Gibson says his heart belongs to Cleveland

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio Daniel Gibson is married to a celebrity but he doesn't really care about Hollywood. He is just fine in Cleveland, thank you very much. Gibson is a 6-foot-2 guard and entering his sixth NBA season. The Cavaliers are the only team for which he's ever played, and he doesn't mind that one bit. In fact, he'll tell you he couldn't imagine being anywhere else. And yes, he remembers the Cavs' lengthy losing streak last season. But still. "It's all about loyalty, and I'm dedicated to this franchise," Gibson said. "We may win together, we may lose together. Whatever the case may be, I enjoy it more if we are playing hard, and doing it together." Obviously, the preference is to win and win a lot. That, of course, isn't always possible. Sometimes, you lose players to free agency. Sometimes, guys get traded. Sometimes, the players you select in the draft or land in a deal don't work out. In his five years in Cleveland, Gibson has seen it all. "Without a doubt, my journey has been crazy," he said. "I've been to the Finals (2007), to a team with the league's best record, to last season when we had one of the worst records and a 26-game losing streak. But I cherish every moment I've been here." Gibson is married to pop singer Keysha Cole. Their first child, Daniel Jr., was born March 2 of last year. The three of them are filming a reality television program entitled "Family First." Gibson has repeatedly stressed that his close relationships really are important to him that marriages don't have to succumb to the ridiculous divorce rate in this country. "You can make it work," he has said. He hopes that message, more than anything, is what comes across in the show. That may be because Gibson comes from a strong family himself. He credited his parents, Byron and Cheryl Gibson, for instilling his values. His father also helped him develop a love for the game, as Byron played college ball at the University of Houston. Gibson, on the other hand, spent two years at Texas before the Cavs selected him in the second round of the 2006 draft. Cavalier Attitude Last season, Gibson averaged a career-high 11.6 points in 67 games, mostly coming off the bench for coach Byron Scott, now in his second season. Gibson has never outright said as much (although he has dropped hints), but he is considerably more comfortable playing for Scott than he ever was for former Cavs coach Mike Brown. "(Scott) instilled a lot of confidence in me and just let me go out there and play the game, and that's great," Gibson said. "He plays the guys who play hard and play smart, and you can't ask for anything else. When I'm out there on the floor I don't worry, because I know he has a lot of trust in my abilities." Scott said Gibson is right that the coach really does trust Gibson and considers his role to be a valuable one. This season, that role will consist of occasionally backing up Kyrie Irving and Ramon Sessions at point guard, and Anthony Parker at shooting guard. At times, Gibson will play both on the same possession. "He can be very valuable," Scott said. "If he can come in and play the way I know he's capable of, and make shots, that gives us another dimension off the bench. I'm counting on him to have a good year." And yes, believe it or not, Gibson will have to help mentor first-year players Irving and power forward Tristan Thompson. That's a little hard to grasp and not because Gibson lacks leadership skills. Far from it. But Gibson doesn't turn 26 years old until Feb. 27. So he could still be considered a quasi-young guy himself. Either way, he said he's enjoying the role of teacher as well as assisting two young men who he believes can return this franchise to its winning ways. "The rooks, man, they're trying to figure out what the NBA is all about," Gibson said. "What I've tried to tell them is, 'Hey, I've never played anywhere else, but this right here is a sports town. If you go out and play hard every single night and give a real effort, then win, lose or draw the fans here will appreciate you.' That's the way Cleveland is and it's why I'm happy to be here." As for predictions on the upcoming season, Gibson merely gave his trademark smile, then talked about building confidence. "First, we need to develop a winning mentality," he said. "Then, the winning will come. That's what this year will be all about, getting our mentality right." And once that happens? "Pretty soon we'll be back in the playoffs and fighting for a championship," Gibson said. "I have no doubts about that, and when it happens, I'll be happy to be a part of it and that it happened here." Follow Sam Amico on Twitter @SamAmicoFSO