Cavs bond with Wright-Patt families

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB — A multi-million dollar military airplane was kicked out of its six-story tall hangar for a basketball game on Sunday, Sept. 30, and nobody seemed to mind.

The NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers held their annual Wine & Gold basketball scrimmage on Sunday, except this time they held it away from their Quicken Loans Arena home. They packed up their basketball court floor and trucked it down Interstate 71 to WPAFB’s Hangar 4016.

After a morning of touring the air base, and with a C-17 military transport plane looking on, the team held its annual scrimmage before approximately 1,300 military personnel and their families.

“This is a day where everybody wins,” said Col. Thomas P. Sherman, the 88th Air Base Wing and Installation Commander. “It was a great opportunity for us to sit down together, and to give some of our young men and women, and people that work here and live on the base, to just sit down and break some bread and talk. To talk about our commonalities, some of the things that bind us and bring us together.”

While the Cavs coaches enjoyed the experience of learning from and talking with the base leaders, the players themselves were having their own fun.

“This is amazing! I hope we do this again,” Cavalier guard John Holland said, moments after signing a young fan’s T-shirt and running out onto the court to cheers.

During the pre-game shoot around, Cavs forwards Larry Nance Jr. and Cedi Osman went across the court from where the other Cleveland players were and shot with members of the WPAFB men’s and women’s club teams.

Before the scrimmage, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue invited fans to come out and shoot shots on the actual Quicken Loans Arena court.

“Our guys are very excited to be here. This is the ultimate team, the armed forces. It’s the ultimate team, and it was good for us to see things and how they come together as one unit,” Lue said. “I asked the commander a lot of questions today, I kinda wore him out I think. But it was an amazing experience. I’m excited to be here and to share this experience with those guys.”

Cavs General Manager Koby Altman truly appreciated the experience for himself and the Cavs organization.

“I want to thank the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Colonel Sherman has been unbelievable for us since we got off the bus,” Altman said. “It’s been an incredible experience for our team and our franchise.

“This is the coolest thing we’ve ever done. Easily one of the coolest things we’ve ever done.”

With a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport plane serving as a $218 million backdrop, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s Hangar 4016 was converted into a basketball arena, Sept. 30, for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ annual Wine & Gold scrimmage.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/10/web1_Expensivebackdrop_PS.jpgWith a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport plane serving as a $218 million backdrop, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s Hangar 4016 was converted into a basketball arena, Sept. 30, for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ annual Wine & Gold scrimmage. John Bombatch | Greene County News

A member of the Wright-Patterson AFB men’s team has some fun with six-foot-9 forward Larry Nance, Jr. of the Cleveland Cavaliers during a pre-game shoot around Sept. 30 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/10/web1_LarryNanceJr_PS.jpgA member of the Wright-Patterson AFB men’s team has some fun with six-foot-9 forward Larry Nance, Jr. of the Cleveland Cavaliers during a pre-game shoot around Sept. 30 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. John Bombatch | Greene County News

JR Smith of the Cleveland Cavaliers posed for photos with several military personnel who were on hand Sept. 30 at Wright-Patt’s Hangar 4016 for the Cavs’ Wine & Gold basketball scrimmage.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/10/web1_SmithMilitary_PS.jpgJR Smith of the Cleveland Cavaliers posed for photos with several military personnel who were on hand Sept. 30 at Wright-Patt’s Hangar 4016 for the Cavs’ Wine & Gold basketball scrimmage. John Bombatch | Greene County News

Kids enjoyed posing with Moondog of the Cleveland Cavaliers at Sunday’s Sept. 30 Wine & Gold basketball scrimmage at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/10/web1_CavsMascot_PS.jpgKids enjoyed posing with Moondog of the Cleveland Cavaliers at Sunday’s Sept. 30 Wine & Gold basketball scrimmage at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. John Bombatch | Greene County News

Channing Frye (9) of the Cleveland Cavaliers puts up a shot over teammate Sam Dekker, in the first half of the Wine & Gold Scrimmage, held Sept. 30 in Hangar 4016 at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Frye’s Burgandy bunch won the game, 40-37.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/10/web1_ChanningFryeSamDekker_PS.jpgChanning Frye (9) of the Cleveland Cavaliers puts up a shot over teammate Sam Dekker, in the first half of the Wine & Gold Scrimmage, held Sept. 30 in Hangar 4016 at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Frye’s Burgandy bunch won the game, 40-37. John Bombatch | Greene County News

The Cavaliers JR Smith (5) puts in a layup as teammate John Holland (10) trails the play, Sept. 30 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/10/web1_JRSmithJohnHolland_PS.jpgThe Cavaliers JR Smith (5) puts in a layup as teammate John Holland (10) trails the play, Sept. 30 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. John Bombatch | Greene County News

A young Cavaliers fan measures his foot size and his height against a backdrop photo of JR Smith, Sept. 30, at Wright-Patterson AFB.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/10/web1_ShortFan_PS.jpgA young Cavaliers fan measures his foot size and his height against a backdrop photo of JR Smith, Sept. 30, at Wright-Patterson AFB. John Bombatch | Greene County News