The parade was...unbelievable. Cleveland is not nearly as large physically as Boston, Chicago, or L.A., and Cleveland proper has less than 400,000 people now, though people have been moving back in for a few years now. So it does not have the budget, infrastructure or police services of a larger city. There were over 1.3 million people at that rally -- more than
three times the population of the city itself. And that's not even counting the hundreds of thousands who simply tried and could not make it in. The main highway into the city from Akron in the south was backed up all the way...to Akron.
But it was absolutely glorious. Pure happiness the entire day, hugging and high-fiving people you didn't even know. People were climbing on anything they could to get a good view -- I saw one guy climb straight up the side of one building to sit on a ledge thirty feet up. And while breaking the whole curse thing was monumental in itself, having it done by a hometown kid like LBJ just added something incredible to it, because we know that he felt what we all felt. Adding those feelings on top of what any player feels winning a championship, and it must be mind-blowing for LBJ.
The players were awesome. The city was so crowded that it wasn't possible to even have a parade route because the streets were too full, so all the vehicles essentially crept through the city while completely surrounded by people. Players on the vehicles were shaking hands, interacting with fans....could not have been better.
At one point, this sweaty bra comes flying out of the crown and almost hits Tristan Thompson. He picks it up, looks at it with this hilarious expression on his face, and throws it back like it was diseased. Crowd went wild.
@musiclady -- PM me your address and I'll have a thumb drive of the parade sent directly to you.
Also, check our this collection of videos and photos. The third one down is the video of the Cavs announcing team at the moment of victory. Just watch MacLeod completely lose his composure. Wonderful to see and feel.
https://bottlegate.com/2016/06/21/videos-seventy-five-reaction-videos-from-the-cavs-winning-a-title/Here's another one worth watching from the airport.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfLNsMWOkVA