Cleveland Cavaliers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cleveland Cavaliers
Conference	Eastern
Division	Central
Founded	1970
History	Cleveland Cavaliers 1970–present
Arena	Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Location	Cleveland, Ohio
Team colors	Wine, gold, black
Main sponsor	Cleveland-Cliffs
CEO	Nic Barlage
President	Koby Altman
General manager	Mike Gansey
Head coach	Kenny Atkinson
Ownership	Dan Gilbert (majority) Gary Gilbert (minority) Usher Raymond (minority) Myles Garrett (minority)
Affiliation(s)	Cleveland Charge
Championships	1 (2016)
Conference titles	5 (2007, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Division titles	7 (1976, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Retired numbers	7 (7, 11, 22, 25, 34, 42, 43)
Association Icon Statement

The Cleveland Cavaliers, often called the Cavs, are a professional basketball team. They are based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavs play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They are part of the Central Division in the Eastern Conference.

The team started in 1970 as a new expansion team. Their first home games were at Cleveland Arena. From 1974 to 1994, they played at the Richfield Coliseum. Since 1994, the Cavs have played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. This arena is in downtown Cleveland. Dan Gilbert has owned the team since 2005.

The Cavaliers had a tough start. They lost their first 15 games in their first season. For their first five years, they did not finish higher than sixth in their conference. In 1976, they won their first Central Division title. This was also their first winning season and first time in the playoffs. They even reached the Eastern Conference Finals that year.

In the early 1980s, the team struggled under a new owner. They had many coaching changes and lost games. The Cavs had a 24-game losing streak in 1981–83. In 1983, George and Gordon Gund bought the team.

Through the late 1980s and 1990s, the Cavs became a strong playoff team. Players like Mark Price and Brad Daugherty led the way. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 1992. After 1998, the team had six losing seasons.

In 2003, the Cavs got the top pick in the NBA draft. They chose LeBron James, who was from nearby Akron. With James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cavaliers became a playoff team again by 2005. They made their first NBA Finals appearance in 2007. They won their first Eastern Conference championship that year.

LeBron James left the Cavs in 2010 to join the Miami Heat. The Cavaliers then finished last in their conference. They had a 26-game losing streak, one of the longest in NBA history. However, between 2010 and 2014, the team won the top draft pick three times. They picked Kyrie Irving in 2011.

In 2014, LeBron James returned to the Cavs. He led the team to four straight NBA Finals. In 2016, the Cavaliers won their first NBA Championship. This was Cleveland's first major sports title since 1964. They beat the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals. They were the first team to win the Finals after being down 3–1.

The Cavaliers have made 23 playoff appearances. They have won seven Central Division titles. They also have five Eastern Conference titles and one NBA title.

Team History

The Cavaliers started playing in the 1970–71 season. They were a new team. They had losing records for their first five seasons. Then, in 1976, they won their first division title.

That 1976 team was led by Austin Carr, Bobby "Bingo" Smith, Jim Chones, Dick Snyder, and Nate Thurmond. Their coach was Bill Fitch. This team is famous for the "Miracle at Richfield". They beat the Washington Bullets 4–3 in the playoffs. They won Game 7 with a shot by Snyder in the last seconds. The Cavs reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time. They lost to the Boston Celtics 4–2. They made the playoffs for the next two seasons. Then, they had a six-year playoff drought.

Cavaliers forward and Akron native LeBron James, who was the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft. He led the team to its first NBA Finals in 2007 and their first championship in 2016.

The early 1980s were a tough time for the Cavs. The owner, Ted Stepien, made some unusual trades. He often traded away future draft picks. Because of his actions, the NBA made a rule. It's called the "Stepien Rule". It stops teams from trading first-round draft picks in back-to-back seasons. The Cavs lost a lot of money and games during this time. They also had many different coaches.

In 1983, George and Gordon Gund bought the team. The Cavaliers made the playoffs 10 times between 1985 and 1998. The 1988–89 season was one of their best. They finished 57–25. Key players were Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, Ron Harper, and Larry Nance. Their coach was Lenny Wilkens. They had another 57-win season in 1991–92. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals that year.

From 1999 to 2005, the Cavaliers did not make the playoffs. In the 2002–03 season, they had one of the worst records in the NBA.

The Cavaliers got the first pick in the 2003 NBA draft. They chose LeBron James, who grew up in Akron. On March 1, 2005, businessman Dan Gilbert bought the team. The Cavs also hired new leaders, coach Mike Brown and general manager Danny Ferry. They built a strong team around James and Žydrūnas Ilgauskas. They added players like Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes.

Under this new leadership, the Cavaliers made the playoffs five times in a row. This was from 2006 to 2010. The 2006–07 Cavaliers reached their first NBA Finals. However, they lost to the San Antonio Spurs. The 2008–09 Cavaliers won a team-record 66 games. They also had a great home record. But they lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the Orlando Magic. Even with Shaquille O'Neal joining, the 2009–10 Cavaliers lost in the second round of the playoffs.

After the 2010 season, LeBron James became a free agent. He announced he would sign with the Miami Heat. Many fans in Cleveland were upset. The Cavs had a tough 2010–11 season, winning only 19 games. They started rebuilding their team. They drafted Kyrie Irving first overall in the 2011 NBA draft.

In 2014, James returned to the Cavaliers. He had won two NBA titles with the Heat. The Cavs had missed the playoffs each season he was gone. The Cavaliers made trades to build a championship team around James. They got Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves. This created a "Big Three" with James, Love, and Irving.

The Cavaliers, led by LeBron, made four straight Finals appearances. This was from 2015 to 2018. They played against the Golden State Warriors each time. In 2016, they won their first NBA Championship. They were the first team to win the Finals after being down 3–1. This win also ended the "Cleveland sports curse". It was Cleveland's first major sports championship since 1964.

The Cavaliers' team changed a lot in the 2017–18 season. Kyrie Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics. Other players like Isaiah Thomas joined and then were traded. The team added Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.. After that season, James left again to join the Los Angeles Lakers. For the next two seasons, the Cavs won only 19 games each year. They missed the playoffs.

After James left the second time, the Cavaliers had several different head coaches. In the 2021–22 season, the Cavs finished 44–38. They qualified for the NBA play-in tournament. This was their first postseason basketball since 2017–18. It was also the first time a team without LeBron made the postseason since 1997–98. However, they lost in the play-in tournament.

On March 26, 2023, the Cavaliers made the NBA playoffs. This was the first time since 2018. It was also the first time since 1998 that they made the playoffs without LeBron James. They lost their first-round series to the New York Knicks.

On October 25, 2023, Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns bought a small part of the Cavaliers. He also became an ambassador for the team.

The Cavaliers made the 2024 NBA Playoffs as the 4th seed. They beat the Orlando Magic in the first round. But they lost to the Boston Celtics in the Conference Semifinals.

On November 6, 2024, the Cavaliers set a new team record. They beat the New Orleans Pelicans 131-122. This made their season record 9-0, their best start ever.

On November 17, 2024, the Cavs beat the Charlotte Hornets 128-114. This gave them a 15-0 start. This is tied for the second-best start in NBA history. Only three other teams have done this. The 15-0 start is also the Cavaliers’ longest winning streak ever.

On November 19, 2024, the Boston Celtics ended the Cavaliers' 15-game winning streak. The Celtics won 120–117. This was the Cavaliers' first loss of the season.

Season Records

Here are the last five seasons for the Cavaliers. For all seasons, see List of Cleveland Cavaliers seasons.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage

Team Colors and Jerseys

The Cavaliers have changed their colors and uniforms many times.

Original Colors: Wine and Gold (1970–1983)

When the Cavs started in 1970, their main colors were wine and gold. Their first jerseys had a special "C" in "Cavaliers". In 1974, they changed to a classic block letter style. This style was famous during the "Miracle of Richfield" team in 1976. In 1980, the gold color became more metallic.

The first team logo showed a swashbuckling cavalier with a sword. This logo was later used by their minor league team. Some of these old uniforms have been worn again as "throwbacks" in recent seasons.

Blue and Orange (1983–1994)

In the 1983–84 season, the team changed its colors to burnt orange, blue, and white. The first jerseys with these colors had a "V" shaped like a basketball hoop. By the 1987–88 season, blue became the main color. Orange was used less. These blue and orange uniforms have also been worn as throwbacks.

Blue, Black, and Orange (1994–2003)

When the team moved to Gund Arena in 1994, they added black to their colors. Their uniforms had a blue splash design on the front. Later, the splash design was removed for a cleaner look. The logo during this time showed a basketball going into a net. These black uniforms were brought back for the 2019–20 season.

Wine, Metallic Gold, and Navy (2003–2010)

In 2003–04, the Cavaliers went back to a version of their classic wine and gold. They added navy blue. The home jerseys were white with wine and gold trim. The road jerseys were wine-colored. They also had an alternate navy blue jersey. This jersey had a checkerboard pattern, like the original 1970s uniforms. The logo was a gold sword going through the team name.

Wine, Mustard Gold, and Navy (2010–2017)

New uniforms came out for the 2010–11 NBA season. They went back to the original shades of wine and gold. The home jerseys were white with wine and gold stripes. The road jerseys were wine-colored with gold lettering. An alternate gold jersey was added in 2012–13. All jerseys had the team motto, "All for one. One for all." inside the collar. The "Sword C" logo was on the shorts. A navy blue alternate jersey was added in 2014–15.

Wine, Mustard Gold, Navy, and Black (2015–2022)

Two new alternate jerseys were shown before the 2015–16 season. One was a wine-colored road jersey with an older Cavs logo. A black sleeved uniform was worn when the Cavs won Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. After this win, black was added to their logos.

Starting in the 2017–18 season, all NBA teams use Nike uniforms. The Cavs' main uniforms are wine-colored ("Icon") and white ("Association"). They also have a black "Statement" uniform. This black jersey is a tribute to the one worn in the 2016 Finals.

Wine, Metallic Gold, and Black (2022–Present)

For the 2022–23 NBA season, the Cavaliers updated their logo and colors. They removed navy blue. They brought back the metallic gold from earlier eras. A new "V-net" logo was also introduced. This logo combines styles from the 1980s and 1990s.

They also introduced three new uniforms:

• The white "Association" uniform has a wine-colored "V-net" logo.
• The wine "Icon" uniform has "Cleveland" in gold letters.
• The black "Statement" uniform has a wine "Cavs C" logo. This is a nod to their 2016 championship uniforms.

Special "City Edition" Uniforms

Nike also creates "City Edition" uniforms. These uniforms honor the city of Cleveland or the state of Ohio.

• In 2017–18, the uniform was gray with "The Land" (a Cleveland nickname) on the front.
• In 2018–19, it was orange and blue with a zigzag pattern. It featured a script "Cleveland" and an outline of the Great Lakes.
• In 2019–20, it was navy blue with "CLE" in a classic font.
• In 2020–21, it was black with "CLEVELAND" in different fonts. Each letter represented a band or artist in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• In 2021–22, it was wine-colored with a mix of old team logos.
• In 2022–23, it was white with tan and light blue. It honored the Cleveland Metroparks.
• In 2023–24, it was wine with gold trim. It honored Cleveland's Playhouse Square theater district.
• For 2024–25, the uniforms are light blue. They feature drawings of the Cavs logo and Cleveland landmarks. This honors the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Home Arenas

A game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (formerly Quicken Loans Arena) in 2017.

• Cleveland Arena (1970–1974)
• Coliseum at Richfield (1974–1994)
• Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (1994–present)

Practice Facility

The Cavaliers practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts. This building is in Independence. It opened in 2007. It has two basketball courts, a weight room, and offices. The Cleveland Clinic holds the naming rights. In 2016, the road leading to the facility was renamed "Cavaliers Way" to celebrate their NBA Championship.

Team Personnel

Current Roster

Players with Retained Draft Rights

The Cavaliers hold the rights to some players drafted by them or acquired in trades. These players are currently playing for non-NBA teams. The team keeps their NBA draft rights until one year after their contract with the non-NBA team ends.

Draft	Round	Pick	Player	Pos.	Nationality	Current team	Note(s)	Ref
2022	2	39	Diop, KhalifaKhalifa Diop	C	Senegal	Saski Baskonia (Spain)
2015	2	47	Gudaitis, ArtūrasArtūras Gudaitis	F/C	Lithuania	Alvark Tokyo (Japan)	Acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers (via Sacramento)
2011	2	56	Maduabum, ChukwudiebereChukwudiebere Maduabum	F/C	Nigeria	Veertien Mie (Japan)	Acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers (via Denver and Philadelphia)

Cavs Legends

These are past Cavaliers players and staff who have been honored. Their numbers might be retired, or they have special banners at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Other Honored Personnel
Symbol	Name	Role	Years with Cavs	Date Honored
	Joe Tait	Broadcaster	1970–1981; 1983–2011	April 8, 2011
	Nick Gilbert	Son of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert		March 3, 2024

• The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all teams in 2022.

Wall of Honor

In 2019, the Cavaliers started the Wall of Honor. It celebrates former players and staff. It is located at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. All people with retired numbers or banners are also in the Wall of Honor.

Basketball Hall of Famers

These are players and staff who were with the Cavaliers and are now in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Notes:

• ¹ Wilkens was inducted three times: as a player, as a coach, and as part of the 1992 Olympic team.
• ² Daly was inducted twice: as a coach and as part of the 1992 Olympic team.
• ³ Embry was honored for being the first African American to manage an NBA team.

Curt Gowdy Award Winners

Former longtime Cavs broadcaster Joe Tait, who won the Curt Gowdy Award in 2010.

• Joe Tait – 2010 (team announcer 1970–1981; 1983–2011)

FIBA Hall of Famers

Notes:

• ¹ Daly was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame twice: as a coach and as part of the 1992 Olympic team.

Team Records and Awards

Franchise Leaders (Top 5)

Bold means still active with the team. Italic means still active but not with the team.

Points Scored (Regular Season – as of April 14, 2024)

Other Statistics (Regular Season – as of April 14, 2024)

Individual Awards

NBA All-Star Weekend

Head Coaches

Media

Former Cavs All-Star guard and longtime TV analyst Austin Carr.

Radio

WTAM (1100 AM/106.9 FM) and WMMS (100.7 FM) are the main radio stations for the Cavs. Tim Alcorn does the play-by-play. Former Cavs star Jim Chones is the analyst. Mike Snyder hosts the pregame, halftime, and postgame shows.

Some games are also available online in Spanish. Rafael Hernandez Brito calls these games.

TV

The Cavaliers games are shown on FanDuel Sports Ohio. The TV team includes play-by-play announcer John Michael. Serena Winters is the sideline reporter. Former Cavaliers players Austin Carr and Brad Daugherty take turns as analysts.

Cayleigh Griffin and former Cavs guard Daniel "Boobie" Gibson host the pregame and postgame shows. When Daugherty is the game analyst, Carr joins the pregame show.

Mascots

Current mascots Sir C.C. (left) and Moondog (right).

The Cavs mascot Whammer from the 1990s and early 2000s.

Current Mascots

The Cavaliers have two official mascots: Moondog and Sir C.C.

• Moondog is named after Alan Freed, a Cleveland radio DJ. Freed helped make "rock and roll" popular. Moondog first appeared in 2003.
• Sir C.C. is a swashbuckler character. He first appeared in 2010.

Past Mascots

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Cavs had a polar bear mascot named Whammer. He was introduced in 1995. Whammer still makes special appearances at games sometimes.

See also

In Spanish: Cleveland Cavaliers para niños