The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
. The Cavaliers compete in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA) as a member of the league's
Eastern Conference Central Division. The team began play as an
expansion team
An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...
in
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
, along with the
Portland Trail Blazers and
Buffalo Braves. Home games were first held at
Cleveland Arena from 1970 to 1974, followed by the
Richfield Coliseum from 1974 to 1994. Since 1994, the Cavs have played home games at
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in
downtown Cleveland
Downtown Cleveland is the central business district of Cleveland, Ohio. The economic and symbolic center of the city and the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH Combined Statistical Area, it is Cleveland's oldest district, with its Public Square laid out b ...
, which is shared with the
Cleveland Monsters of the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
.
Dan Gilbert has owned the team since March 2005.
The Cavaliers opened their inaugural season by losing their first 15 games and struggled in their early years, placing no better than sixth in the Eastern Conference during their first five seasons. The team won their first Central Division title in 1976, which also marked the first winning season and playoff appearance in franchise history, where they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. The franchise was purchased by
Ted Stepien
Theodore J. Stepien (June 9, 1925 – September 10, 2007) was an American businessman who owned the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1980 to 1983. Born in Pittsburgh in 1925, he became wealthy as the founder ...
in 1980. Stepien's tenure as owner was marked by six coaching changes, questionable trades and
draft decisions, and poor attendance, leading to $15 million in financial losses. The Cavs went 66–180 over the course of those three seasons and endured a 24-game losing streak spanning the 1981–82 and 1982–83 seasons.
George and
Gordon Gund
Gordon Gund (born October 15, 1939) is an American businessman and professional sports owner. He is the CEO of Gund Investment Corporation. He is the former co-owner of the San Jose Sharks (National Hockey League) from 1992–2002, former princi ...
purchased the franchise in 1983. During the latter half of the 1980s and through much of the 1990s, the Cavs were a regular playoff contender – led by players such as
Mark Price and
Brad Daugherty Brad Daugherty may refer to:
* Brad Daugherty (basketball) (born 1965), American NBA player, currently a television sportscaster
* Brad Daugherty (poker player) (born 1951), American poker player
{{Hndis, Daugherty, Brad ...
– and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1992. After the team's playoff appearance in the 1997–98 season, however, the Cavs had six consecutive losing seasons with no playoff action. Cleveland was awarded with the top overall pick in the
2003 draft, and they selected
LeBron James. Behind James and
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Zydrunas Ilgauskas ( lt, link=no, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas; ; born June 5, 1975) is a Lithuanian-born American former professional basketball player who played the center position. The 7'3" Ilgauskas played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the Nationa ...
, the Cavaliers again became a regular playoff contender by 2005. They made their first appearance in the
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
in
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
after winning the first Eastern Conference championship in franchise history. After failing to return to the NBA Finals in the ensuing three seasons, James joined the
Miami Heat in 2010. As a result, the Cavaliers finished the 2010–11 season last in the conference, enduring a 26-game losing streak, the
second-longest in NBA history. Between 2010 and 2014, however, the team won the top pick in the
NBA draft lottery three times – first in
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
where they selected
Kyrie Irving, and again in
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
and
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
.
After four seasons with the Heat and having won back-to-back titles in the 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons, James returned to the Cavs in 2014 and led the team to four straight NBA Finals appearances. In
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, the Cavaliers won their first
NBA Championship
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
, marking
Cleveland's first major sports title since 1964. The
2016 NBA Finals
The 2016 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2015–16 season and conclusion of the 2016 playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the defending NBA champion and W ...
victory over the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
marked the first time in Finals history a team had come back to win the series after trailing, 3–1. The Cavaliers have 22 playoff appearances and have won seven Central Division titles, five Eastern Conference titles and one NBA title.
History
The Cavaliers began play in the
1970–71 season as an expansion team. They set losing records in each of their first five seasons before winning their first division title in
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
. The 1976 team was led by
Austin Carr,
Bobby "Bingo" Smith,
Jim Chones,
Dick Snyder
Richard J. Snyder Jr. (born February 1, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the St. Louis Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Snyd ...
,
Nate Thurmond
Nathaniel Thurmond (July 25, 1941 – July 16, 2016) was an American basketball player who spent the majority of his 14-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Golden State Warriors franchise. He played the center and po ...
and head coach
Bill Fitch
William Charles Fitch (May 19, 1932 – February 2, 2022) was an American professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He developed multiple teams into playoff contenders and won an NBA championship with the Bost ...
. It was remembered for the "
Miracle at Richfield," in which the Cavaliers defeated the
Washington Bullets, 4–3, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
They won Game 7, 87–85, on a shot by Snyder with four seconds to go.
The Cavaliers moved on to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time,
but were without Chones after he broke his toe before the series opener. As a result, the Cavaliers went on to lose, 4–2, to the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
. They made playoff appearances in the following two seasons before a six-year playoff drought.
The early 1980s were marked by
Ted Stepien
Theodore J. Stepien (June 9, 1925 – September 10, 2007) was an American businessman who owned the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1980 to 1983. Born in Pittsburgh in 1925, he became wealthy as the founder ...
's ownership. During Stepien's tenure, the Cavaliers made a practice of trading future draft picks for marginal veteran players.
His most notable deal sent a 1982 first-round pick to the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
in exchange for
Don Ford
Donald J. Ford (born December 31, 1952) is a former American basketball power forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers. He also was a member of the Auxilium Torino in Europe. He played ...
and the 22nd overall pick in 1980. As a result of Stepien's dealings, the NBA introduced the "Stepien Rule," which prohibits teams from trading first-round draft picks in successive seasons.
The Cavaliers went 66–180, dropped to the bottom of the league in attendance and lost $15 million during Stepien's three years as the owner.
The Cavs went through six coaches during this span, including four during the 1981–82 season.
The team finished 15–67, and between March and November 1982, the team had a 24-game losing streak, which, at the time, was the
NBA's longest losing streak.
George and
Gordon Gund
Gordon Gund (born October 15, 1939) is an American businessman and professional sports owner. He is the CEO of Gund Investment Corporation. He is the former co-owner of the San Jose Sharks (National Hockey League) from 1992–2002, former princi ...
purchased the Cavaliers from Stepien in 1983.
The Cavaliers made the playoffs 10 times between 1985 and 1998.
The
1988–89 seasons was the Cavaliers' best season to date, finishing the regular season at 57–25 with a team that included
Brad Daugherty Brad Daugherty may refer to:
* Brad Daugherty (basketball) (born 1965), American NBA player, currently a television sportscaster
* Brad Daugherty (poker player) (born 1951), American poker player
{{Hndis, Daugherty, Brad ...
,
Mark Price,
Ron Harper and
Larry Nance, and head coach
Lenny Wilkens.
They had their second 57-win season in
1991–92 and reached the Eastern Conference Finals that year.
However, between 1999 and 2005, the Cavaliers failed to make a playoff appearance.
The Cavaliers finished the
2002–03 season 17–65, tied for the worst record in the NBA.
The Cavaliers had the No. 1 pick in the
2003 NBA draft
The 2003 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2003, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The NBA announced that 41 college and high school players and a record 31 international players had filed as early-entry candidates ...
, selecting future NBA MVP
LeBron James, a native of nearby
Akron. On January 3, 2005, the team was sold to businessman
Dan Gilbert for $375 million, and the deal was finalized on March 1, 2005. That year, the team also hired head coach
Mike Brown and general manager
Danny Ferry. The Cavaliers built a team around James and
Žydrūnas Ilgauskas by adding players such as
Drew Gooden
Andrew Melvin Gooden III (born September 24, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player who is currently a broadcaster for NBC Sports Washington. The power forward played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). ...
,
Larry Hughes and
Anderson Varajao
Anderson or Andersson may refer to:
Companies
* Anderson (Carriage), a company that manufactured automobiles from 1907 to 1910
* Anderson Electric, an early 20th-century electric car
* Anderson Greenwood, an industrial manufacturer
* Anderson Ra ...
. Under this new leadership, the Cavaliers made five straight playoffs from 2006 to 2010, advancing to at least the second round each time.
The
2006–07 Cavaliers advanced to the franchise's first
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
, but were swept by the
San Antonio Spurs. The
2008–09 Cavaliers won a franchise-record 66 games, including a franchise-best 39–2 record at home, but lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
.
Despite the addition of four-time NBA champion
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...
, the
2009–10 Cavaliers were unable to return to the Eastern Conference Finals after losing to the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
in the second round.
175px, Current head coach ">J.B. Bickerstaff
With the Cavaliers out of the playoffs, the focus turned to James' impending free agency. On July 8, 2010, James announced in a nationally televised one-hour special titled ''
The Decision'' that he would be signing with the
Miami Heat. The repercussions of this announcement left many in the city of Cleveland infuriated and feeling betrayed. After a 19–win season in
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
, the Cavaliers began a rebuild around
Kyrie Irving, whom they selected first overall in the
2011 NBA Draft
The 2011 NBA draft was held on June 23, 2011, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (23:00 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. Kia Motors was the presenting sponsor ...
.
In 2014, James returned to the Cavaliers after four seasons in Miami. While the Heat had a 224–88 record during James' four-year tenure and won NBA titles in 2012 and 2013, the Cavaliers went 97–215 and missed the playoffs each season. The Cavaliers made several moves to build a championship-contending team around James, most notably acquiring power forward
Kevin Love from the
Minnesota Timberwolves, which created what many fans and media referred to as a "Big Three" with James, Love and Irving. The Lebron-led Cavaliers made four consecutive Finals appearances from
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
to
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
– all against the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
– winning in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
.
The 2016 NBA Championship marked the Cavaliers' first title in franchise history, as they became the first team to come back from a 3–1 deficit to win the Finals.
It was also Cleveland's first championship in major professional sports since the
1964 Browns, signaling the end of the so-called
Cleveland sports curse.
The Cavaliers' roster went through many changes in the
2017–18 season, most notably the trade of Irving to the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
in exchange for
Isaiah Thomas and other assets. Thomas was later traded to the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
as part of a trade deadline overhaul that saw the Cavaliers add
Jordan Clarkson
Jordan Taylor Clarkson (born June 7, 1992) is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for two seasons with Tulsa before transferring to Missou ...
,
Larry Nance Jr. (son of Cavs legend
Larry Nance) and others. The following offseason, James declined his player option to rejoin the team, instead signing with the Lakers. In the following two seasons, the team recorded only 19 wins and failed to make the playoffs.
In the first three seasons since James left the second time, the Cavaliers won a total of 60 games, missed the playoffs each season and have had four different head coaches:
Tyronn Lue
Tyronn Jamar Lue (pronounced ''Ta-RON LEW''; born May 3, 1977) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He formerly served as t ...
,
Larry Drew,
John Beilein and current head coach
J.B. Bickerstaff
John-Blair Bickerstaff (born March 10, 1979) is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before that, he was the head coach for the Memphis Grizzlie ...
.
In
the 2021–22 season, the Cavs finished 44–38 and eighth in the Eastern Conference, and qualified for the
NBA Play-In Tournament, marking the first time the team played in the event. This also marks the team's first postseason basketball since 2017–18 and the first time a non-LeBron-led team qualified for postseason play since
1997-98. The team, however, didn't make it out of the Play-In Tournament, losing the 7-seed vs. 8-seed game to the
Brooklyn Nets and the 8-seed vs. 9-seed game to the
Atlanta Hawks, ending their season.
Season-by-season record
''List of the last five seasons completed by the Cavaliers. For the full season-by-season history, see
List of Cleveland Cavaliers seasons.''
''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage''
Rivalries
Logos and uniforms
Original wine and mustard/metallic gold
When the Cleveland Cavaliers debuted in the NBA in 1970, the team's original jersey colors were
wine and gold. The first jerseys featured the feathered treatment of the letter "C" in "Cavaliers." In 1974, they changed into the classic block lettering and checkerboard pattern that was synonymous to the "Miracle of Richfield" team of 1976. In 1980, the gold shade was changed from yellowish to metallic, and the uniforms removed the checkerboard pattern and placed the stripes above "Cleveland" and below the uniform number, the only time the city name was featured in both home and away jerseys.
The original logo was that of a swashbuckling cavalier looking right with a sword pointing, surrounded by the team name and a basketball. A modernized swashbuckling cavalier logo was later used by the Cavaliers'
NBA Development League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
affiliate, the
Canton Charge. The gold checkerboard uniforms were used as throwbacks in the 2004–05 season to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the "Miracle of Richfield" team, while the gold "feathered C" uniforms were used again in the 2008–09 season as a buildup to the then-upcoming 40th season of the Cavaliers. The "Miracle of Richfield" gold uniforms were used again in the 2015–16 season on special "Hardwood Classic" nights to commemorate the Miracle of Richfield team's 40th-anniversary celebration.
Blue and orange
In the 1983–84 season, the colors were changed to burnt orange, blue and white. The first Cavaliers uniform under the new scheme featured the Cavaliers logo (with a "V" in the shape of a hoop and circle above as basketball) in an arched pattern and the player name sewn onto the back shoulder as a patch, with orange being the primary color in both the away and home uniforms. However, in the 1987–88 season, orange was relegated as a secondary color, and blue was used instead as the primary for the away and home uniforms; minor changes in the 1989–90 season include the city name on the blue away uniforms. The drop shadows were also removed. The orange version of the uniform was used again in the 2006–07 and 2016–17 seasons, as part of the respective 20th and 30th anniversaries of the 1986–87 team. The blue versions were worn in the 2009–10 season as part of the franchise's 40th anniversary and as a tribute to the 1988–89 team.
Blue, black and orange
Coinciding with the move to Gund Arena in the 1994–95 season, the Cavaliers changed logos and uniforms, adding black in addition to the already existing blue, orange and white colors. The uniforms feature a blue splash in the abdomen area in front. From 1994 to 1997, the word "CAVS" on the home uniforms was orange with black lines, while the numbers are in black with white lines; "CLEVELAND" on the road uniforms was also orange with black lines, while the numbers are in white with a black line. From 1997 to 1999, the numbers and lettering were slightly tweaked: The word "CAVS" and the numbers on the home uniforms were black with orange lines, while the word "CLEVELAND" and the numbers on the road uniforms were white with orange lines. In the latter iteration, the blue splash was moved from the right leg to the left leg, surrounding "CLEVELAND" on the home uniforms and "CAVS" on the road uniforms, with a minor change in striping.
In the 1999–2000 season, the Cavaliers opted to go for a cleaner look, eliminating the splash and adding an orange and blue line that runs through the shorts. The home jerseys feature the team nickname and the uniform numbers are in blue with black lines, while the away jerseys featured the city name and the uniform numbers in white with blue lines; these jerseys were used until the 2002–03 season. The logo used in this period was of a basketball on its way down a net, surrounded by a black square and the word "CAVS" in blue with black line below.
The 1994–96 black uniforms were revived for the 2019–20 season as part of the Cavaliers' 50th season, as well as the 25th anniversary of the move to Gund Arena (now Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse).
Wine, metallic gold and navy
The Cavaliers switched to a modified version of the team's classic wine-and-gold scheme in the 2003–04 season: metallic gold and a crimson shade of wine with navy blue added. The home uniform was white, with the word "Cavaliers" in wine lettering with gold trim on the front, the player's name in wine lettering with gold trim on the back, the player's numbers in navy blue, and wine-and-gold trim on the sides. The team's standard road uniform was wine-colored, with the word "Cleveland," the player's name and the player's numbers all in white lettering with gold trim, as well as white and gold trim on the sides. The team's alternate jersey was navy blue with the word "Cleveland," the player's name and the player's numbers all in white lettering with gold trim, as well as a wine, gold and navy blue checkerboard trim. The checkerboard trim was a tribute to the original Cavaliers uniforms from the 1970s. The logo used was a gold sword piercing through the words "Cleveland Cavaliers" in white and navy trim, with a wine basketball surrounding it.
Wine, mustard gold and navy
The Cavaliers debuted new uniforms before the start of the
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The season concluded with the Dallas Mavericks defeating the M ...
to coincide with the team returning to the original shades of wine and gold used from 1970 to 1983. The home uniform is white with a wine-and-gold horizontal stripe trim on the collar, sleeves, waistband and pant legs, the word "CAVALIERS" (in block style lettering) in wine on the front of the jersey with wine lettering for the name and number, and white shoes and socks. The road uniform is wine-colored with the same stripe trim, "Cleveland" in gold on the front of the jersey, gold lettering on the name and number, and black shoes and socks. An alternate jersey – gold with "CAVS" in wine on the front of the jersey, wine lettering on the name and number, white socks and shoes, and the same stripe trim as the other uniforms – was added for the 2012–13 season. All uniforms have the team motto – "All for one. One for all." – stitched on the inside of the collar and the secondary "Sword C" logo on the side of the pant legs. The logo used is the same piercing sword logo, updated to the classic wine-and-gold scheme.
For the 2014–15 season, a second alternate jersey – and fourth uniform overall – was added, which is navy blue (a callback to the 1987–94 style) with "CAVS" and the player's number in wine with gold trim, the player's name on the back of the jersey in gold and the "Sword C" logo on the side of the pant legs.
Wine, mustard gold, navy and black
Two alternate jerseys were unveiled prior to the start of the 2015–16 season.
The second wine uniform is similar to their regular road jersey, except that it features the arched mid-1980s Cavs logo and white numerals in gold trim. A black sleeved uniform features the wine "C" logo in front and was famously worn in the title-clinching Game 7 of the
2016 NBA Finals
The 2016 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2015–16 season and conclusion of the 2016 playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the defending NBA champion and W ...
. Their logos for the 2017–18 season newly included the color black to commemorate the victory.
Beginning in the
2017–18 season, all NBA teams switched to
Nike-designed white "Association" uniforms and "Icon" uniforms in the respective team's primary color. The Cavaliers' Icon uniforms were wine-colored with "Cleveland" across the front and the player's name in gold lettering with navy blue numerals both in the front and in the back. The white Association uniforms have "Cavs" across the front, with wine color letters and numbers both front and back. All teams have the choice of which uniform to wear for any home game. Also included on the Cavs' jerseys is a small
Goodyear "Wingfoot" logo, as part of a sponsorship deal with the team.
Nike also provides a third, alternate uniform called the "Statement" uniform. The Cavaliers' Statement uniform is black with dark gray pinstripes, a wine-colored "C" trimmed in gold on the front, names in gold letters on the back, wine-colored/gold-trimmed numbers on the front and back, and gold-colored Nike and Goodyear logos on the front. In the same vein as the logo on their 2017–18 jerseys, the black jersey is a nod to the team's former black-sleeved jerseys that they wore when they won Game 7 of the 2016 Finals.
Wine, metallic gold and black
175px, 2022 Cavaliers' "V-net" logo - a modified version of similar logos used in the 80s and 90s.
For the
2022–23 NBA season
The 2022–23 NBA season is the 77th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the regular season began on October 18, 2022, and is scheduled to end on April 9, 2023. The 2023 NBA All-Star Game is scheduled to be played on February 1 ...
, the Cavaliers unveiled an updated logo and color scheme, removing navy blue while reverting to the metallic gold first used from 1980–83, and from 2003–10. The "C-sword" alternate logo was retired, and an updated "V-net" logo, merging the styles of the 1983–94 and 1994–2003 logos with the current typeface, was also unveiled.
With the new logo, the team also introduced three coinciding new uniforms.
The white Association uniform features a wine-colored "V-net" logo trimmed in gold across the front, wine names and numbers trimmed in gold, and a wine primary "Cavs C" logo (outlined in gold) on left leg of the shorts.
The wine Icon uniform features "Cleveland" in gold lettering on the chest, gold names and numbers, and the "Cavs C" logo in wine with a gold outline on the left leg of the shorts.
The black Statement uniform – also a nod to the black uniforms worn during the team's 2016 NBA championship run – displays a wine "Cavs C" logo outlined in gold on the front of the jersey, gold names and numbers, and a gold "V-net" logo on the left leg of the shorts.
CavFanatic uniforms
From the 2008–09 to the 2011–12 season, the Cavaliers wore special "mash-up" uniforms – combining the style from one era with the color scheme of another – on select "CavFanatic Nights."
*2008–09: The team wore the original "feathered C" uniforms, but with the 1994–2003 shade of blue combined with the classic wine-and-gold coloring.
*2009–10: The team wore their 1987–89 uniforms, but in the classic wine and gold from the "Miracle of Richfield" era.
*2010–11: The team wore the 2005–10 checkerboard alternate uniforms, but in the 1994–2003 color scheme of blue, black and orange.
*2011–12: The team wore navy uniforms with wine-and-gold lettering; these were similar to the 2014–17 navy alternates, but with a different jersey and shorts striping.
"City Edition" uniforms
Nike also provides a fourth uniform known as the "City Edition," which honors the city of Cleveland as well as the state of Ohio:
* For the 2017–18 season, the "City Edition" uniform was gray with dark gray trim and had "The Land" (a popular Cleveland nickname) across the front of the jersey in white letters and trimmed in dark gray and gold (as is the number on the front of the jersey), with the player's name and number in white lettering on the back.
* For the 2018–19 season, the "City Edition" uniform was orange and blue (a nod to the popular Cavs teams of the 1980s) in a zigzag/slash pattern (reminiscent of the '90s-era uniforms) with white letters and numbers, and featured a script "Cleveland" across the front of the jersey. On the right pant leg, an outline of the
Great Lakes (with
Lake Erie highlighted) is featured with the slogan "1 OUT OF 5 GREATS." For the home games in which these uniforms were worn, the floor at Quicken Loans Arena was modified with an orange and blue design, as well. The same uniform design of the "City Edition" uniform was used for the team's "Earned Edition" uniform (exclusive to the 2018 NBA playoff teams), except the top part was white, while the bottom was powder blue and featured navy letters and numbers.
* For the 2019–20 season, the "City Edition" uniform was navy blue (a nod to the team's mid- to late-2000s alternate uniform) with "CLE" in gold letters (in the style of the team's original 1970 uniforms) and the numbers in gold with a wine inlay (in the style of the '90s uniforms), and wine, gold, white and black stripes down the sides. Additionally, to commemorate the team's 50th anniversary season, Nike provided a fifth uniform known as the "Classic Edition," which was a modified version of the team's mid-'90s-era black, blue and orange uniforms.
* For the 2020–21 season, the "City Edition" uniform was black with wine-and-gold trim around the neck and sleeves and white letters and numbers. "CLEVELAND" was featured on the front of the jersey, with each letter in a different font to represent both the Cavs and various artists and bands that have been inducted in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
, as well as various patches down the sides of the pant legs. The jersey design is in honor of a partnership between the Cavs and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who are collaborating on a "Cleveland Amplified" exhibit at the Rock Hall. The letters represent: "C" (Cleveland Cavaliers), "L" (
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
), "E" (
The Who), "V" (
David Bowie), "E" (
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
), "L" (
The Beatles), "A" (
Nirvana), "N" (
N.W.A) and "D" (
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
).
* For the 2021–22 season, the "City Edition" uniform was in the team's traditional wine color with gold letters and numbers; wine, gold and white trim around the sleeves and going down the pant legs; and a mix of the team's logos through its history all throughout the uniform. On the front of the jersey is the team's original 1970s "swashbuckler" logo, with the numbers in the style of the team's 1990s uniforms. On the pants, the team's 1980s logo is on the waistband, the '90s logo is on the left leg and the modern-era "C" logo is on the right leg.
* For the 2022–23 season, the "City Edition" uniform is white with tan lettering and numbers and accents of light blue, in honor of the
Cleveland Metroparks. The jerseys read "The Land" across the chest, with a light blue circle featuring the Cavs' "C" logo placed between the "L" and "A," similar to how the "V" in the script Cavs logo is used as a basketball hoop.
Home arenas
*
Cleveland Arena (1970–1974)
*
Coliseum at Richfield
Richfield Coliseum, also known as the Coliseum at Richfield, was an indoor arena located in Richfield Township, between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It opened in 1974 as a replacement for the Cleveland Arena, and had a seating capacity of 20,273 f ...
(1974–1994)
*
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (1994–present)
Cleveland Clinic Courts
Cleveland Clinic Courts, the team's practice facility and team headquarters, is located in suburban
Independence. The building opened in 2007 and includes two full-size basketball courts, a weight room, a team room, offices, medical facilities, and kitchen and dining facilities. Naming rights are held by the
Cleveland Clinic, which is the team's official healthcare partner. Prior to the opening of Cleveland Clinic Courts, the team used the practice court located on the club level of
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. In honor of the Cavs winning the NBA Championship, the city of Independence renamed the section of Brecksville Road leading to the team's practice facility "Cavaliers Way" in November 2016.
Players
Current roster
Retained draft rights
The Cavaliers hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA. A drafted player – either an international draftee or a college draftee who is not signed by the team that drafted him – is allowed to sign with any non-NBA teams. In this case, the team retains the player's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player's contract with the non-NBA team ends. This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.
Cavs Legends
The following is a list of past Cavaliers players and other personnel who have been honored as "Cavs Legends" – either by retiring their number or having commemorative banners placed in the rafters at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
* The NBA retired
Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.
Wall of Honor
In 2019, the Cavaliers introduced the Wall of Honor, which honors former players and other personnel, and is located in the newly added North Atrium of the renovated Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The inaugural class of Wall of Honor inductees included all personnel (players, coaches, executives, etc.) who have had their number retired or were honored with similar banners in the rafters, as well as the following:
* Original owner
Nick Mileti
* Original general manager/head coach
Bill Fitch
William Charles Fitch (May 19, 1932 – February 2, 2022) was an American professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He developed multiple teams into playoff contenders and won an NBA championship with the Bost ...
* Former general manager
Wayne Embry
* Former forward
John Johnson
* Former forward/center
John "Hot Rod" Williams
John "Hot Rod" Williams (August 9, 1962 – December 11, 2015) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1986 to 1999.
Early life
Williams was born in Sorrento, Louisiana, a small town near ...
Another group of former Cavs personnel was added in 2022, including:
*Former owner
Gordon Gund
Gordon Gund (born October 15, 1939) is an American businessman and professional sports owner. He is the CEO of Gund Investment Corporation. He is the former co-owner of the San Jose Sharks (National Hockey League) from 1992–2002, former princi ...
*Former guard
World B. Free
World B. Free (born Lloyd Bernard Free; December 9, 1953) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1975 to 1988. Free was known as the "Prince of Mid-Air", "Brownsville Bom ...
*Former forward and longtime broadcaster
Campy Russell
*Former head coach
Lenny Wilkens
Hall of Famers
The following is a list of players and other personnel who have spent at least part of their careers with the Cavaliers that have been inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
.
Notes:
*
1 In total, Wilkens was inducted into the Hall of Fame three times – as player, as coach and as a member of the
1992 Olympic team.
*
2 In total, Daly was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as a coach and as a member of the
1992 Olympic team.
*
3 Inducted as contributor for being the first
African American to manage a team in the NBA.
Curt Gowdy Award winners
*
Joe Tait – 2010 (team announcer 1970–1981; 1983–2011)
FIBA Hall of Famers
Notes:
*
1 In total, Daly was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame twice – as coach and as a member of the
1992 Olympic team.
Individual records and accomplishments
Franchise leaders
Bold denotes still active with team. ''Italic'' denotes still active but not with team.
Points scored (regular season – as of April 1, 2022)
# ''
LeBron James'' (23,119)
#
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Zydrunas Ilgauskas ( lt, link=no, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas; ; born June 5, 1975) is a Lithuanian-born American former professional basketball player who played the center position. The 7'3" Ilgauskas played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the Nationa ...
(10,616)
#
Brad Daugherty Brad Daugherty may refer to:
* Brad Daugherty (basketball) (born 1965), American NBA player, currently a television sportscaster
* Brad Daugherty (poker player) (born 1951), American poker player
{{Hndis, Daugherty, Brad ...
(10,389)
#
Austin Carr (10,265)
#
Mark Price (9,543)
#
Bingo Smith
Robert "Bingo" Smith (born February 26, 1946) is an American retired professional basketball player. He played for the San Diego Rockets, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the San Diego Clippers.
College career
Smith played for the Tulsa Golden Hurri ...
(9,513)
#
Hot Rod Williams (8,504)
# ''
Kyrie Irving'' (8,232)
#
Larry Nance (7,257)
#
Kevin Love (7,230)
#
Campy Russell (6,588)
#
World B. Free
World B. Free (born Lloyd Bernard Free; December 9, 1953) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1975 to 1988. Free was known as the "Prince of Mid-Air", "Brownsville Bom ...
(6,329)
# ''
Tristan Thompson'' (5,839)
#
Terrell Brandon (5,793)
#
Jim Chones (5,729)
#
Danny Ferry (5,643)
#
Mike Mitchell (5,217)
#
Craig Ehlo (5,103)
#
Phil Hubbard (4,962)
# ''
Anderson Varejão'' (4,498)
Other statistics (regular season) (as of April 1, 2022)
Individual awards
NBA Most Valuable Player
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Starting with the 2022–23 ...
*
LeBron James – 2009, 2010
NBA Rookie of the Year
*
LeBron James – 2004
*
Kyrie Irving – 2012
NBA Coach of the Year
*
Bill Fitch
William Charles Fitch (May 19, 1932 – February 2, 2022) was an American professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He developed multiple teams into playoff contenders and won an NBA championship with the Bost ...
– 1976
*
Mike Brown – 2009
NBA Executive of the Year
*
Wayne Embry – 1992, 1998
NBA Sportsmanship Award
*
Terrell Brandon – 1997
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
*
Austin Carr – 1980
*
Eric Snow – 2005
*
Luol Deng – 2014
*
LeBron James – 2017
NBA Finals Most Valuable Player
*
LeBron James – 2016
NBA All-Rookie First Team
*
Austin Carr – 1972
*
Dwight Davis – 1973
*
Brad Daugherty Brad Daugherty may refer to:
* Brad Daugherty (basketball) (born 1965), American NBA player, currently a television sportscaster
* Brad Daugherty (poker player) (born 1951), American poker player
{{Hndis, Daugherty, Brad ...
– 1987
*
Ron Harper – 1987
*
John Williams
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
– 1987
*
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Zydrunas Ilgauskas ( lt, link=no, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas; ; born June 5, 1975) is a Lithuanian-born American former professional basketball player who played the center position. The 7'3" Ilgauskas played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the Nationa ...
– 1998
*
Brevin Knight – 1998
*
Andre Miller – 2000
*
LeBron James – 2004
*
Kyrie Irving – 2012
*
Dion Waiters – 2013
*
Evan Mobley
Evan Mobley (born June 18, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected third overall by the Cleve ...
– 2022
NBA All-Rookie Second Team
The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for playe ...
*
Terrell Brandon – 1992
*
Derek Anderson – 1998
*
Cedric Henderson – 1998
*
Chris Mihm
Christopher Steven Mihm (born July 16, 1979) is an American former professional basketball center who played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing college basketball at Texas, he was drafted with the seventh ov ...
– 2001
*
Carlos Boozer
Carlos Austin Boozer Jr. (born November 20, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. The two-time NBA All-Star played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers, and then spent his last season ...
– 2003
*
Tristan Thompson – 2012
*
Tyler Zeller – 2013
*
Collin Sexton
Collin Darnell Sexton (born January 4, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide. In January 2017 Sexton was sel ...
– 2019
*
Isaac Okoro
Isaac Nnamdi Okoro (born January 26, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Auburn Tigers. Listed at and , he plays the ...
– 2021
All-NBA First Team
*
Mark Price – 1993
*
LeBron James – 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
All-NBA Second Team
*
LeBron James – 2005, 2007
All-NBA Third Team
*
Mark Price – 1989, 1992, 1994
*
Brad Daugherty Brad Daugherty may refer to:
* Brad Daugherty (basketball) (born 1965), American NBA player, currently a television sportscaster
* Brad Daugherty (poker player) (born 1951), American poker player
{{Hndis, Daugherty, Brad ...
– 1992
*
Kyrie Irving – 2015
NBA All-Defensive First Team
*
Larry Nance – 1989
*
LeBron James – 2009, 2010
NBA All-Defensive Second Team
*
Jim Brewer
Jim or JIM may refer to:
* Jim (given name), a given name
* Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James
* Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy
* OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism
* ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring
* ''Jim ...
– 1976, 1977
*
Jim Cleamons – 1976
*
Larry Nance – 1992, 1993
*
Bobby Phills – 1996
*
Anderson Varejão – 2010
NBA All-Star Weekend
NBA All-Star Game
*
John Johnson – 1971, 1972
*
Butch Beard – 1972
*
Austin Carr – 1974
*
Campy Russell – 1979
*
Mike Mitchell – 1981
*
Brad Daugherty Brad Daugherty may refer to:
* Brad Daugherty (basketball) (born 1965), American NBA player, currently a television sportscaster
* Brad Daugherty (poker player) (born 1951), American poker player
{{Hndis, Daugherty, Brad ...
– 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993
*
Larry Nance – 1989, 1993
*
Mark Price – 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994
*
Tyrone Hill – 1995
*
Terrell Brandon – 1996, 1997
*
Shawn Kemp Shawn may refer to:
*Shawn (given name)
*Shawn (surname)
See also
* Sean
* Shaun Shaun is an anglicized spelling of the Irish name Seán. Alternative spellings include Shawn, Sean and Shawne.
Notable persons with the given name include:
Peop ...
– 1998*
*
Žydrūnas Ilgauskas – 2003, 2005
*
LeBron James – 2005*, 2006*, 2007*, 2008*, 2009*, 2010*, 2015*, 2016*, 2017*, 2018*
*
Mo Williams
Maurice Williams (born December 19, 1982) is the head men's basketball coach at Jackson State University and a former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After a successful high scho ...
– 2009
*
Kyrie Irving – 2013, 2014*, 2015, 2017*
*
Kevin Love – 2017, 2018
*
Jarrett Allen – 2022
*
Darius Garland – 2022
* Starter
NBA All-Star Game head coaches
*
Lenny Wilkens – 1989
*
Mike Brown – 2009
*
Tyronn Lue
Tyronn Jamar Lue (pronounced ''Ta-RON LEW''; born May 3, 1977) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He formerly served as t ...
– 2016
NBA All-Star Game MVP
*
LeBron James – 2006, 2008, 2018
*
Kyrie Irving – 2014
Three-point Shootout
*
Mark Price – 1988 (5th), 1990 (7th), 1993 (1st), 1994 (1st), 1995 (3rd)
*
Craig Ehlo – 1990 (5th), 1992 (6th)
*
Wesley Person – 2002 (2nd)
*
Damon Jones – 2007 (5th)
*
Daniel Gibson
Daniel Hiram Gibson (born February 27, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player who played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was selected by the Cavaliers in the second r ...
– 2008 (2nd), 2011 (5th)
*
Kyrie Irving – 2013 (1st), 2014 (4th), 2015 (2nd), 2017 (2nd)
Slam Dunk Contest
*
Roy Hinson
Roy is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origin.
In Anglo-Norman England, the name derived from the Norman ''roy'', meaning "king", while its Old French cognate, ''rey'' or ''roy'' (modern ''roi''), likewise gave rise to ...
– 1986 (7th)
*
Ron Harper – 1987 (5th), 1989 (7th)
*
Bob Sura – 1997 (5th)
*
Larry Nance Jr. – 2018 (2nd)
Skills Challenge Skills Challenge may refer to
*the annual NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge
*the ''Our Skills Challenge Award'', one of the UK's Cub Scouts' challenge awards
Challenge may refer to:
* Voter challenging or caging, a method of challenging the ...
*
LeBron James – 2006 (2nd), 2007 (3rd)
*
Mo Williams
Maurice Williams (born December 19, 1982) is the head men's basketball coach at Jackson State University and a former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After a successful high scho ...
– 2009 (3rd)
*
Kyrie Irving – 2012 (7th)
*
Jarrett Allen – 2022 (1st)
*
Darius Garland – 2022 (1st)
*
Evan Mobley
Evan Mobley (born June 18, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected third overall by the Cleve ...
– 2022 (1st)
Rookie/Rising Stars Challenge
*
Chris Mills – 1994
*
Bob Sura – 1996
*
Vitaly Potapenko
Vitaly Nikolaevich Potapenko ( uk, Віталій Миколайович Потапенко, pronounced ''vee-TAH-lee poe-TAH-pen-koe'', born March 21, 1975) is a Ukrainian former professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coac ...
– 1997
*
Žydrūnas Ilgauskas – 1998
*
Brevin Knight – 1998
*
Cedric Henderson – 1998
*
Derek Anderson – 1998 (DNP)
*
Andre Miller – 2000 (rookie), 2001 (sophomore)
*
Chris Mihm
Christopher Steven Mihm (born July 16, 1979) is an American former professional basketball center who played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing college basketball at Texas, he was drafted with the seventh ov ...
– 2002 (sophomore)
*
Carlos Boozer
Carlos Austin Boozer Jr. (born November 20, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. The two-time NBA All-Star played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers, and then spent his last season ...
– 2003 (rookie), 2004 (sophomore)
*
Dajuan Wagner
Dajuan Marquett Wagner Sr. (born February 4, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He is the son of former University of Louisville and National Basketball Association (NBA) player Milt Wagner and left the NBA early into hi ...
– 2003 (rookie)
*
LeBron James – 2004 (rookie), 2005 (sophomore)
*
Daniel Gibson
Daniel Hiram Gibson (born February 27, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player who played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was selected by the Cavaliers in the second r ...
– 2008 (sophomore)
*
Kyrie Irving – 2012 (rookie), 2013 (sophomore)
*
Tristan Thompson – 2012 (rookie), 2013 (sophomore)
*
Dion Waiters – 2013 (rookie), 2014 (sophomore)
*
Tyler Zeller – 2013 (rookie)
*
Matthew Dellavedova – 2015 (World)
*
Cedi Osman
Cedi Osman (born 8 April 1995) is a Turkish professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the small forward position.
Early years
Osman was born in Ohrid, Macedonia, modern-da ...
– 2018 (World)
*
Collin Sexton
Collin Darnell Sexton (born January 4, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide. In January 2017 Sexton was sel ...
– 2020 (sophomore)
*
Evan Mobley
Evan Mobley (born June 18, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected third overall by the Cleve ...
– 2022 (rookie)
*
Isaac Okoro
Isaac Nnamdi Okoro (born January 26, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Auburn Tigers. Listed at and , he plays the ...
– 2022 (sophomore)
Rookie/Rising Stars Challenge MVP
*
Žydrūnas Ilgauskas – 1998
*
Daniel Gibson
Daniel Hiram Gibson (born February 27, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player who played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was selected by the Cavaliers in the second r ...
– 2008 (sophomore)
*
Kyrie Irving – 2012 (rookie)
Two Ball Contest
*
Wesley Person with
Michelle Edwards – 1998 (7th)
*
Trajan Langdon with
Eva Nemcova
Eva or EVA may refer to:
* Eva (name), a feminine given name
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
* Eva (Dynamite Entertainment), a comic book character by Dynamite Entertainment
* Eva (''Devil May Cry''), Dante's mother in t ...
– 2001 (2nd)
Head coaches
Media
Radio
WTAM (1100 AM/106.9 FM) and
WMMS (100.7 FM) currently serve as the flagship stations for the
Cavaliers AudioVerse
The Cavaliers AudioVerse is an American radio network composed of 19 radio stations which carry English-language coverage of the Cleveland Cavaliers, a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cleveland sister ...
. Tim Alcorn (play by play) and former Cavaliers star
Jim Chones (analyst) are the radio team, with WTAM morning co-host/sports director Mike Snyder hosting the pregame/halftime/postgame shows. Former
Ohio State standout and NBA player
Brad Sellers joins Snyder for the postgame show.
WNZN 89.1 FM serves as the team's
Spanish language outlet, with Rafael Hernandez Brito calling the games.
TV
The Cavaliers air on
Bally Sports Ohio. The broadcast team includes play-by-play announcer
John Michael, sideline reporter Serena Winters, and a rotation in the analyst spot of former Cavalier players
Austin Carr and
Brad Daugherty Brad Daugherty may refer to:
* Brad Daugherty (basketball) (born 1965), American NBA player, currently a television sportscaster
* Brad Daugherty (poker player) (born 1951), American poker player
{{Hndis, Daugherty, Brad ...
and former Cavs coach
Mike Fratello.
Cayleigh Griffin and former Cavaliers forward
Campy Russell (along with either Carr or Fratello when they are not serving as game analyst) host the pregame/halftime/postgame shows.
Mascots
Current
The Cavaliers have two official mascots:
Moondog and Sir C.C. The former was inspired by
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
radio DJ
Alan Freed, who popularized the phrase "rock and roll" and had called himself "
Moondog." Moondog was an NBA All-Star selection in 2003 and 2004, and he made his first appearance on November 5, 2003. Sir C.C., a
swashbuckler character, debuted during a game on November 27, 2010.
Past
During the 1990s and early 2000s, the Cavs had a polar bear mascot named Whammer, who was introduced on November 9, 1995. He still makes occasional appearances throughout the season at Cavaliers games.
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
National Basketball Association teams
Basketball teams established in 1970
1970 establishments in Ohio
Rock Ventures