COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The game didn't count, but the experience did for many of the 19,049 who filled Value City Arena on Monday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers took on the Chicago Bulls. That was largely true for both the men on the court and the folks in the stands.
For fans in Central Ohio, it was a chance to see NBA stars such as Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and of course LeBron James in person. They cheered loudly for James when he was introduced and when he left the court for the last time. They also took the opportunity to boo Bulls center Joakim Noah, who has done his part to be a villain both to Cavs fans and Ohio State fans alike during his career.
For the teams, it was a chance to work on reaching the form many expect them to show next spring when the playoffs roll around. If prognosticators are correct, the Bulls and Cavaliers will see each other more than the five times already scheduled.
As James pointed out, that will have to wait, though.
"Are we ready for the 30th? Not right now, but we will be," said the Cavs star after his first game in Ohio's capital city since re-signing with the state's NBA team during the summer.
He was referring to the season opener against the Knicks in 10 days, but many are already looking ahead to the postseason when assessing where these teams will go. It's a lofty goal, but such is life when you add two all-stars (James and Love) to a team that already had one in Irving, not to mention established veterans such Mike Miller and Shawn Marion.
The locals were hoping to see something like an NBA game, and that was what they got. The Cavs won 107-98 and most of the starters played close to if not more than half the game's minutes, including a game-high 39 by Irving. James, Love and Dion Waiters also played more than 30 minutes, likely a nod to the need to see the projected starting lineup (including center Anderson Varejao) together before the preseason comes to a close Wednesday in Memphis.
"It was two teams just trying to get better, two teams that have aspirations of winning a championship," James said when asked if it felt like a preseason game or something more. "Both teams know it's a process and it's not right now you accomplish it, but it is right now when you create habits. So it started off it did lead into being a little bit more of a preseason game for the simple fact it had nothing to do with the Cavs and Bulls as it did the season winding down and two teams trying to get ready for the regular season."
The Cavs did their part to give Central Ohio fans the full experience by bringing their PA announcer, dance teams and intro video. There were plenty of promotions during timeouts, too, but that's not much different than a regular game featuring Ohio State.
"The excitement was there from the time we walked in the building," said James, who scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds while dishing out six assists after saying earlier in the day he would be humbled to dress in the locker room at the home of the Buckeyes, a college he adopted long ago even though he went straight to the NBA from Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in 2003. "The fans continued to come in and even though it was a school night we had a lot of kids and a lot of college kids at the game and it just shows how much they support us. The least we could do is put on a show for them, put on our winning ways."
The hosts added some of their own flavor -- most notably a halftime appearance by the OSU Athletics Band, which played a few of the best-known school songs -- but it was clearly the Cavs' night. One they hope is just one more step toward building a championship team the whole state of Ohio can call its own.
"The first game of the season you're not ready to win a championship," James said. "You're not ready for the playoffs. You're ready for the first game of the season. It's a long season. You play and you really don't put too much into the first game. You go out and you work on what you've worked on in the preseason and training camp."
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