The Cleveland Cavaliers look like a whole new team, and that is because they are. LeBron James’ Cavs sent out six players at the trade deadline, and got back four new faces to finish off the 2018 season with, and on Sunday afternoon the four new guys took the court in Boston in a Cavs jersey for the first time.
According to a Feb. 11 report by Cavs Nation , the Cleveland Cavaliers blew away the Boston Celtics by a deficit of 22 points. The Celtics, who are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, headed to the game on Sunday ready to celebrate. Not only were they hoping for a win against LeBron James and the struggling Cavs, but former NBA star Paul Pierce was set to have his jersey retired after the game. Pierce’s retirement ceremony drew a huge crowd, including his former teammate, Kevin Garnett, who had some words for LeBron after the blow out win.
According to ESPN correspondent Marc J. Spears, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James embraced in a hug after the game was over and Garnett told James that the Cavs “look so different” than they used to. This is hugely in part of the major trade that was done at the deadline earlier in the week, and because of the fact that Kyrie Irving is no longer suiting up for the Cavs. Over the summer Irving, one of the NBA’s best young point guards, decided to leave the team that had taken him to three straight finals appearances and won a championship in 2016. Instead, Kyrie was wearing green and playing against his former teammates in Boston on Sunday afternoon.
Kevin Garnett just hugged LeBron James after the Cavs’ blowout win of the Celtics and told him, “Ya’ll look so different.”
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 11, 2018
The sports media has been buzzing about the Cleveland Cavaliers over the past month, calling out their sloppy play, locker room drama, and lack of effort on the court. However, after the trade, the media begin to buzz about the team for more positive reasons, saying that the trade made the team immensely better, and helped the chemistry of the squad, who were struggling with guys like Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder in the locker room. The Cavs also sent out Derick Rose, Iman Shumpert, and Duwayne Wade as apart of the trade, getting back George Hill, Rodney Hood, Larry Nance Jr., and Jordan Clarkson in return.
LeBron James and the Cavs are set to take on the OKC Thunder on Tuesday before breaking for all-star weekend in L.A.