That's right, our boy Damon Jones is leaving northeastern Ohio for Milwaukee, and this deal is neat for a couple of reasons. It's the second sports trade between Cleveland and Milwaukee this summer (after the C.C. Sabathia deal). It's also the second three-way NBA trade between the Cavs, another Central Division team and the Seattle Oklahoma SuperCitySonics in the past six months.
Really, though, the story here is the departure of our man DJ, so instead of expounding with those trade tidbits in a thoughtful, logical direction, I'd rather re-visit our family photo album from DJ's time as a Cavalier.
This is how most Cavs fans first met DJ. Sure, it would have been a warmer introduction if we drafted him, but seeing LeBron YouTube the shit out of him worked just fine.
Here's DJ later in the 2004-05 season, his only one with Miami. This sentimental photograph shows that even at a young age, he knew how many years of Cleveland's time and money he'd waste.
A special little boy, DJ always liked to celebrate with flair. This is a rough approximation of the dance he did in summer '05 when we signed him to a $16 million deal.
With the YouTube dunk a thing of the past, LeBron and DJ were shoulder-leaning in no time.
DJ wasted little time in spending the money we wasted on him. Here, we see his newly pimped out crib and closet...
...which allowed him to hang out with bigger celebrities and better basketball players.
On the court, however, DJ struggled to find his role. As a guy who could shoot 3s and shoot 3s exclusively, DJ just wanted to run to the corner and wait for LeBron's double team. But offensive genius Mike Brown decided to let DJ handle the ball and set up the offense. Imagine John Kruk on Dancing With the Stars, and you're 90 percent there.
DJ got a confidence boost when he closed out Washington during the first round of the 2006 playoffs. Actually, LeBron's 32 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and 60 percent shooting did most of the heavy lifting, but DJ's last-second jumper in overtime -- his first action of the game -- was decidedly clutch.
Before long, though, it was back to the same old DJ, seen here throwing a temper tantrum after Brown took him out of a game...
...and here, playing defense like only DJ can against the Spurs in the Finals.
Off the court, DJ was still a man around town, with his chic wardrobe popping in and out of clubs...
...and his curious haircut choices influencing younger, dumber minds.
It's too bad DJ's influence couldn't be felt on the court as well. The man who once proclaimed himself "the best shooter in the world" was relegated to the bench, where he watched young guards like Daniel Gibson drill the 3-pointers he could not. This photo, taken during Boobie's record-setting All-Star Weekend performance in 2008, appropriately depicts DJ riding his coattails.
So went DJ's time in Cleveland. His final days as a Cavalier were spent cheering from the bench.
He had to fight through LeBron to get on the court...
...and explain to opponents who he was when he got there.
And while we have a hearty laugh at DJ's expense, one thing is certain.
He's still more valuable than DeShawn Stevenson.
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