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The news that David Griffin and the Cleveland Cavaliers are parting ways has sent shock-waves throughout the basketball community. The departure of Griffin shifts the Cavs into uncertain waters and puts the direction of the franchise into question.
In appreciation for what Griffin did during his time with the team, LeBron James spoke out Monday night about his tenure with the team:
If no one appreciated you Griff I did, and hopefully all the people of Cleveland! Thanks for what u did for the team for 3 yrs! We got us 1
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 20, 2017
On the surface this tweet seems to be a shot at those who believed that James was the real general manager and didn’t properly credit Griffin. It may also be a shot at the franchise for not getting a deal done, as James did advocate for a contract extension for Griffin.
This news is unsettling to say the least. It seemed like the Cavs finally had some sort of stability after years of their conduct being the butt of jokes around the league. Letting Griffin walk is a significant gamble by the Cavs organization. Hopefully they are able to recover from this blow in a timely fashion and salvage this off-season.