When the Cleveland Cavaliers took the court for the NBA Finals on Thursday night, they had the support of one of their former champions. Point guard Matthew Dellavedova may have left the team in free agency for the Milwaukee Bucks, but his heart is still with the team he won a title with in 2016. He took to Twitter before the series began to make an official pick which will have the support of many Ohio natives.
Matthew Dellavedova makes his pick
With the NBA Finals set to start at 9:00 PM ET, Dellavedova barely got his prediction in on time. But nine minutes before the buzzer, the former Cleveland Cavaliers point guard sent out a short, yet succinct tweet, calling for his former team to win before the series can reach a climactic Game 7.
#NBAFinals who is your pick? I've got the Cavs in 6
— Matthew Dellavedova (@matthewdelly) June 2, 2017
Dellavedova wasn't alone in his pick, despite most people considering the Golden State Warriors heavy favorites. ESPN Radio host and The Undefeated writer Clinton Yates picked the Cavaliers to win in six as well. So did local Associated Press writer Tom Withers and several other prominent sports writers from the city - obviously, the local biases are coming through. If the Cavs do pull out the series, however - in six games, no less - it will be considered one of the greatest upsets in NBA Finals history.
Loyal to the Cavaliers
Nobody drafted Dellavedova in 2013, despite his time as a college star at Saint Mary's, so the Cavaliers signed him for the Summer League.
He impressed, leading to a two-year deal with the team. By the end of his rookie season, he was cracking into the rotation. During his second season - which became known as the year LeBron James returned - the team made it all the way to the NBA Finals, where 'Delly' began to earn a reputation as a dirty player. Nevertheless, he always played within himself, only to see the team fall to the Warriors.
Dellavedova re-signed with Cleveland after the 2015 season. Once again, the team clawed back to the NBA Finals, where they once again saw the Golden State Warriors. This time, the outcome would be different. The team recovered from a 3-1 series deficit to win the long-awaited championship for the city. Most of that team's core stuck together following the season, but 'Delly' left for the riches of Milwaukee in a sign-and-trade over the summer. Nevertheless, it's nice to see that Matthew Dellavedova is still loyal to the city he called home for the first three years of his professional basketball career.
