Tyronn Lue

Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue was overcome with emotion during the NBA Finals.

(Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer)

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Shortly after the final buzzer sounded in Game 7 of the NBA Finals and the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA championship, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue blacked out for a second.

Then it hit him. That's when the emotions came pouring out.

Lue expects to have the same reaction on Tuesday night when the Cavaliers receive their rings and watch the first NBA championship banner get lifted to the rafters.

"I'm probably going to cry again," Lue said Thursday afternoon. "Every time I see, even during preseason, every time I see those last plays of Kyrie's shot, Kevin's stop and LeBron's block, guys celebrating and crying, it just sends chills through my body.

"I'm pretty sure that on Opening Night it's going to be even more than that. It's going to be an emotional night, I know that and I'm going to enjoy it also. It's going to be one of those nights. It's a great night. Who wouldn't want to be in that position as an NBA player or NBA coach? It's going to be a great night for us."

Lue said when he thinks back to last year, there are two moments that come to mind immediately. One is, of course, Irving's dagger 3-pointer that put the Cavs ahead for good, a play that goes to the top of any Cleveland sports list.

"The second was when Mo Speights grabbed the rebound and dribbled out, they was down 4 and you knew it was over at that point," Lue said with a smile. "After that, s--- I ran through that arena, I don't even know why I ran down. I just took off running, I didn't know where I was going. Then Dahntay (Jones) ran me down and choked me out and brought me back to the bench. I blacked out for a second, I really did. Where was I going? It was unbelievable man."

Tuesday night is much more than a basketball game, more than one of 82 during a grueling schedule. It will be a time for reflection, an opportunity to appreciate all the hard work that went into last season. And then the players will get a chance to admire the diamond-encrusted rings that James says he hasn't yet seen.

"It's just a special night, it's something that no one can ever take away from you no matter how many missed shots, no matter how many turnovers, no matter how many games that you've lost, they can never take that moment away from you," James said. "I'm happy not only for every guy here but our fans and the organization. It's something that's going to live in the archives forever."

After the ceremony, as hard as it's going to be, the Cavs will have to re-focus and get ready for the first game of their title defense against the new-look Knicks.

"It's difficult. It is, because you just reflect on last year when you should be worrying about this year, but it's human nature," James admitted. "We're not there celebrating this year. We're there celebrating our accomplishment from last year and the 2015-2016 season and what we were able to accomplish.

"Our fans have the right to celebrate that, we have the right to celebrate that and it's unfortunate that we also, at the same time, now got to get back to a new season. But that's what the job is and we have to do that. It should never take away from the night itself."

Using that emotion properly has been a challenge for the Cavaliers in the past.

In James' return season, in one of the most hyped games in Cleveland sports history, the Cavs lost the opener to the Knicks. Last year, with President Barack Obama sitting courtside in Chicago, the Cavs suffered their second straight opening night defeat.

But James thinks this occasion could have a different outcome.

"Not saying that we're going to be knocking down on all cylinders the whole game, but we know who we are," he said. "It's a totally different kind of mindset, knowing that now this is our third year together as opposed to our first year."

If that doesn't help then perhaps James' experience will. He's been through two ring nights in his career. And both times he and his teammates kept from getting caught up in the fervor.

"I haven't lost," James said. "I've won both of my games on ring night so that's my mindset."