Mario Hezonja has signed a one-year deal in Cleveland. Fifth pick of the 2015 draft, 330 NBA games with Orlando, New York and Portland, then six seasons in Europe, four of them in Madrid and six trophies. He says Koby Altman had been chasing him for a year and a half.
And when it came to explaining his happiness, he talked about the sky. “I was all over the world. I was in Spain twice, I was in Orlando, I was in Croatia – sun all the time. I am super done with that,” he told BasketNews. Then the line that makes a poster: “So, clouds, rain, snow. Thank you, Cleveland.”
Listen to this. “Clouds, rain, snow. Thank you, Cleveland.” That’s an introduction. You kill everything. The caretaker leaves half the strip lights on, no problem, it looks overcast. [sound of rain, cut by me on the PA]. Two-second pause. “Mesdames et messieurs, dames en heren, coming straight from the sun he can’t stand any more… Mario… Hezonja!” And that’s when the president’s nephew walks past with an umbrella instead of the dinosaur costume. The league has confetti cannons; he says thank you for the snow, and nobody in the arena lays any on for him. Me, I’ve got a smoke machine from the school fête. It’s not snow, but it’s grey.
Hezonja says he has already spoken with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden about the versatility he can bring to Kenny Atkinson’s team.
At our place, it pours every other Saturday and nobody has ever said thank you. Just saying.
It’s true, we checked: BasketNews.
