The Cleveland Cavaliers’ first championship in franchise history was a momentous achievement for everyone involved, but it put one member of the 2015-16 team in a difficult spot.
Big man Anderson Varejão began the season with Cleveland, appearing in 31 games for the Cavs before getting dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers in February and subsequently waived. He then, of course, was picked up by the Golden State Warriors, who went on to lose to his former club in the NBA Finals.
Varejão was entitled to a ring with Cleveland after spending more than half the season there, but according to FOX Sports’ Sam Amico, he’s not taking the Cavs up on that offer.
It’s perfectly understandable why Varejão, who became the first player in NBA history to play for both NBA Finals teams in the same season, wouldn’t want to receive a ring from a team that just beat him on the league’s biggest stage. After all, the Brazil native did appear in 17 playoff games for Golden State and saw some action in the Finals after Andrew Bogut went down with an injury.
Then again, Varejão did spend 11 full seasons in Cleveland before joining the Warriors, and it seems a bit odd that the 33-year-old veteran wouldn’t benefit from the Cavs’ triumph after so many years of service.
Varejão also has yet to win a ring, but his prospects certainly are looking up, as he re-signed with Golden State on a one-year deal Friday and is part of an uber-talented superteam that is heavily favored to win it all in 2017.
Thumbnail photo via Jaime Valdez/USA TODAY Sports Images
