CLEVELAND — The stragglers idled on the Gateway Plaza sidewalks between the shadows of Quicken Loans Arena and the illumination from Progressive Field, accompanied only by the howl of cleaning equipment picking up everything left on the ground.
That was the early-morning scene after Game 6 of the NBA Finals on June 16. LeBron James dumped 41 points to even the series and send it back to Golden State. The Indians opened a home series with the White Sox the next day, and Trevor Bauer was pitching.
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That’s when this started.