Downtown Cleveland was a sea of wine and gold Wednesday as hundreds of thousands of jubilant fans gave a hero’s welcome to the recently crowned NBA champions, the Cavaliers.
Local boy LeBron James led the Cavs to a miraculous comeback to beat the Golden State Warriors in the finals and bring home the city’s first major sports title in 52 years, ending the longest such drought for any U.S. city.
According to various estimates, about one million people attended the parade and rally. Revelers lined up on the streets for the best spots from the early morning hours. Some even climbed trees for a better view.
The NBA championship trophy was in a black pickup truck while team the players traveled in separate vehicles. The Cavaliers, powered by James, became the first team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit to win the NBA Finals and beat the defending champions Golden State in a dramatic Game 7 Sunday.
But the festivities were marred by a shooting incident in which a 13-year-old girl was shot twice in leg after the championship parade.
In front of the big crowd, the “King” thanked his teammates and fans, and said that he wants to stay with the Cavaliers next season.