soldier."

Brown was the man of the moment in 1964 when the Browns won the NFL title, and now James has come along to acknowledge a connection to history.

"I think LeBron has brought the whole city back together," said Lisa March, who came home from New York City, sensing some more history. "As a Clevelander not even being here, I feel it. I know what it means to the people here."

That's the essence of this playoff run. It means more than just winning.

March was poised to attend Game 4 with her father, the man who took her to see the Browns, Cavs and Indians for years as she grew up.

"We've had a lifetime of heartbreak," she said.

Tony Grossi, a longtime football writer who serves as an analyst for ESPNCleveland.com and WKNR, sees the underdog role that has enveloped the Cavs in this series as significant. He recalled the fate of the 1954 Indians, the 1965 and 1969 Browns, who fell short while on the doorstep of potential championships.

"Cleveland never wins when they're favored," Grossi said. "That's the best thing the Cavs have going for them. They're so much better when they're underdogs."

No wonder there are so many here that believe the curse is on its last legs.

"Our curse now will be winning it in Oakland, rather than here," March predicted, mindful that Game 5 and, if necessary, will be played at Golden State.

It's been a long time. Imagine the celebration if the Cavs pull off the title. Cleveland will rock.

"There's going to be a riot," Kaiser said.

His co-worker, Crider, quickly interjected.

"In a good way," he said.

Which would almost be too good to be true.