Bennett, Bynum and Brown: three B’s that mean a sign of “glee” for Cleveland

No. 1: Anthony Bennett of UNLV poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner David Stern after he was drafted #1 overall in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2013 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 27, 2013 in in the Brooklyn Bourough of New York City. (Getty Images)

There is a saying in America that goes, “It must be incredibly hard to be a sports fan from the city of Cleveland.”

For years, Cleveland hasn’t won a professional sports championship – be it through the lottery driven Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) or the misery ridden, Browns of the National Football League (NFL). The Indians, who ply their trade in Major League Baseball (MLB), aren’t a completely hopeless franchise but like every other team from The Cleve, they too figure a way to scavenge the wrong headlines of the newspaper.

As fans from other prominent cities across the United States reminisce the glory that at least one of the city’s franchises brings to them, Cleveland’s fans have had nothing to brag about for a while.

So naturally, the tendency is to think that anybody who now dons the jersey for any of these teams must be in a hem of lesser expectations than usual. For a city that has barely seen any unravelling success in recent memory, what is it that they could want from any new talent coming to town?

When Chris Grant decided to draft Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, even Cleveland’s staunchest fans were perplexed. The franchise, once again trying to rebuild through college’s brightest talents, drafted Bennett ahead of what many fans described to be their ideal centre – Nerlens Noel.

In retrospect, Cleveland’s recent fortunes in the draft have been unblemished. The likes of Dion Waiter, Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson haven’t faltered yet. Nevertheless, gambling on Bennett was risky as the teenager from UNLV failed to impress many experts with his poor fitness showings leading up to the draft. He also didn’t fill the void Cleveland needed to – at the post.

Perhaps Grant and the Cavs actually knew what they were doing. Very quickly, the Cavaliers went into the market and tried to lure in suitable free agents. There were players available but the Cavaliers’ management was cheeky enough to snag a talent not many expected them to.

During this off-season, Dwight Howard’s potential trade was always going to be the biggest news-maker. But the man he replaced in LA, or rather, who was shipped out to make cap space for him, is now the newest member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Andrew Bynum was not a storied favourite in the city of Los Angeles. The fans did like to watch him when he was fit. But his everlasting injuries and misdemeanours with the media meant the Lakers saw him as an misfit. After the organization from LA decided that Howard was who they wanted in the frontcourt, they shipped out Bynum in a blockbuster trade.

Injury-prone: Andrew Bynum #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers speaks to the media during a press conference after being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers on August 15, 2012 at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)

The Philadelphia 76ers was the centre’s next destination. Unfortunately, his injuries continued to rattle the team doctors there as well. Irrespective of having signed one of the most lucrative offers in the NBA, Bynum spent all his time on the physiotherapist’s table.

Almost a year after he shifted homes to Philadelphia, Bynum moved once again. This time to the city of Cleveland: a place where glory is rarer than the Haley’s comet.

As much as critics will discredit his abilities, Bynum is a player of All-Star calibre. And to join him in proving every critic wrong will be his new friend, Bennett. Together, they will try to shun their detractors – not only for themselves and the entire city of Cleveland but also for their new coach, Mike Brown.