Cleveland Cavaliers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cleveland Cavaliers
Conference	Eastern
Division	Central
Founded	1970
History	Cleveland Cavaliers 1970–present
Arena	Rocket Arena
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	8 (1976, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2025)
Retired numbers	7 (7, 11, 22, 25, 34, 42, 43)
Association Icon Statement City

The Cleveland Cavaliers, also known as the Cavs, are a professional basketball team from Cleveland, Ohio. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the Eastern Conference's Central Division. The team started playing in 1970. Their home games are currently held at Rocket Arena in downtown Cleveland. Dan Gilbert has been the team's owner since 2005.

The Cavs had a tough start, losing their first 15 games in 1970. They won their first division title in 1976 and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. In the early 1980s, a new owner made some choices that led to the team struggling. This led to a special rule in the NBA, called the "Stepien Rule," to prevent teams from trading away too many future draft picks.

In 1983, new owners took over, and the team became strong again in the late 1980s and 1990s with stars like Mark Price and Brad Daugherty. They even reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 1992. After some tough years, the Cavs got the first pick in the 2003 draft and chose LeBron James. With LeBron, the team became a top contender, reaching their first NBA Finals in 2007. LeBron left in 2010, and the team struggled, but they drafted other future stars like Kyrie Irving.

LeBron James came back to the Cavs in 2014. The team then brought in Kevin Love, forming a "Big Three" with LeBron and Kyrie Irving. The LeBron-led Cavaliers made four NBA Finals appearances in a row, from 2015 to 2018. In 2016, the Cavaliers won their first-ever NBA Championship! This was a huge moment for Cleveland sports. They made history by being the first team to win the Finals after being down 3-1 in the series. Overall, the Cavaliers have made the playoffs 25 times, won 8 Central Division titles, 5 Eastern Conference titles, and 1 NBA Championship.

Team History

The Cavaliers started playing in 1970. After a few tough seasons, they won their first division title in 1976. This team was famous for the "Miracle at Richfield". They beat the Washington Bullets in an exciting series, winning the last game with only four seconds left! They then reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time.

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.

In the early 1980s, the team had an owner who made some unusual trades. These trades led to the NBA creating a rule called the "Stepien Rule." This rule stops teams from trading away their first-round draft picks for two years in a row. This helps teams keep their future talent. In 1983, new owners, George and Gordon Gund, bought the team.

The Cavs were a strong team from 1985 to 1998, making the playoffs many times. The 1988–89 season was one of their best, with stars like Brad Daugherty and Mark Price. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 1992. After some less successful years, the team had a tough 2002–03 season.

Dan Gilbert, who has owned the Cavaliers since 2005, saw the team win the 2016 NBA Championship.

In 2003, the Cavaliers got the first pick in the NBA draft and chose LeBron James, who grew up nearby in Akron. In 2005, Dan Gilbert became the new owner. With LeBron and other players like Žydrūnas Ilgauskas, the team became very successful. They made it to their first NBA Finals in 2007. In 2009, they won a team record of 66 games!

In 2010, LeBron James decided to leave the Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat. This was a tough time for many fans. The team then started to rebuild, and in 2011, they drafted another amazing player, Kyrie Irving.

In 2014, LeBron James returned to Cleveland! The team then brought in Kevin Love, forming a "Big Three" with LeBron and Kyrie Irving. The LeBron-led Cavaliers made four consecutive Finals appearances from 2015 to 2018, all against the Golden State Warriors. They won the championship in 2016. This was the Cavaliers' first title ever, and they were the first team to win the Finals after being down 3-1 in the series. It also ended a long wait for a major sports championship in Cleveland.

After the 2017–18 season, LeBron James left the team again. The Cavaliers then focused on developing new talent. They had some challenging seasons, but they continued to build for the future.

Donovan Mitchell, who was traded to the Cavaliers on September 1, 2022, has been an All-Star in all four seasons he has played for the Cavs.

In the 2021–22 season, the Cavs finished strong and qualified for the NBA play-in tournament. This was the first time a team without LeBron James made it to the postseason since 1998. On March 26, 2023, the Cavaliers secured a spot in the NBA playoffs, which was their first playoff appearance since 2018. They played against the New York Knicks in the first round.

On October 25, 2023, Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns became a part-owner of the Cavaliers. He also serves as an ambassador for the team.

The Cavaliers qualified for the 2024 NBA Playoffs as the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference. They defeated the Orlando Magic in a thrilling seven-game series but lost to the Boston Celtics in the Conference Semifinals.

Current head coach Kenny Atkinson

On November 6, 2024, the Cavaliers set a new team record for the best start to a season, winning their first nine games. They continued their amazing start, achieving a 15-0 record by November 17, 2024. This tied for the second-best start in NBA history! Their winning streak ended on November 19, 2024, when they lost to the Boston Celtics. The 2024-25 season saw the Cavaliers finish first in the Central Division, but they lost in the Conference Semifinals. The team is currently playing in the 2025-26 NBA season.

Season-by-season record

Here are the results for the last five seasons completed by the Cavaliers. For the full history, see List of Cleveland Cavaliers seasons.

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

Rivalries

The Cavaliers have exciting rivalries with other teams, especially the Chicago Bulls and the Golden State Warriors.

Logos and Uniforms

The Cavaliers have changed their team colors and uniforms several times over the years.

Early Colors: Wine and Gold

When the team started in 1970, their main colors were wine and gold. Their first jerseys had a cool feathered "C" in "Cavaliers." Later, in 1974, they switched to a classic block lettering style with a checkerboard pattern. In 1980, the gold color became more metallic.

Blue and Orange Era

In the 1983–84 season, the team changed its colors to burnt orange, blue, and white. The uniforms featured the Cavaliers logo with a "V" shaped like a basketball hoop. Blue became the main color for their jerseys in 1987.

Adding Black: Blue, Black, and Orange

When the team moved to Gund Arena in 1994, they added black to their colors, along with blue, orange, and white. Their uniforms had a blue splash design on the front. Later, in 1999, they went for a simpler look, removing the splash and adding stripes.

Return to Wine, Gold, and Navy

For the 2003–04 season, the Cavaliers went back to a version of their classic wine and gold, but added navy blue. The home uniforms were white, and the away uniforms were wine-colored. They also had a navy blue alternate jersey with a checkerboard pattern, which was a nod to their original 1970s uniforms.

Modern Wine, Gold, and Black

50th anniversary logo used during 2019–20 season

In 2010, the Cavaliers updated their uniforms to use the original shades of wine and gold. They added a gold alternate jersey in 2012. In 2014, a navy blue alternate jersey was introduced.

Before the 2015–16 season, they unveiled new alternate jerseys, including a black sleeved uniform. This black uniform became famous when the team wore it to win Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. After this victory, black was officially added to the team's colors.

Cavaliers' "V-net" logo - a modified version of similar logos used in the 1980s and 1990s that the team began using in 2022.

For the 2022–23 NBA season, the Cavaliers updated their logo and colors again. They removed navy blue and brought back a metallic gold, along with wine and black. They also introduced a new "V-net" logo, which combines styles from their past logos. The new uniforms feature this updated logo and color scheme.

Home Arenas

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

Cleveland Clinic Courts

The team's practice facility and headquarters, called Cleveland Clinic Courts, is in Independence, Ohio. This large building opened in 2007. It has two basketball courts, a weight room, offices, and medical facilities. In 2016, the road leading to the facility was renamed "Cavaliers Way" to celebrate the team's NBA Championship win.

Personnel

Current roster

Cavs Legends

These are past Cavaliers players and others who have been honored by the team. Their numbers are retired, or special banners hang in Rocket Arena.

Other honored personnel
Insignia	Name	Role	Tenure	Date
	Joe Tait	Broadcaster	1970–1981; 1983–2011	April 8, 2011
	Nick Gilbert	Late son of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert		March 3, 2024

• The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.

Wall of Honor

The Wall of Honor, started in 2019, celebrates former players and staff. It is located in the North Atrium of Rocket Arena.

Basketball Hall of Famers

These players and staff who spent time with the Cavaliers have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Notes:

• ¹ In total, Wilkens was inducted into the Hall of Fame three times.
• ² In total, Daly was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice.
• ³ Inducted as contributor for being the first African American to manage a team in the NBA.
• ⁴ In total, Wade was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice.

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 In total, Daly was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame twice.

Individual Records and Accomplishments

Franchise Leaders

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

Points scored (regular season – as of the 2024–25 NBA season)

Other statistics (regular season) (as of the 2024–25 NBA season)

Individual Awards

NBA All-Star Weekend

Head Coaches

Media

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

Radio

You can listen to Cavaliers games on WTAM (1100 AM/106.9 FM) and WMMS (100.7 FM). Tim Alcorn does the play-by-play, and former Cavaliers star Jim Chones is the analyst. Mike Snyder hosts the pregame, halftime, and postgame shows.

Spanish language broadcasts of home games are on WJMO 1300, with Rafael Hernandez Brito.

TV

Cavaliers games are shown on FanDuel Sports Network Ohio. Some games are also shown on WUAB channel 43 and WOHZ-CD channel 22. The TV team includes play-by-play announcer John Michael, sideline reporter Serena Winters, and former Cavalier Brad Daugherty as an analyst.

Cayleigh Griffin and former Cavaliers guard Austin Carr host the pregame, halftime, and postgame shows. Former Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert also helps out.

Mascots

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

Mid 1990s/early 2000s-era mascot Whammer

Current Mascots

The Cavaliers have two official mascots: Moondog and Sir C.C. Moondog was inspired by a famous Cleveland radio DJ. He first appeared on November 5, 2003. Sir C.C., who looks like a swashbuckler, debuted on November 27, 2010.

Past Mascots

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Cavs had a polar bear mascot named Whammer. He was introduced on November 9, 1995. Whammer still makes special appearances at games sometimes.

See also

In Spanish: Cleveland Cavaliers para niños