The Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the most interesting team timelines in National Basketball Association history. Their years in the spotlight are largely defined by one player, who is arguably the greatest to ever play the game in LeBron James. Despite a sometimes complicated relationship with the city of Cleveland, James will one day be enshrined in The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a Cavaliers great, regardless of his other career accomplishments.
Although there may not be one team more associated with a singular player as Cleveland is to James, the franchise does have some other significant moments and important figures of note during the 52 seasons it has spent in the NBA.
Cleveland Cavaliers History: The Early Years
The Cleveland Cavaliers started off as an expansion franchise, who first joined the NBA in the 1970-1971 campaign. The team was founded by entrepreneur Nick Mileti, who was determined to get the Cleveland sports scene headed in the right direction. He bought the Cleveland Arena in the late 1960’s, and was hoping to host many more events in the venue. The Cleveland Barons hockey team already called the site home, but Mileti had a vision of delighting the local fans with additional professional sports; namely, a new American professional basketball team.
Why is Cleveland called the Cavaliers?
With the inception of a new sports franchise comes an opportunity for an area to uniquely brand a new squad with a moniker that will represent it proudly. In collaboration with the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper, Mileti launched a contest encouraging fans to come up with a nickname for the basketball franchise. There were over 11,000 entries, but the Cavaliers won out due to a persuasive essay penned by a local fan.
The first few seasons of Cavaliers basketball did not yield very much success. Head coach Bill Fitch had his hands tied with the roster, having filled it out with players who other NBA teams made available in the expansion draft. One silver lining to the team’s struggles was having the opportunity to select Austin Carr with the first overall pick of the 1971 NBA Draft. He would end up spending nine seasons there, averaging 16 points per game with the Cavaliers. Carr is beloved by the franchise, and still works for the team on their local television broadcasts.
One of the more endearing moments in Cleveland took place in 1975, which is fondly remembered as the Miracle of Richfield. The team had since moved into Richfield Coliseum, and went on an unexpected run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1975-1976. No one expected to Cavaliers to contend, but they were revitalized by an early season trade that brought veteran presence Nate Thurmond to town. Cleveland finished the season on a tear, and ended up falling to the Washington Bullets in seven games.
A Playoff Fixture
Bill Fitch would lead the team to a couple more playoff appearances in the 1970’s, but the team would once again plummet into the doldrums of the league. Rock bottom featured a 1981-1982 season that saw Cleveland only win 15 games, and four head coaches during a tumultuous year.
While the team ascended to standard mediocrity in the immediate years to follow, fans had the pleasure of watching one of the more unique scoring talents in league history. World B. Free(real name Lloyd Bernard Free) averaged 23 points a night during his time in Cleveland, and put up dazzling offensive performances at 6’2” without much utilization of the three point shot.
The next chapter of Cleveland Cavaliers basketball would be ushered in by a home run of a draft by Wayne Embry and the front office. In 1986, the team selected center Brad Daugherty and guard Mark Price, who would be the faces of Cavaliers basketball for the next decade.
While their era is often punctuated and recalled by the shot Michael Jordan hit over Craig Ehlo in the 1989 playoffs, the franchise had a solid run in the late 80’s and early 1990’s. Perhaps their finest achievement was effectively closing the door on the Larry Bird era, defeating the Boston Celtics in the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals in seven games. Like many other teams in that era, the Cavaliers would end up falling to the Chicago Bulls in the next round.
A New Age
Mike Fratello would take over as head coach in 1993-1994 after an impressive stint by Lenny Wilkens. However, the core of the team that allowed Cleveland to excel during the regular season and compete in the playoffs was breaking down. Brad Daugherty’s final NBA season would be ’93-’94, as chronic back issues short-circuited his solid career. Mark Price’s valuable playmaking and superb shooting remained consistent, but it was clear that the Cavaliers’ window to contend had been shut.
Why did the Cavaliers change their logo?
Price would stay with the team for one more season, but the Cavaliers were searching for a new identity, in more ways than one. They revamped their team colors and logo, opting for a more modern look which included a black, blue and orange color scheme.
Even with a team in transition, Fratello did a commendable job keeping the team afloat. In his six seasons as head coach, the Cleveland Cavaliers made the playoffs four times. Young players like Derek Anderson, Bob Sura, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas showed that they could contribute in the NBA, and each would go on to have long careers.
The Lead Up To LeBron James
The Cleveland Cavaliers had a very tough few years at the end of the 1990’s and beginning of the 2000’s. Things cratered in the 2002-2003 season, as players (Ricky Davis) were aiming basketballs at the opposing team’s rim in hopes of securing individual milestones like a triple double. The franchise also finished dead last in attendance during that campaign, and needed a jolt in the worst way.
The spark they needed was right in their own backyard, in Akron, Ohio. High school phenom LeBron James had been dominating the competition for St. Vincent St. Mary’s high school, and the country was excited about his long term NBA potential. Some of his games were featured nationally on ESPN, and he made the cover of Sports Illustrated before his senior prom. The story was almost too perfect; the struggling hometown team drafts the local prodigy who would completely change their fortunes. Would the draft lottery ping pong balls bounce Cleveland’s way?
The Chosen One Arrives
Cleveland had a 22.5% chance of landing the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, tied with the Denver Nuggets for the best odds. Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund represented the team at the lottery, and called it a big day for Cleveland sports when the franchise was awarded the top pick in May 2003.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that everything changed for the city that summer. The team restored the colors of their past, returning to a wine and gold scheme that was reminiscent of the franchise’s early years. The despair that had plagued the team in prior years had vanished, and was replaced with unbridled joy and hope for the future.
That future began on October 29th, 2003, in a nationally televised game against the Sacramento Kings. The Cavaliers fell to the one of the best teams in the NBA at the time, but James’ athleticism and feel for the game was evident from tip-off. He recorded 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals in his NBA debut. James would go on to capture the NBA’s Rookie Of The Year award in 2003-2004, which would end up being the first of many accolades in his illustrious career.
James was everything Cleveland could’ve hoped for, and more. In addition to proving himself as a one-man offense in his first few seasons in the league, he gave his all on the court night in and night out. He averaged a league high 42.4 minutes per game in his second year in the league, and would remain over the 40 minute threshold each of the next three seasons.
Earlier Than Expected
It would only be a matter of time before the Cavaliers re-entered the postseason picture. In James’ first three years, their regular season win total went from 35, to 42, to 50. In 2005-2006, he led Cleveland to the playoffs, and they won their first round series against the Washington Wizards. The inexperienced Cavaliers gave the veteran-led Detroit Pistons all they could handle in the second round. The series went the distance, but Detroit would prevail in seven games.
Heading into James’ fourth season, larger dreams started to permeate in Cleveland. The team wasn’t supposed to be this competitive this soon. If they could battle the Pistons that closely, it seemed like not much could get in their way. In 2006-2007, Mike Brown’s team won 50 games in the regular season for the second consecutive year.
The Cavaliers would dispatch of the Wizards and New Jersey Nets in the first two rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Cleveland would have to go through Detroit, this time in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pistons had been to (at least) the Eastern Conference Finals in each of the prior four seasons, and appeared poised to reach another championship series.
However, Cleveland proved it was ready to be mentioned in the title conversation right there and then. They ended up defeating the Pistons four games to two. LeBron James’ 25 consecutive points in Game 5 stands out as a coming of age moment for him, and one of the most spectacular individual performances in NBA history.
Ultimately, the Cavaliers lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, but the future was extremely bright.
Close But No Cigar
After the 2007 NBA Finals concluded, the narrative for James and the Cavaliers was supposed to be filled with championship glory after taking their initial lumps. With sky high expectations, it felt like only a matter of time before the Larry O’Brien trophy would come to Cleveland.
It didn’t quite work out that way. The franchise desperately tried to assemble talent alongside James in order to deliver a championship, but it didn’t quite work out. Whether it was Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison or a past his prime Shaquille O’Neal, that iteration of the team never did make it back to the NBA Finals.
Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics had made some major trades for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, who would be paired with Paul Pierce. The veteran triumvirate knocked Cleveland out of the postseason in 2008 and 2010. In 2009, a uniquely constructed Orlando Magic team dispatched the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, despite a game winning buzzer beater from James in Game 2 of that series.
The Decision
With the level of disappointment hitting a fever pitch, and his contract expiring after the 2010 season, James’ impending free agency was the major story of that offseason. Teams cleared bundles of cap space in anticipation for the summer of 2010, in hopes LeBron would decide to play for them.
On a never-before seen special event televised on ESPN, James announced to the world that he was leaving the Cavaliers to take his talents to Miami to play for the Heat.
After his next basketball move was revealed, downtown Cleveland took down a 10-story mural of their basketball icon. Many fans were also seen burning his jersey since they felt spurned by their hero.
The Aftermath
The Cleveland Cavaliers would spend the next four years without James, and the results were not pretty. They didn’t qualify for the playoffs in any of those campaigns. However, they had an uncanny amount of lottery luck, securing the first overall pick after three of those four seasons.
They swung and missed on Anthony Bennett in 2013, but their selections of Kyrie Irving in 2011 and Andrew Wiggins in 2015 would be major building blocks for the team moving forward. Cleveland also took Tristan Thompson fourth overall in 2011.
The Return
After getting the monkey off his back in Miami by winning two championships, LeBron James decided to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers to handle some unfinished business. Clearly, he would not be returning to his hometown team for any other reason than to win a title, and the Cavaliers knew that.
As such, they shipped Andrew Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves shortly after they drafted him in exchange for Kevin Love. The former UCLA star had been a rebounding machine with excellent scoring touch, but had never played in the playoffs. Neither had Irving or Thompson.
It was business as usual for the Cavs and LeBron James in his first year back. They won 53 games in the regular season, and were well setup to chase a title. However, Love suffered a dislocated shoulder injury in the first round of the 2015 playoffs against the Boston Celtics. He would miss the remainder of the postseason.
Cleveland made it to the NBA Finals against the upstart Golden State Warriors, but their fortunes took a dark turn at the end of Game 1. Irving suffered a fractured kneecap that prevented him from returning to the series, and Golden State would end up winning the title.
The Pinnacle-NBA Championship
Beset by injuries in the playoffs the prior year, the 2015-2016 Cavaliers were on a mission. Anything less than a title would not be acceptable, and the team’s moves that year certainly demonstrated their motivations. Head coach David Blatt was replaced mid-season after starting 30-11, in favor of Tyronn Lue. It was the type of switch that would only be deemed a success if Cleveland performed in June.
NBA Finals game one and two did not go Cleveland’s way, and it seemed like they were destined to come up short again. They actually fell behind three games to one in the series, but dialed up their level of play at that point. Game seven was one of the most iconic contests in NBA history. Point guard Kyrie Irving made a game-winning three pointer over Stephen Curry in the waning moments, and LeBron James blocked Andre Iguodala’s layup a few moments before in one of the most incredible defensive plays ever. Thanks to those signature moments, the Cleveland Cavaliers won their first ever NBA title.
Building Back Up/Present Day
The Cavaliers would end up making the NBA Finals in two consecutive seasons after their championship victory, but fell to the Warriors in those matchups. After the 2017-2018 campaign, James would end up signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Cleveland had to endure a couple of losing seasons after losing “The King”, but appear to be back on the right track after an encouraging 2021-2022 season. Point guard Darius Garland made his first All-Star team this past season, and forward Evan Mobley has a chance to be one of the best players in the game. That combination, along with contributions from players like Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markannen might have the Cavaliers back in the playoffs as soon as next year.
