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Awe and tension filled the air on that sunny afternoon in the Rose Garden four years ago this week. I could feel it, and so could everyone else on hand: The sense of celebration mixed with a gnawing worry for the future.
There stood LeBron James, regal in his double-breasted suit but forcing a smile, surrounded by the rest of his team, the N.B.A. champion Cleveland Cavaliers. In front of them, President Barack Obama held court, bestowing kudos and lightening the mood by cracking wise.
“Give it up to the world champion Cleveland Cavaliers,” Obama said, nodding to the fact that the Cavaliers’ win over the Golden State Warriors that spring was the first major sports championship for the city of Cleveland since 1964.