CLEVELAND — On Monday, the Cavs game at the Q marked more than just the return from an abysmal 1-5 road trip. The team hosted the Chicago Bulls as their Annual Black Heritage Celebration commenced on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The theme for the celebration was “Empowering and Inspiring One Generation to the Next.” As the Cavs lost 104-88, shooting 35.6 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from three-point land, renowned musician Geoffrey Golden and Friends choir gave the highlight of the afternoon with a powerful and emotional performance. It was a unique experience, as the energy in the arena didn’t follow a basketball, but rather, was awakened by a melody.
For the players, Martin Luther King Jr. Day has special meaning.
“It means a lot, especially me coming from Memphis," said Cavs guard Cameron Payne. "Everything he did, for equal rights and everything. It's a blessing for what he did. I salute him for what he did."
"It means a lot. It means togetherness,” Cavs rookie Collin Sexton said. “It shows when you really believe in something you might as well fight for it.”
Fifty six years ago, Dr. King said in a speech during the March on Washington: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
“I feel like him going out there and fighting for what he believed him is just big. I can’t thank him enough,” Sexton said.
