4 Of Fred McLeod's Most Iconic Cavaliers Calls

CLEVELAND — Play-by-play announcer Fred McLeod was a steadying, guiding voice during the Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 championship run. When Mareese Speights clanked a last-second three-pointer and a five-decade drought ended, his unrestrained jubilation spoke for an entire city.

In an announcing booth in Oakland, McLeod stood on his feet, raised both fists in the air and shouted, "Goodnight Oakland! It's over! The 52-year drought is over!" His joy was our joy. Cleveland was again a city of champions.

McLeod died unexpectedly on Monday night. He was 67. He was preparing for his 15th consecutive season as the voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now, we must remember a man whose voice narrated so many iconic moments in Cleveland history.

Footage from inside McLeod's booth on June 19, 2016 offers a unique perspective on an unforgettable Cleveland moment. It showed us McLeod was one of us, a Northeast Ohioan desperate to see his team finally, finally, win a title.

Here are three more iconic McLeod calls from over the years.

In a tightly contested Eastern Conference playoffs game, with a newly returned LeBron James, the Cavaliers found themselves struggling against a scrappy Chicago Bulls team. The series was 2-1, in favor of the Bulls, and Game 4 was knotted at 84. With 1.5 seconds left, the Cavs had one chance to win the game. The call ended with McLeod shouting, "Take that Chicago!" His voice begins to break as he ecstatically hollers.

Earlier that year, LeBron proved his bona fides as a clutch shooter (something that strangely was once in doubt). Meod set up the moment, an 88-88 ball game, with seconds left. He told the viewers, "Spread floor. Game in the balance. Cotton mouth all over the Q."

In 2017, the year after the Cavs championship parade, McLeod called one of the most electric plays of the season. Down by three points, with less than 4 seconds remaining, the Cavaliers needed a miracle to survive. They got one.