A True Adventure

check out this truely Leamazing story in Gilbert's & Brown's pursuit of Cavs big man Z as he and his wife were leaving for vacation from LAX..this was definetely the highlight from Tuesday's news conference..

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The idea was hatched by Ferry, who remained in Cleveland while the team took part in a summer league in Las Vegas.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and his family had flown in from Detroit to watch, and the morning they were scheduled to leave on their private jet, Ferry proposed instead that the Gilberts push back their departure to the evening.

Dan Gilbert and Brown would then fly to Los Angeles for some surprise last-minute bonding with the Cavs center who had yet to make up his mind about returning to the team.

Never mind that Brown had his 8-year-old son along and had to leave him with Gilbert's wife and children, whom he had just met.

"If something happens, we're going to tell mommy it's Danny Ferry's fault," Brown told his son.

Gilbert and Brown took off from Las Vegas and landed at a private airfield in Los Angeles, where they were stunned to run into Seattle SuperSonics owner (and Starbucks magnate) Howard Schultz, who had just landed in his private jet. Gilbert knew the Sonics had some money to spend, too, and he was panicked Schultz also was hunting down Ilgauskas. After a few minutes of conversation in which neither side revealed its intentions, Schultz got into one car, while Gilbert and Brown piled into a car right behind.

The next few minutes were straight out of the movies, with Gilbert all but yelling, "Driver, follow that car." At the last critical juncture, Schultz's car went straight, while Gilbert and Brown's car took a right turn that would take them to LAX.

Of course, once they arrived at the airport, their problems were just beginning. While en route from Las Vegas, the Cavs had bought them two first-class tickets toHouston because Ilgauskas was arriving from Houston and that plane was making a return trip to Texas. Unfortunately, airport security officials don't take kindly to those who buy last-minute, one-way fares. Brown made it through security relatively unscathed, but he said when he looked back, Gilbert had his shoes - and his shirt - off.

Brown ran ahead to the gate, but Ilgauskas already was gone. When Brown called Ferry to inform him of the mix-up, Ferry told Brown that Ilgauskas was waiting in the international terminal departure lounge. Gilbert and Brown raced out to the roadway, flagged down a Hertz rental car shuttle and asked for a lift to the international terminal.

"No problem," the driver said. "It's about three minutes."

Twenty minutes later, Gilbert and Brown raced off the shuttle and into the terminal. Brown was in the lead, and he stopped to buy some flowers and a balloon that said, "I Love You," a development that made Gilbert more than a little uncomfortable, although it was unclear whether he was nervous about giving those to Ilgauskas or worried that people would think he had given the gifts to Brown. Brown, of course, had intended them for Jennifer.

Eventually, Gilbert and Brown caught up to the couple, and the four sat down and had lunch and a nice visit. It was shortly thereafter Ilgauskas accepted the Cavs' five-year contract offer worth between $55 million and $60 million.

"I truly believe the contact between Dan and Z and myself was worthwhile and really helped in the whole process," said Brown, who also spent some time rolling around on the floor playing with Hughes' children while pursuing the shooting guard.

"But it was an adventure, to say the least."

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Also of note from yesterday's news conference is that Ferry stated the Cavs primary goal for a SG was in fact Hughes not Redd the Buckeye.  Interesting..