CAVS.SPACE

Recently, another beloved NBA owner passed away. Family, friends, and Detroit Pistons fans bid farewell to longtime owner Bill Davidson. Outside of basketball, Davidson was a major contributor to business education at the University of Michigan as well as Jewish education and scientific research (both domestic and international). An inductee of the Basketball Hall of Fame, Davidson had the pleasure of having three Pistons teams win the NBA Championship. In the current struggling U.S. economy, the Pistons franchise remains a bright spot for the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan. Thanks to Bill for his contributions. Rest in peace, sir!

Earlier in team history, the struggling Cavalier franchise was infamously nicknamed the "Cadavers" ( http://www.santabarbaranewsroom.com/news/sports/john-zant-from-dead-last-to-living-it-up-in-the-nba-finals.html ). The name was eerie, but the lack of winning did little to shed the criticism. Over the years, the nickname has faded but has not been forgotten. Today, the Cavs have enough grit and vitality to avoid such criticism. Even when not at their best, the team's "pride" kicks in, as LeBron James stated after the team rallied from a 19-point deficit to defeat the Clippers in Los Angeles. In a season filled with come-from-behind victories, the Cavaliers appear to be alive and well, or perhaps they are zombified. Regardless, they keep on moving along. As for the "Cadavers" nickname, it has been laid to rest.

On Wednesday, the 2008-2009 Cleveland Cavaliers became the winningest team in franchise history, taking their 58th win this season. They surpassed both the 1988-1989 Cavs and 1991-1992 Cavs, who had won 57 regular season games. The 1991-1992 team had also been the previous road record holder with 22 road wins. While both the '89 and '92 playoff runs ended at the hands of the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls, the Cavaliers now have their Jordan-like player in LeBron James. Although the two 57-game winning Cavaliers teams were arguably better overall than the team that made the Finals in 2007, the depth and accomplishments of this year's team just may make them the best Cavs team ever. In fact, this team is only the second division winner in team history, following the success of the Miracle of Richfield team from 1975-1976. In the next month, the team hopes to add a 60+ win season, #1 seed in the East, and possibly a #1 seed in the NBA to their list of accomplishments,

The Cavaliers won 3 in a row to close out a difficult 4 game road trip. Mike Brown was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month. Then, the team clinched a playoff spot with a victory over the Bucks, in which Delonte West had 8 steals. At 48-12, the Cavaliers have an .800 winning percentage. The team celebrated this all by bringing back a familiar face: forward/center Joe Smith. Smith was part of the trade deadline deals from last season. He helped the team head into the playoffs with momentum, in which the team pushed the Boston Celtics to a full 7 game series. With Ben Wallace hurt, Smith brings back to the team veteran leadership, a strong work ethic, a good inside/outside game, and solid play on both sides of the court. While it took a long time for this move to happen, Cavs fans and analysts alike have been looking for the Thunder to release Smith at some point this season so that he could return to Cleveland. This almost did not happen, as Smith was actually traded to t

Congratulations to Coach Mike Brown on being named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month. This continues to be a potentially record-setting year for the Cavaliers. Here's hoping that, as the team keeps winning, Coach Brown is honored as NBA Coach of the Year.

Recently, the Utah Jazz saw the passing of owner Larry H. Miller. Miller had been a long established businessman and contributor to the local community. For the Jazz, he was instrumental in developing the team's fan base in Utah, moving the team into a different arena, and bringing in long time fixtures such as current coach Jerry Sloan and former tandem Karl Malone and John Stockton. While the Jazz seem to have plateaued over the past few years, Miller helped make them a regular participating team in the playoffs--arguably comparable to the run of the Atlanta Braves in Major League Baseball. To Larry Miller's family, friends, and fans, my thoughts and prayers go out to you. Rest in peace, Larry!

On Thursday night, an accidental collision between Ben Wallace and Houston's Yao Ming resulted in a broken right fibula for Wallace. Here's hoping that Big Ben experiences a quick and full recovery. Until then, it is time for Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao, J.J. Hickson, and others to step up and cover for Ben.