Karma smiles on Cavs in draft selection

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

For nearly a year, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has tried in vain to move on from LeBron James and his infamous departure.

At last, Gilbert believes he can.

“Last night sort of put an end to any last lingering thoughts,” Gilbert said Wednesday.

Winning the NBA’s draft lottery was all it took. Now, Gilbert, his franchise and heartbroken Cleveland fans, can finally focus forward. Yesterday has given way to tomorrow.

LeBron doesn’t matter quite as much anymore.

On Tuesday night, the Cavs won the No. 1 overall pick in next month’s draft, when they’ll almost certainly use the pick on Duke star point guard Kyrie Irving, a well-rounded player who can accelerate Cleveland’s post-LeBron reconstruction.

With a little extra luck, the Cavs, coming off a disastrous 63-loss season, also landed the No. 4 pick — a lucky daily double that had Gilbert still feeling overwhelmed.

“Last night was a very special night for everybody,” Gilbert said. “It’s been a rough year. It’s been grueling and tiresome and painful.

“But having this lottery come out the way it did. With two big blocks to rebuild, when you combine that with players coming back and our coaching staff being around another year, the trade exception and whatever other tricks [general manager] Chris Grant may have up his sleeve.

“It should be good times ahead for the Cavaliers.”

The lottery could not have gone better for the Cavs or Gilbert. He was not nearly as visible this season in the aftermath of James’ ballyhooed departure.

Gilbert drew criticism outside Cleveland for harsh comments he made about James, who led the Cavaliers to some of their greatest successes but didn’t deliver on a promise to end Cleveland’s title drought.

After the two-time MVP announced he was joining the Miami Heat, Gilbert unloaded on the superstar in a scathing letter to Cavs fans in which he said “karma” would catch James.

He also guaranteed the Cavs would win a championship before James, who is now in the Eastern Conference finals.

Does he still believe?

“Yes,” Gilbert said before a long pause. “Until it doesn’t happen, I’ll believe it. Who knows what happens, right? But I still believe it.”

Gilbert laughed when he was asked if karma came to mind when the Cavs won the lottery.

“To mind, but not to my mouth yet nor to my Twitter account,” he said.

For his part, James whose relationship with Gilbert — and Cavaliers fans — has soured since he left, said he was happy for the Cavs.

“I think it’s great for their team, great for the franchise, and great for the fans,” he said following the Game 2 morning shootaround in Chicago. “That’s all I can really say about them. I got more to worry about right now than the lottery.”