History of the Cleveland Cavaliers facts for kids

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They joined the NBA in 1970 as a new team, owned by Nick Mileti. A fan competition chose the name "Cavaliers," beating out other ideas like "Jays" and "Foresters." The team played its first games at Cleveland Arena and was coached by Bill Fitch. In their very first season, they had a tough start, winning only 15 games and losing 67. The team hoped to build around Austin Carr, their top pick in the 1971 draft. Carr was a scoring star in college, but a serious leg injury early in his career kept him from reaching his full potential in the NBA.

Early Years: Building the Team (1970–1980)

Austin Carr was the first player picked in the 1971 NBA draft. He later became an NBA All-Star and a longtime TV announcer for the Cavaliers.

In the years after their first season, the Cavaliers slowly got better. They added talented players like Bobby "Bingo" Smith, Jim Chones, Jim Cleamons, and Dick Snyder. The team's record improved from 23 wins and 59 losses in their second season to 32 wins and 50 losses in 1972–73.

In 1974, the Cavaliers moved to a new home, the Richfield Coliseum. This arena was about 20 miles south of downtown Cleveland. The old Cleveland Arena was falling apart, and the new location aimed to attract fans from nearby Akron and other parts of Northeast Ohio. In the 1974–75 season, the Cavs almost made the playoffs, finishing with 40 wins and 42 losses.

The "Miracle of Richfield" Season

The 1975–76 season was a special one for the Cavaliers. With players like Carr, Smith, Chones, Snyder, and new addition Nate Thurmond, Coach Fitch led the team to a 49–33 record. This was their first winning season ever! They also won their first division title, and Coach Fitch was named the NBA Coach of the Year.

In the playoffs, the Cavaliers played against the Washington Bullets. The Cavs won the series 4–3 in an exciting battle. Many games featured last-second shots, earning the series the nickname "Miracle of Richfield." They won the final game 87–85, thanks to a shot by Snyder with just four seconds left. However, injuries hurt the team, especially to Jim Chones, who broke his ankle.

The Cavaliers then lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Many fans and players believe that if Chones had stayed healthy, the "Miracle" team could have won the 1976 NBA Championship.

The team won 43 games in both the 1976–77 and 1977–78 seasons. But they were knocked out of the playoffs early both times. After a tough 30–52 season in 1978–79, Coach Fitch left the team.

New Owners and Challenges (1980–1986)

In 1980, Ted Stepien bought the Cavaliers. He had some unusual ideas, like wanting to rename the team the "Ohio Cavaliers." He even planned to play games in other cities like Cincinnati, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh. Stepien also changed the game day entertainment, adding a polka-style fight song and a dance team called "The Teddy Bears."

Stepien made many poor decisions with trades, losing several important first-round draft picks. This led to a new rule in the NBA, called the "Ted Stepien Rule." This rule stops teams from trading away their first-round draft picks in back-to-back years.

These problems hurt the team's performance and fan support. The Cavs won only 28 games in Stepien's first year as owner. In 1981–82, they had a terrible 15–67 record. That team lost its last 19 games, and when combined with the start of the next season, it became the NBA's second-longest losing streak at 24 games. Fan attendance dropped very low, with only about 3,900 fans per game at the large Richfield Coliseum.

Stepien even threatened to move the team to Toronto and call them the Toronto Towers. But in 1983, brothers George and Gordon Gund bought the team. They decided to keep the Cavaliers in Cleveland. As a reward, the NBA gave the team extra first-round draft picks from 1983 to 1986. This helped make up for the picks Stepien had traded away.

The Gunds Take Over

After buying the team, the Gunds changed the team colors from wine and gold to burnt orange and navy blue. They also officially started using "Cavs" as a shorter nickname.

Under coach George Karl, the Cavaliers struggled again, missing the playoffs with a 28–54 record in 1983–84. They finally returned to the playoffs in 1985 but lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round. The team had exciting players like World B. Free, Roy Hinson, and John Bagley. But in 1986, Karl was fired. The team missed the playoffs by just one game that year.

The Daugherty/Nance/Price Era (1986–1995)

Brad Daugherty was the first player picked in the 1986 NBA draft. He was an NBA All-Star five times for the Cavaliers.

In the 1986 NBA draft, the Cavaliers added three important players: Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, and Ron Harper. They also got Larry Nance in a trade in 1988. These four players, led by coach Lenny Wilkens, became the heart of the team. They helped the Cavaliers reach the playoffs eight times in the next nine years, including three seasons with 50 or more wins.

In the 1989 playoffs, the Cavaliers faced Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. In the deciding Game 5, the Bulls won with a famous last-second shot by Jordan, known as "The Shot." Cleveland lost the series 3–2.

The Cavaliers' best season during this time was 1991–92, when they had a 57–25 record. They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals but lost to the Chicago Bulls again, 4–2. After this, the team started to decline as key players like Nance, Daugherty, and Price retired or left.

After the 1992–93 season, where the Cavs had a strong 54–28 record but lost early in the playoffs to the Bulls, Coach Wilkens left.

Mike Fratello became the new coach in 1993. The Cavaliers became one of the NBA's best defensive teams. However, their offense was slower, and they struggled to get past the first round of the playoffs. In the 1994 NBA Playoffs, they again lost to the Chicago Bulls, who swept them 3–0.

In 1994, the Cavaliers moved back to downtown Cleveland to a new arena called Gund Arena. This arena, known as "the Gund," hosted the 1997 NBA All-Star Game.

Challenges and New Faces (1995–2003)

Žydrūnas Ilgauskas was a Cavaliers draft pick in 1996 and a two-time NBA All Star. He is the team's all-time leader in blocked shots.

The Cavaliers changed their team a lot in 1997. They traded players like Terrell Brandon and Tyrone Hill and brought in All-Star forward Shawn Kemp and guard Wesley Person. Later, players like Kemp and Žydrūnas Ilgauskas joined the team. Even with these talented players, the team didn't have much playoff success. In 1998, the Cavaliers had five players recognized as All-Stars or All-Rookies, which was a unique achievement. Still, in the three seasons Kemp played for the Cavs, they only made the playoffs once and won only one playoff game. Coach Fratello was fired after the 1998–99 season.

In the early 2000s, the Cavaliers continued to struggle. Even with players like Andre Miller, Carlos Boozer, and Ilgauskas, they often finished near the bottom of the league. The 2002–03 team had one of the worst records in franchise history, winning only 17 games and losing 65. This bad record gave them a good chance at getting the first pick in the NBA Draft.

A strange moment happened on March 16, 2003, involving player Ricky Davis. In a game where the Cavs were far ahead, Davis was one rebound short of a triple-double. To get the rebound, he intentionally shot the ball at his own basket and caught it. This is against the rules and considered poor sportsmanship. This event, among others, led to Davis being traded later that year.

The First LeBron Era (2003–2010)

Cavaliers forward LeBron James was the first player picked in the 2003 NBA draft. He won NBA MVP twice (2009, 2010) and led the team to its first NBA Finals in 2007.

After several losing seasons, the Cavaliers got the number one draft pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. They chose LeBron James, a high school star from nearby Akron. Many people saw his selection as a turning point for the team. The team's colors were changed back to wine and gold, with some navy blue.

LeBron, known as "King James," quickly became a dominant player. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2004. In the 2004–05 season, James improved even more. He teamed up with Žydrūnas Ilgauskas and Drew Gooden. Despite a good start, the team struggled later in the season, and the coach and general manager were fired. The team missed the playoffs that year.

New Ownership and Playoff Success

In 2005, Dan Gilbert became the new owner. He hired a new coach, Mike Brown, and a new general manager, former Cavs player Danny Ferry. The team improved in the 2005–06 season and made the playoffs for the first time since 1998. They won their first-round series. In the second round, they came back from being down 0–2 against the Detroit Pistons to win three games in a row. They lost a close Game 6 at home and then Game 7. LeBron James showed his amazing talent during these playoff games.

Eastern Conference Champions (2007)

The Cavaliers continued their success in the 2006–07 season, earning the second spot in the East with a 50–32 record. They swept the Washington Wizards in the first round and beat the New Jersey Nets 4–2 in the second round.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavaliers faced the Pistons again. After losing the first two games, the Cavs won the next three to take a 3–2 lead. This time, the Cavaliers beat Detroit in Game 6. One of the most famous games was Game 5, where LeBron James scored the last 25 points for the Cavaliers in a double-overtime win. Rookie Daniel Gibson scored a career-high 31 points in Game 6, and the team won its first Eastern Conference Championship!

The team's first trip to the NBA Finals was short. They were swept 4–0 by the more experienced San Antonio Spurs.

The Cavaliers faced injuries and made many player changes in the 2007–08 season. They finished with 45 wins and 37 losses. They lost in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual champion Boston Celtics in seven games. The next season, they traded for point guard Mo Williams to help LeBron with scoring.

Mike Brown was the Cavaliers' head coach twice. In his first time, he won NBA Coach of the Year in 2008–09 and led the team to the 2007 NBA Finals.

Playoff Upsets (2008–2010)

In the 2008–09 season, the Cavaliers had their best regular season ever, with a 66–16 record. They had a 13-game winning streak and set new home and away winning records. The Cavaliers were the top team in the NBA and had home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Coach Mike Brown won NBA Coach of the Year, and LeBron James won the NBA Most Valuable Player award.

The Cavaliers started the 2009 playoffs by sweeping the Detroit Pistons and then sweeping the Atlanta Hawks. They became the first NBA team to win eight straight playoff games by a large margin. However, they then met the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavaliers lost Game 1 at home despite LeBron's 49 points. They won Game 2 with a buzzer-beating three-pointer from James, but Orlando won the series in six games.

In the 2009 off-season, the Cavaliers added four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal. They also signed Anthony Parker, Leon Powe, and Jamario Moon. In February 2010, the Cavaliers traded for All-Star forward Antawn Jamison. The Cavaliers finished with the NBA's best record for the second year in a row, with 61 wins and 21 losses. James was named NBA MVP for the second time. The Cavaliers beat the Chicago Bulls 4–1 in the first round of the 2010 NBA playoffs. But they lost to the Boston Celtics in the semifinals after leading the series 2–1.

Cavaliers Without LeBron (2010–2014)

LeBron's Departure

After the Cavaliers were out of the playoffs, everyone wondered what LeBron James would do as a free agent. On July 8, 2010, James announced on a TV special that he would be signing with the Miami Heat. Many people in Cleveland were very angry and felt betrayed. Some fans burned LeBron James jerseys, and a large mural of him in downtown Cleveland was quickly taken down.

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert wrote an open letter saying James' decision was a "cowardly betrayal." He promised that the Cavaliers would win an NBA Championship before James did. (LeBron did win a championship with the Miami Heat in 2012 before the Cavs did).

Struggles and a Losing Streak

Former Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott. Under him, the team had a 26-game losing streak, which was the longest in NBA history at the time.

After LeBron left, the Cavaliers fired their coach, Mike Brown, and general manager, Danny Ferry. They hired Byron Scott as the new head coach.

The 2010–11 season was very different from the previous one. The team went from a league-best 61 wins to a conference-worst 19 wins. This was the biggest single-season drop in NBA history. They also lost 63 games, including a 26-game losing streak. This set an NBA record for the longest losing streak.

Kyrie Irving Joins the Team

Kyrie Irving was the first player picked in the 2011 NBA draft. He was the 2011–12 Rookie of the Year and a three-time NBA All Star.

Because they had one of the worst records, the Cavaliers had a good chance in the NBA draft lottery. They ended up with two high draft picks. With the first pick, they chose guard Kyrie Irving. With the fourth pick, they selected power forward Tristan Thompson. The Cavaliers spent the next year building around these two young stars.

The 2011–12 season was shorter due to a lockout, but the Cavaliers improved to 21 wins and 45 losses. Irving was named NBA Rookie of the Year. Thompson was also recognized as a top rookie.

In the 2012 NBA draft, the Cavaliers again had two first-round picks. They chose guard Dion Waiters and center Tyler Zeller. The team struggled in 2012–13, and coach Byron Scott was fired. The Cavaliers then rehired Mike Brown as head coach.

The Cavaliers won the 2013 NBA draft lottery again, getting the first overall pick. They surprisingly drafted forward Anthony Bennett, who became the first Canadian-born player to be the number one pick. They also signed veteran players like Jarrett Jack and Andrew Bynum. Bynum was later traded for All-Star forward Luol Deng.

In February 2014, General Manager Chris Grant was fired. David Griffin took over as acting GM and was later named full-time GM. Mike Brown was fired again after one season. The Cavaliers won the #1 draft pick in the 2014 Draft Lottery for the third time in four years.

LeBron James Returns (2014–2018)

Kevin Love (left), Kyrie Irving (center), and LeBron James (right) joined forces in 2014. They led the Cavs to three Eastern Conference Championships (2015–2017) and the 2016 NBA Championship.

The Cavaliers became a top team between 2014–15 and 2017–18 after LeBron James returned to Cleveland. On July 11, 2014, James announced he was coming back to the Cavaliers. This news was very well received by fans. A month later, the Cavaliers traded for Kevin Love, creating a new "Big Three" with James and Kyrie Irving.

Second NBA Finals Appearance (2015)

The Cavaliers had a slow start to the 2014–15 season. They were 19–16 in early January. General Manager David Griffin made two important trades. He brought in J. R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, and then center Timofey Mozgov. These moves helped the team turn their season around. Irving also had amazing scoring games, including 55 and 57 points, breaking the team's scoring record.

The Cavaliers entered the 2015 NBA playoffs as the second seed in the East. They easily won their first three playoff series, sweeping Boston and Atlanta, and beating Chicago in six games. This earned them their second Eastern Conference Championship and a trip to the NBA Finals.

In the NBA Finals, the Cavaliers faced the Golden State Warriors. The first two games went into overtime, with each team winning one. The Cavaliers won Game 3 to take a 2–1 lead. LeBron James carried a huge load, playing many minutes and scoring a lot of points. However, the Cavaliers lost the next three games, and the Warriors won the 2015 NBA Championship in Cleveland. The Cavs were hurt by injuries to Love and Irving during the Finals. Despite the loss, James was considered for Finals MVP because of his incredible performance.

Ending Cleveland's Championship Drought (2016)

Tyronn Lue became head coach during the 2015–16 season and led the team to their first NBA Title.

The Cavaliers aimed for redemption in the 2015–16 season. Many key players, including Love, Smith, Shumpert, and Matthew Dellavedova, signed new contracts to stay.

During the season, coach David Blatt was fired in January, even though the team had the best record in the Eastern Conference at 30–11. His assistant, Tyronn Lue, took over as head coach. Lue helped build trust within the team and changed their offense.

The Cavaliers entered the 2016 NBA playoffs as the top seed in the East with a 57–25 record. They easily won their first three playoff rounds, reaching the NBA Finals with a 12–2 playoff record. They swept the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks, and beat the Toronto Raptors in six games.

In the NBA Finals, the Cavaliers had a rematch with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors had a record-breaking 73–9 regular season. They took a 2–0 lead in the series with two big wins. The Cavaliers won Game 3, but then fell behind 3–1 after losing Game 4.

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving stepped up in Game 5, both scoring 41 points to lead the Cavaliers to a win in Oakland. They were the first teammates to each score 40 points in an NBA Finals game. James continued his amazing play in Game 6, scoring another 41 points. This helped the Cavaliers win two games in a row to avoid being eliminated.

In Game 7, played in Oakland, the Cavaliers made several key plays late in the game. James had a famous chase-down block on Andre Iguodala. Irving hit a crucial three-pointer to give the Cavs a 92–89 lead. And Love played strong defense on Stephen Curry. Cleveland won 93–89, earning the city's first major professional sports title in 52 years! James was named the Finals MVP. The Cavaliers became the first team to come back from a 3–1 deficit to win the NBA Finals.

An estimated 1.3 million people celebrated at the victory parade in downtown Cleveland. At the rally, General Manager David Griffin said that past Cleveland sports heartbreaks like "The Shot," "The Drive," and "The Fumble" were now replaced by "The Block," "the three," and "the D."

Rivalry with Golden State (2016–2018)

The 2016–17 season was challenging for the Cavaliers due to injuries and unexpected losses. LeBron James called it one of the "strangest" years of his career. The team finished as the second seed in the East with a 51–31 record. Despite this, the Cavaliers dominated the Eastern Conference playoffs, going 12–1. However, they met the Golden State Warriors again in the 2017 NBA Finals. The Warriors had swept their Western Conference playoffs and defeated the Cavaliers in five games. James averaged a triple-double in the Finals, a first for any player.

In the 2017 off-season, Kyrie Irving asked to be traded because he no longer wanted to be second to LeBron. He was traded to the Boston Celtics.

During the 2017–18 season, the Cavaliers made many trades to change their roster. They acquired players like Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson. This new team played better and made it to the NBA Finals for the fourth year in a row. But they were swept 4–0 by the Warriors again.

After the Finals, LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, leaving Cleveland for a second time. The Cavs re-signed Kevin Love to a long-term contract to try and stay competitive.

Post-LeBron Era (2018–Present)

Growing Pains (2018–2021)

After LeBron left, Cleveland planned to stay competitive with young players like Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman, led by Love. However, injuries to Love and Tristan Thompson hurt the team's season. Coach Tyronn Lue was fired after starting the 2018–19 season with six losses. The Cavs missed the 2019 NBA playoffs.

In the 2019 NBA draft, the Cavs picked Darius Garland, hoping to pair him with Collin Sexton. They also drafted Kevin Porter Jr. and Dylan Windler. The team hired John Beilein as head coach, who wanted a fast-paced offense. In 2020, the Cavaliers traded for two-time All-Star Andre Drummond. Beilein was fired midway through the 2019–20 season and replaced by J.B. Bickerstaff. The NBA season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Cavaliers were not invited to finish the season in the "NBA Bubble."

In the 2020 NBA draft, the Cavs selected Isaac Okoro. After an injury-filled 2020–21 season, the Cavs missed the playoffs again. In the first three seasons after James went to the Lakers, the Cavs won only 60 games total and missed the playoffs each year.

Rebuilding the Team (2021–2022)

With the third pick in the 2021 NBA draft, the Cavs selected power forward Evan Mobley. They also acquired point guard Ricky Rubio, re-signed center Jarrett Allen, and traded for forward Lauri Markkanen. For the 2021–22 season, the Cavaliers started three tall players: Mobley, Allen, and Markkanen. This group became known as the "Tower City" lineup. Young guards Sexton and Garland, and wingmen Osman and Okoro formed the core, with Love and Rubio providing veteran leadership.

Even though Sexton and Rubio suffered season-ending knee injuries, the team surprised many people. They were a strong contender in the Eastern Conference. In early 2022, the team traded for two-time NBA Champion Rajon Rondo and later for wingman Caris LeVert. Garland and Allen were both named to the 2022 NBA All-Star Team. The Cavs finished the season with a 44–38 record and made the NBA play-in tournament. However, they lost both play-in games and did not advance to the playoffs.

The Donovan Mitchell Era (2022–Present)

Donovan Mitchell joined the Cavaliers in 2022 through a trade with the Utah Jazz.

In the 2022 off-season, the Cavs signed veteran center Robin Lopez and re-signed Ricky Rubio for depth and leadership. Their biggest move was trading Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji, and Lauri Markkanen (along with draft picks) to the Utah Jazz for four-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. This created a "Big 4" with Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. Mitchell was selected for his fifth All-Star Game in 2023.

In February 2023, the Cavs signed veteran guard Danny Green. Kevin Love, the last player from the 2016 NBA Championship team, left the Cavs. On March 26, 2023, the Cavaliers beat the Houston Rockets to clinch a playoff spot. This was their first playoff appearance since 2018, and the first time a Cavs team without LeBron James made the playoffs since 1998. The Cavaliers finished the regular season with 51 wins and 31 losses. This was the first Cavs team to win 50 games without LeBron James since 1992–93. They lost in the first round of the playoffs to the New York Knicks 4–1.

In the 2023 off-season, the Cavs signed swingman Max Strus as their new starting small forward. Before the season, a giant banner featuring the "Big 4" (Mitchell, Garland, Allen, and Evan Mobley) was put up in downtown Cleveland. During the 2023–24 season, the team had a great stretch, winning 23 out of 28 games. They signed Pete Nance, making him the third member of the Nance family to play for the Cavs. Even with injuries to key players, the Cavs finished 48–34 and made the playoffs as the fourth seed. They defeated the Orlando Magic 4–2 in the first round. However, they lost to the Boston Celtics 4–1 in the Conference semifinals, playing without Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell due to injuries.

On May 23, 2024, the Cavs fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

See also

• History of Cleveland

Images for kids

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  Cleveland Cavaliers logo