When it's King versus curses, Cleveland can win ... right?

Berger: History won't haunt Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers couldn't be in a better position to win a title. The defending champion Boston Celtics are physically ailing. The Orlando Magic are still too young and Dwight Howard still too giggly. The Cavaliers are better than every team in the West, particularly since Ko-Me Bryant and the Lakers remain kings of the regular season.

Whichever team that advances to the Finals from the Western Conference will get wedgie'd by the East. Any conference in which the Portland Trail Blazers are among the best teams can't be all that good. The San Antonio Spurs -- bless their mummified hearts -- are a collective 8,124 years old and they were still a significant factor. The Denver Nuggets aren't nearly as good as their inflated record suggests.

The NBA title is Cleveland's for the taking.

• Playoffs: Cavs-Pistons

The script is a savory Hollywood godsend. Ohio native is drafted by home-state team. Kid becomes man. Man becomes king. People compare him to the everlasting Michael Jordan. King takes the team on his muscled-up shoulders and in one fell swoop eviscerates the hobgoblins of Cleveland sports past.

Then Will Smith plays LeBron James in the movie.

The Cavaliers are so confident, James and other players were dancing and celebrating during a recent beat-down of the Celtics. That's how good the Cavaliers think they are: They tauntingly treated the defending champions like they're the Memphis Grizzlies.

It's a perfect setting for the Cavaliers, right?

Right?

Or is this one of those classic, city of Cleveland setups, the old Cleveland disappointment ookie doke?

We've seen this before. The city of Cleveland's been unstinting and untrammeled in its alliance with sports misery. Cleveland has been Charlie Brown trying to kick a football with Lucy as the holder.

James knows this, too. During a recent postgame interview James spoke about he'd hoped to change the anti-storied Cleveland sports scene for the better. He has the right idea, but the job is brutally tough. Cleveland is the most cursed sports city in America. It's not even close.

As the NBA playoffs begin, the Cavaliers are the most interesting story in the sport because we get to witness if James has the chutzpah and transcendent nature to lead not just the Cleveland team to greatness, but the city of Cleveland out of the sports dark ages.

Much of that misery in Cleveland's sports history begins with The. The Catch: Willie Mays against Cleveland in the World Series. The Drive: Elway's crushing final march. The Move: Art Modell taking the team to Baltimore. The Fumble: poor Earnest Byner. The Shot: Michael Jordan's career-making game winner.

Then there's "red right 88," a Brian Sipe interception, and Jose Mesa blowing a save in Game 7 of the World Series. ("The Blow" doesn't quite sound right).

There's even The Hat. James once wore a Yankees hat in Cleveland during a New York-Indians postseason series.

Yankees hat or not, if there's a man who could break the Cleveland cipher and rid the city of its ancient sports headaches, it's James. James is so good he could bat lefty for the Chicago Cubs and end their cursed history.

Well, at least if James can't win this season in Cleveland, the city can watch him win a championship a few years from now.

When he's in New York.