Cavs fans attend watch party for history-making NBA Finals

Fans watch on in excitement at the Cavaliers watch party outside the Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland on Sunday, June 19, 2016. The Cavaliers went on to defeat the Golden State Warriors, 93-89, to capture the city of Cleveland’s first major championship in 52 years.

Jenna Kuczkowski

A sold-out crowd celebrated the Cleveland Cavaliers’ victory last night during the official watch party in downtown Cleveland. Tickets to the NBA Finals Game Seven screening sold out in a matter of minutes. 

The Cavs bested the Golden State Warriors with a final score of 93-89, bringing Cleveland its first professional sports title in 52 years.

Cheering could be heard throughout Cleveland as thousands of fans gathered to watch the away game in their hometown.

“I can’t believe how fast tickets sold out,” said Ron Parthemore, a Sandusky resident. “I got online as soon as I saw the email and grabbed tickets, so I was very lucky.”

To accommodate even more eager fans, an outdoor watch party was held with live music, food and giant flat screens.

Those who didn’t score tickets to either gathering still attempted to witness history in the making; Tailgaters pitched canopy tents and backed their cars up to the windows of parking garages to get a view of the action below.

“I drove nine-and-a-half hours from Ontario, Canada, to come watch the Cavs because I’m a die hard fan,” said Farid Jaber, who drove to Cleveland with his friends, despite not being able to get tickets to the watch party.

Inside the arena, thousands of fans stood throughout almost the entire game, cheering and chanting in unison, erupting with each lead and impossible shot made.

According to the Cleveland Police, before the game ended and fans started to pour out onto the streets, many of the inbound highways were closed around Cleveland due to the high volume of people in the area.

A parade in honor of the Cavaliers will be held in downtown Cleveland on Wednesday.

Jenna Kuczkowski is a senior reporter, contact her at [email protected].