Dan Gilbert: That Championship Guarantee "Probably Was Not the Most Brilliant Thing I've Ever Done In My Life"

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert now wishes he wouldn't have guaranteed his team would win an NBA title before LeBron James.

When James left Cleveland for Miami as a free agent in July 2010, Gilbert famously promised in a letter to disappointed Cleveland fans that his Cavs would win a championship before James got one with the Heat.

Well, that ended in June when James, capping his third MVP season, led Miami to a finals win over Oklahoma City.

"Looking back now, that probably was not the most brilliant thing I've ever done in my life," Gilbert said Tuesday.

- From an Associated Press story published this week. Remarkably, this means that his original guarantee was based in genuine belief that the Cavs (41-109 since LeBron left) would actually win a championship before the Heat. James won first, and now he realizes it was a mistake. It was obvious from day one! Just stick to your guns and keep guaranteeing it ("The Cavs will win the title before LeBron wins his next one!") until it finally happens. He could issue new proclamations every year, in progressively stupider fonts! 2022, LeBron is retired, and Dan Gilbert is promising championships in wingdings. It would be Cleveland's most exciting sports tradition.