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One little Cavs fan uses her 'superpowers' to help the team Defend the Land

Posted at 1:45 PM, Jun 09, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-09 22:43:51-04

When gearing up for Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the players of the Cleveland Cavaliers will be wearing the team’s white uniforms. After three straight losses to the Golden State Warriors, Game 4 will determine if the team has a chance to ‘Defend the Land’ and its reigning title as national NBA champions.

Three-year-old Anella Doan will be gearing up for Game 4 in a uniform with a bit more sparkle - sporting a gold cape, eye-mask and Cleveland-branded arm bands to cheer the team on for Game 4.

The young fan from Garfield Heights has dedicated her game-day wardrobes entirely to the Cavaliers, sporting a custom-made Cleveland Cavaliers tutu and shoes featuring the team’s logo to match.

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The sparkle from the gold glitter on the tiny fan’s outfit matches her personality, one which her mother says comes quite naturally.

“When she has her superhero costume on, she really believes she is helping the Cavs win,” said Bernadette Csizek. “At the watch party, she was in the crowd channeling her powers, telling the team ‘we’ve got this, we’ve got this’.”

Doan made her superhero debut on Twitter after her mother posted a video of the young fan ripping a Golden State Warriors shirt to the tune of ‘Cleveland Rocks’ before Game One of the series.

 

 

She also attended the watch parties in Quicken Loans Arena while the team played in Oakland, with her small hands supporting a large sign that read ‘Curry can have my binky’.

However, her love for the Cleveland Cavaliers started long before the 2017 NBA Finals.

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In 2015, Doan was recognized by the Cleveland Foundation’s Yearbook Project after the crying toddler was photographed sitting next to Cavs artwork after the team’s loss.

“My whole family are all die-hard Cleveland sports fans. The Cavs are something my father and I were very passionate about since I was a kid, that was always our bonding moment. She took on the character herself based on our love for Cleveland sports and really ran with it,” Csizek said.

Last year, Doan attended Game 6 against Golden State, cheering on the Cavs before the team's win in Game 7. She expects the same of her team in this year's series. 

"After we won the Eastern Conference Finals, she said 'ok, where's my big trophy, they need to win the big trophy,'" Csizek said. "She wants them to win this year just like they did last year." 

The Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Golden State Warriors only on News 5 at 9 p.m. in Cleveland for the chance to advance in the series and win 'the big trophy'.