Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers
2011–12 Cleveland Cavaliers season
Conference	Eastern Conference
Division	Central Division
Founded	1970
History	Cleveland Cavaliers (1970–present)
Arena	Quicken Loans Arena formerly Gund Arena
City	Cleveland, Ohio
Team colors	Wine, Gold, White and Navy
Owner(s)	Dan Gilbert Gary Gilbert David Katzman[1] Usher Raymond[2] Gordon Gund
General manager	Chris Grant
Head coach	Byron Scott
D-League affiliate	Canton Charge
Championships	0
Conference titles	1 (2007)
Division titles	3 (1976, 2009, 2010)
Retired numbers	6 (7, 22, 25, 34, 42, 43, MIC)
Official website	cavs.com

The Cleveland Cavaliers (also known as the Cavs) are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1970 as an expansion team. They play their home games at Quicken Loans Arena.

Franchise history

1970–1980: Expansion and early hope

The Cavaliers first began play in the NBA in 1970 as an expansion team under the ownership of Nick Mileti. The father of Brett Tomko, Jerry Tomko, submitted the winning entry to name the team the "Cavaliers" through a competition sponsored by the The Plain Dealer, supporters preferred it to "Jays", "Foresters" and "Presidents".^[3] Playing their home games at Cleveland Arena under the direction of head coach Bill Fitch, they compiled a league-worst 15–67 record. The team hoped to build around the number one 1971 draft pick Austin Carr who had set numerous scoring records at Notre Dame, but Carr severely injured his leg shortly into his pro career and never was able to realize his potential.

The following seasons saw the Cavaliers gradually improve their on-court performance, thanks to season-by-season additions of talented players such as Bingo Smith, Jim Chones, Jim Cleamons and Dick Snyder. Cleveland improved to 23–59 in their sophomore season, followed by a 32–50 record in 1972–73, and a small step backwards to 29–53 in 1973–74. In 1974, the Cavaliers moved into the brand-new Richfield Coliseum, located in a rural area thirty miles south of downtown Cleveland in Summit County (now part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park). That season, the Cavaliers finished with a 40–42 record, falling just short of a playoff berth.

In the 1975–76 season with Carr, Smith, Chones, Snyder, and newly acquired Nate Thurmond; Fitch led the Cavaliers to a 49–33 record and a division title. Fitch received the league's Coach of the Year award as the Cavs made their first-ever playoff appearance, and clinched their first Central Division Title.

The Cavs won the series against the Washington Bullets, 4–3. Because of the many heroics and last-second shots, the series became known locally as the "Miracle of Richfield." Hampered by injuries, particularly to Jim Chones, the Cavs proceeded to lose to the Boston Celtics in Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA playoffs.

Cleveland won 43 games the next two seasons (1976–77 and 1977–78), but both those seasons resulted in early playoff exits. After a 30–52 season in 1978–79, Fitch resigned as head coach.

1980–1983: Under ownership of Ted Stepien

The following season, after going 37–45 under Fitch's successor Stan Albeck, original owner Mileti sold his shares to minority owner Joe Zingale. In 1980, after just a few months, Zingale sold the team to Nationwide Advertising magnate Ted Stepien. The new owner oversaw the hiring and firing of a succession of coaches and was involved in making a number of poor trade and free agent signing decisions. The result of Stepien's questionable trading acumen was the loss of several of the team's first-round draft picks, which led to a rule change in the NBA prohibiting teams from trading away first-round draft picks in consecutive years. This rule is known as the "Ted Stepien Rule."

Early on in his tenure, Stepien proposed to rename the team the "Ohio Cavaliers", part of a plan that included playing their home games not just in the Cleveland area but in Cincinnati and in non-Ohio markets such as Buffalo and Pittsburgh. He also made changes to the game day entertainment, such as introducing a polka-flavored fight song and a dance team known as "The Teddy Bears".

The ensuing chaos had a major effect on both the Cavaliers' on-court performance and lack of local support, going 28–54 in 1980–81 (Stepien's first year as owner), followed by an abysmal 15–67 mark in 1981–82. The 1981–82 team lost its last 19 games of the season which, when coupled with the five losses at the start of the 1982–83 season, constitute the NBA's second all-time longest losing streak at 24 games. Although the team improved its record to 23–59 the following year, local support for the Cavs eroded which eventually bottomed out that year by averaging only 3,900 fans a game at the cavernous Coliseum which seated more than 20,000.

Though Stepien eventually threatened to move the franchise to Toronto and rename it the Toronto Towers, but brothers George and Gordon Gund purchased the franchise in the mid 1980s and decided to keep the team in Cleveland (a decade later, Toronto would eventually receive an expansion franchise, the Toronto Raptors.)

1983–1993: New look and new success

Shortly after purchasing the Cavaliers in 1983, the Gunds changed the team colors from wine and gold to burnt orange and navy blue. Furthermore, they officially adopted "Cavs" as a shorter nickname for marketing purposes, as it had been used unofficially by fans and headline writers since the team's inception.

Under the coaching of George Karl, the Cavaliers failed again, and missed the playoffs, with a 28–54 record, in the 1983–84. The Cavs finally returned to the playoffs in 1985, only to lose to the eventual Eastern Conference Champions Boston Celtics in the first round. At this point, the team was in transition, led by dynamic players such as World B. Free, Roy Hinson and John Bagley. But in 1986, Karl was fired after 66 games. Interim head coach Gene Littles guided the team the rest of the way, which saw the Cavs finish just one game short of the playoffs. After the season, it was time for a major overhaul. During the 7 season period the Cavaliers had 9 head coaches; Stan Albeck, Bill Musselman, Don Delaney, Bob Kloppenburg, Chuck Daly, Bill Musselman (again), Tom Nissalke, George Karl, and Gene Littles. The only playoff appearance earned during this stretch was during the 1984–85 season under George Karl losing to the Boston Celtics in the first round in four games (3–1).

In 1986, the Cavaliers acquired, either through trades or the draft, Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, Ron Harper and Larry Nance. These four players (until Harper was later traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 1989 for the rights to Danny Ferry) formed the core of the team, under the direction of head coach Lenny Wilkens, that led the Cavs to eight playoff seasons in the next nine years, including three 50+ win seasons.

In 1989, the Cavs were paired against the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. In the fourth game of the best-of-five-series, Cleveland managed to beat the Bulls in overtime 108–105 to level the series at 2–2. Home court advantage went to Cleveland. The game was evenly matched, until Cleveland managed to score on a drive and raise the lead by one, with three seconds left. Chicago called for a time-out. The ball was inbounded to Michael Jordan, who went for a jump shot. Cleveland's Craig Ehlo jumped in front to block it, but Jordan seemed to stay in the air until Ehlo landed. "The Shot" went in as time ran out, with Chicago winning the series 3–2. The buzzer-beater is considered one of Jordan's greatest clutch moments, and the game itself one of the greatest in NBA history. But the pinnacle of the Cavs' success came in the 1991–92 season, when they compiled a 57–25 record and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, losing again to the Chicago Bulls 4–2.

1993–2003: A decade of struggle

Soon after, the Cavaliers entered into a period of decline. With the retirements and departures of Nance, Daugherty, and Price, the team lost much of its dominance and were no longer able to contest strongly during the playoffs. After the 1992–93 season, in which the Cavs boasted a 54–28 regular-season record but suffered an early exit from the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals to the Chicago Bulls, Wilkens left to coach the Atlanta Hawks.

Following the hiring of Mike Fratello as head coach starting with the 1993–94 season, the Cavs became one of the NBA's best defensive teams under the leadership of point guard Terrell Brandon. But the offense, which was a half-court, "slow-down" tempo installed by Fratello, met with mixed success. Although the Cavaliers made regular playoff appearances, they were unable to advance beyond the first round.

In 1994, the Cavs moved back to downtown Cleveland with the opening of the 20,562-seat, state-of-the-art, Gund Arena. Known by locals as "the Gund", the venue served as the site of the 1997 NBA All-Star Game. The arena and the Cleveland Indians' Jacobs Field were built together as part of the city's Gateway project.

Later on, players like Shawn Kemp and Žydrūnas Ilgauskas added quality to the team, but without further success. Fratello was fired following the shortened 1998–99 season.

Despite the arrivals of Andre Miller, Brevin Knight, Chris Mihm and Carlos Boozer, the Cavs were a perennial lottery team for the early part of the 2000s. The 2002–03 team finished with the third-worst record in franchise history (17–65), which earned them a tie for last place in the league and a 22.5 percent chance at winning the NBA Draft Lottery and the first overall selection.

Ricky Davis received national attention on March 16, 2003 in game against the Utah Jazz. With Cleveland ahead in the game 120–95, Davis was one rebound short of a triple-double with only a few seconds left on the clock. After receiving an inbound pass at the Cavs' end of the floor, Davis banged the ball off the rim and caught it in attempt to receive credit for a rebound. Utah's DeShawn Stevenson took offense to this breach of sportman's etiquette and immediately fouled Davis hard.^[4] The play did not count as a rebound since firing at your own team's basket does not count as a shot attempt, and in fact is a technical foul under NBA rules. Since the referees had never seen anyone shoot at their own basket before, they were unfamiliar with the rule and play was allowed to continue. This (which led to Davis being nicknamed in Cleveland as "Wrong Rim Ricky") and countless other selfish acts contributed to the Cavs trading of Davis later that year and ushering in a new type of team.^[5]

2003–2010: The LeBron James era

James was selected 1st overall in 2003.

Several losing seasons followed which saw the Cavaliers drop to the bottom of the league and become a perennial lottery draft team. After another disappointing season in 2002–03, the Cavaliers landed the number one draft pick in the NBA Lottery. With it, the team selected local high school phenomenon and future NBA MVP LeBron James. As if celebrating a new era in Cleveland Cavaliers basketball, the team's colors were changed from orange, black and blue back to wine and gold, with the addition of navy blue and a new primary logo.

James' status as both an area star (having played his high school basketball at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in nearby Akron) and as one of the most highly touted prospects in NBA history has led many to view his selection as a turning point in the franchise's history. Embraced by Clevelanders as "King James," the 2003–04 season offered great hope for the future, as James rose to become a dominating player, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Hope was even greater for the 2004–05 season. James increased his production in terms of points, rebounds, and assists per game. Despite the loss of Carlos Boozer in the offseason, James teamed with Žydrūnas Ilgauskas and Drew Gooden to form the core of the team. After a promising start, the Cavs began a downward spiral that eventually led to the firing of coach Paul Silas and general manager Jim Paxson. The team failed to make the playoffs that year, tied with New Jersey Nets for the final playoff spot with identical 42–40 records; however, the Nets owned the tiebreaker due to having the better head to head record vs the Cavs.

Cleveland Cavaliers versus Chicago Bulls in the Quicken Loans Arena in 2006

The Cavaliers made many changes in the 2005 offseason. Under new owner Dan Gilbert, the team hired a new head coach, Mike Brown, and a new general manager, former Cavaliers forward Danny Ferry. The team experienced success on the court in the following season, clinching their first playoff appearance since 1998. After a first round win over the Washington Wizards, the Cavaliers rebounded from a 0–2 deficit in the second round against the Detroit Pistons, winning three consecutive games to come one game away from the conference finals. They lost a close Game 6 at home, and followed it with a 79–61 loss in Game 7. The playoff rounds were a showcase for the emergence of LeBron James, who achieved many "youngest ever to..." records during the run.

The Cavs continued their success in the 2006–07 season. The team earned the second seed in the East with a 50–32 record, generating a series of favorable matchups in the playoffs. They battled 7th-seeded Wizards, who struggled with injuries near the end of the season. The Cavaliers swept this series 4–0 , and defeated the New Jersey Nets, 4–2, in the second round.

The Cavaliers faced the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. After again losing the first two games at Detroit, the Cavaliers won the next three to take a 3–2 series lead. This time, the Cavaliers eliminated Detroit in Game 6. The wins included a 109–107 double-overtime game at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Game 5, in which LeBron James scored the last 25 points for the Cavs, and his performance in this game is recognized as one of the best in NBA history. They continued to a dominant 98–82 win at home in Game 6. Rookie Daniel "Boobie" Gibson scored a career-high 31 points in the series clincher, and the franchise won its first ever Eastern Conference Championship.

The team's first trip to the NBA Finals was a short one, as they were outmatched and outplayed by the very strong San Antonio Spurs, who swept the Cavs 4–0.

The Cavs took a step back in the 2007–08 season. They battled injuries and had many roster changes, including a three team trade at the trade deadline in which the team acquired F Joe Smith, G-F Wally Szczerbiak, F-C Ben Wallace, and G Delonte West. The Cavs finished 45–37 and lost in the second round against eventual champion Boston of the playoffs.

In the 2008 off-season, the team made a major change to its lineup, trading G Damon Jones and Smith (who later in the season rejoined the Cavs after being released by Oklahoma City) for point guard Mo Williams. This trade was made in hopes of bringing another scorer to aid James.

In the next season, the Cavs made astounding progress. They finished with a record of 66–16, the winningest season in the franchise's history. The year marked other notable franchise records, including a 13-game winning streak, and road and home winning records. The Cavs entered the playoffs as the #1 seed in the NBA with home court advantage throughout the playoffs. They finished the season 39–2 at home, one win short of the best all-time home record. Head Coach Mike Brown won NBA Coach of the Year honors and LeBron James finished second in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and won the NBA MVP. The Cavs began the 2009 postseason by sweeping the 8th-seeded Detroit Pistons 4–0, winning every game by 10 or more points. In the conference semifinals, the Cavaliers faced the 4th-seeded Atlanta Hawks, who had defeated the Miami Heat in seven games. Despite the Cavaliers' long layoff between the series they swept the Hawks 4–0, again winning each game by at least ten points, becoming the first team in NBA history to win eight straight playoff games by a double-digit margin.

The Cavs then met the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavs lost Game 1 of the series 107–106 at home despite James' 49-point effort. Despite winning Game 2 by a score of 96–95, with the help of a James buzzer beating three-pointer, it was not enough as Orlando eventually took the series in 6 games.

On June 25, 2009, 4-time NBA Champion and 15-time All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Cavaliers. The trade sent Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to Phoenix along with the 46th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft and $500,000 in cash considerations.^[6]

During the 2009 offseason, the Cavaliers signed wingman Anthony Parker, and forwards Leon Powe and Jamario Moon for the following season. On February 17, 2010, the Cavaliers acquired All-Star forward Antawn Jamison from the Washington Wizards and Sebastian Telfair from the LA Clippers in a three way trade. The Cavaliers originally lost Žydrūnas Ilgauskas (center) in this trade, but after being waived by Washington, he signed back with the Cavaliers on March 23, 2010 for the rest of the 2009–2010 season. The Cavaliers managed to finish with the NBA's best record for the second straight season, with a 61–21 record. LeBron James was named the NBA MVP, for the second consecutive year. The Cavaliers defeated the Chicago Bulls 4–1 in the first round of the 2010 NBA Playoffs but, in a huge upset, lost to the Boston Celtics after leading the series 2–1, with the Celtics proceeding to win 3 consecutive games (afterwards, the Celtics went to the 2010 NBA Finals and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 4–3.) Each team would suffer record-setting playoff defeats on home soil; the Celtics lost by 29, 124–95, in Game 3 (May 7), the greatest defeat in the history of the Boston Celtics in the playoffs, while the Cavaliers lost by 32, 120–88, in Game 5 (May 11).

With the Cavaliers out of the playoffs, the focus then turned to James' impending free agency. On July 8, 2010, James announced in a one hour show named The Decision on ESPN 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. A couple of LeBron James jerseys were burned, and the famous Nike "Witness" mural of James in downtown Cleveland was immediately taken down. Shortly after James made his announcement, Dan Gilbert, the owner of the Cavaliers, announced in an open letter on the Cavaliers website that James' decision was a "cowardly betrayal" and promised a NBA championship for the Cleveland Cavaliers before LeBron James wins one. Despite being ridiculed for the letter by the media, Cleveland fans embraced the owner, even offering to pay the $100,000 fine given by the NBA.

2010–present: Rebuilding

During the 2010 offseason, the Cavaliers fired head coach Mike Brown, along with most of their coaching staff. General Manager Danny Ferry resigned on June 4, 2010 and Assistant General Manager Chris Grant was promoted to replace Ferry. On July 1, the Cavaliers hired former Los Angeles Lakers guard and former New Jersey Nets and New Orleans Hornets head coach Byron Scott as the 18th head coach in franchise history.

The Cavaliers spent the rest of the 2010 off-season rebuilding their team after James' departure. On July 23, they signed 2009 first-round pick Christian Eyenga. On July 26, the Cavs traded Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins and a 2013 second round draft pick. On July 30, the Cavaliers signed free agent Joey Graham to a one-year, veteran's minimum contract with a team option for a second year. On August 16, the Cavs signed undrafted Jamaican rookie Samardo Samuels to a three-year, $2.3 million contract. On September 20, Jawad Williams and the Cavs decided to resign and reached a one-year $1.02 million contract. After finishing the 2010 pre-season with a 6–2 record, the Cavs decided to waive Danny Green^[7] and sign with the undrafted rookie Manny Harris, the Cavs also decided to exercise the fourth-year option with J.J. Hickson.^[8] On November 18, the Cavaliers sent Christian Eyenga to the Erie BayHawks, the NBA D-League affiliate.^[9] On December 27, the Cavs decided to waive Jawad Williams^[10] and assign Samardo Samuels to the NBA D-League.^[11] One day later, the Cavs signed Alonzo Gee.^[12] On January 1 and 2 the Cavs recalled Samardo Samuels and Christian Eyenga, respectively, from the Erie BayHawks.^[13] On February 24, 2011 the Cavs made two trade deadline deals, acquiring former All-Star Baron Davis and a 2011 first round draft pick from the L.A. Clippers, which wound being the number one pick in the entire draft, for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon in return.^[14] The Cavaliers also sent a 2013 second-round pick to the Boston Celtics for Luke Harangody and Semih Erden. Leon Powe was waived to create roster space.^[15]

On the court, the 2010–11 season was a stark contrast from the previous two seasons. The Cavaliers were conference-worst 19–63. This season also saw the Cavs lose 26 games in a row, which set an NBA record and tied the 1976–77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the longest losing streak in any American professional team sport. The Cavaliers had upset wins against the Los Angeles Lakers (57-25), Miami Heat (58-24) and Boston Celtics (56-26) during the season.^[16]

Having the second-worst team record in the 2010–11 season, the Cavaliers had high odds of winning an early draft pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. With owner Dan Gilbert's 14 year-old son Nick representing the team at the dias (quipping "What's not to like?" when ESPN reporter Heather Cox asked him what he thought of his father calling him "his hero" due to overcoming health problems), the pick received from the Clippers in the Mo Williams/Baron Davis trade was what became the top overall pick, even though there was only a 2.8% chance of it happening. The Cavaliers original first round selection ended up as the #4 selection in the draft. The Cavs became the first team since the 1983 Houston Rockets to have two picks in the top five in the draft. The Cavaliers took Duke guard Kyrie Irving with the first pick, even though he only played 11 games in college. With the 4th pick, the Cavaliers selected Texas power forward Tristan Thompson.

On June 30, 2011, the team traded for small forward Omri Casspi and a 2012 first-round draft pick, sending the Sacramento Kings forward/center J.J. Hickson. The News-Herald opined that Casspi will likely start at small forward for the Cavaliers.^[17]

Season-by-season records

Main article: List of Cleveland Cavaliers seasons

Logos and Uniforms

As of the 2010–2011 season:

The "original" wine and gold

When the Cleveland Cavaliers debuted in the NBA in 1970, the team's original jerseys 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' teams 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 orange and blue

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 Cavs 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 change in the 1989–90 season include the city name on the blue away uniforms.

The orange, blue, and black

Coinciding with the move to Gund Arena in the 1994–95 season, the Cavs changed logos and uniforms, adding black in addition to the already existing blue, orange and white colors. The uniforms used from 1994–99 featured a blue splash on the uniforms, with the city name on the black away uniforms, and the team nickname on the white home uniforms. On the home uniforms, the word 'Cavs' was in orange with black line, with numbers in black with white line; color scheme changed for the 1996–97 season, with 'Cavs' and numbers in black with orange line and 'Cleveland' in left leg of the shorts with blue splash. On the away uniforms, the word 'Cleveland' was also in orange with black line, with numbers in white with black line; color scheme changed in 1996–97 season, with 'Cleveland' and numbers in white with orange line and 'Cavs' in left leg of the shorts with blue splash. In both away jerseys, 'Cleveland' was slightly slanted upward.

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 line, while on the away jerseys, they feature the city name and the uniform numbers in white with blue line. They were used until the 2002–03 season.

The "new" wine and gold

The Cavaliers switched to a modified version of the team's classic wine and gold scheme in the 2003–04 season (metallic gold and crimson shade of wine), with navy blue added to the color scheme. The home jersey 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 third/alternate uniform 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 is a tribute to the original Cavaliers jerseys from the '70s.

The return to "old school" wine and gold

The Cavaliers debuted new uniforms before the start of the 2010-11 NBA season, to coincide with the team returning to the original shades of wine and gold used in the 1970s. The home uniform is white with a wine and gold horizontal stripe trim on the collar, sleeves, waistband, and pant legs, with wine lettering for the name and number, and white shoes and socks. The road uniform is wine colored with the same stripe trim, and gold lettering on the name and number, with black shoes and socks. Both uniforms feature the secondary "Sword C" logo on each pant leg, and the slogan All for one, One for all stitched on the inside of the collar.

Special uniforms

From the 2005–06 to 2007–08 seasons, the Cavaliers would wear special throwback/retro uniforms (such as those from the '70s or '80s) on select "Hardwood Classic" Nights.

Beginning in the 2008–09 season, the Cavaliers began wearing special "mash-up" uniforms (combining the style from one era with the color scheme of another) on select "Cavs Fanatic" Nights—a promotion to plug the CavFanatic.com fan site

In '08–'09, the team wore "Miracle of Richfield" style "Feathered C" uniforms in colors comparable to the LeBron James era alternate uniform (royal blue with gold lettering and wine and gold trim).

In '09–'10, the team wore Price/Nance/Daugherty era style uniforms in the colors of the "Miracle of Richfield" era (wine with gold lettering)

In '10–'11, the team wore the LeBron James era alternate uniform in the colors of the Shawn Kemp era (black with white lettering and a blue, orange, and white checkerboard trim).

Home arenas

• Cleveland Arena (1970–1974)
• Coliseum at Richfield (1974–1994)
• Quicken Loans Arena (formerly called Gund Arena) (1994–present)

Cleveland Clinic Courts

In 2007 the Cavaliers opened their new state-of-the-art practice facility, Cleveland Clinic Courts, in Independence, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb. It features many extravagant luxuries, 2 courts, a team meeting room, front office offices, as well as a kitchen among other features. Cleveland Clinic Courts replaces the former 1-court center the team used within Quicken Loans Arena.

Players of note

Main article: Cleveland Cavaliers all-time roster

Ground-breaking players

• Lance Allred – 2007–2008 (First Deaf Player in the NBA)
• John Amaechi – 1995–1996 (First Openly Gay Player in the NBA)

Basketball Hall of Famers

• Nate Thurmond – Player 1985 (Former player 1975–1977)
• Walt Frazier – Player 1987 (Former player 1977–1980)
• Lenny Wilkens – Player 1989 and Coach 1998 (Former player (1972–1974) and coach (1986–1993)
• Chuck Daly – Coach 1994 (Former coach 1981–1982)
• Wayne Embry Contributor 1999 (Former team president and G.M. (1986–1999) and first African American to serve in that role in the NBA)
  • Joe Tait – 2010 winner of the Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media Award for electronic broadcasting (Retired broadcaster 1970–1980, 1982–2011)

Retired numbers

• 7 Bingo Smith, F, 1970–79
• 22 Larry Nance, F, 1988–94
• 25 Mark Price, G, 1986–95
• 34 Austin Carr, G, 1971–80
• 42 Nate Thurmond, C, 1975–77
• 43 Brad Daugherty, C, 1986–94
  • Retired Cavaliers radio play by play announcer Joe Tait also has a banner (alongside the retired numbers) honoring his 39 seasons as the "Voice of the Cavs"

Current roster

Cleveland Cavaliers rosterv · d · e
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight DOB (Y–M–D) From 4.0 !F 30 Casspi, Omri 81 !6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1988–06–22 Israel 1.5 !G 85 Davis, Baron (C) 75 !6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1979–04–13 UCLA 6.0 !C 9 Erden, Semih 83 !6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1986–07–28 Turkey 2.5 !G/F 8 Eyenga, Christian 77 !6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1989–06–22 DR Congo 4.0 !F 33 Gee, Alonzo 78 !6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1987–05–29 Alabama 1.5 !G 1 Gibson, Daniel 74 !6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1986–02–27 Texas 4.0 !F 12 Graham, Joey 79 !6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1982–06–11 Oklahoma State 4.0 !F 44 Harangody, Luke 80 !6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 251 lb (114 kg) 1986–01–02 Notre Dame 1.5 !G 6 Harris, Manny 77 !6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1989–09–21 Michigan 6.0 !C 5 Hollins, Ryan 84 !7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1984–10–10 UCLA 1.5 !G 2 Irving, Kyrie (DP) 75.5 !6 ft 3.5 in (1.92 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1992–03–23 Duke 4.0 !F 4 Jamison, Antawn (C) 81 !6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1976–06–12 North Carolina 2.5 !G/F 18 Parker, Anthony (FA) 78 !6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1975–06–19 Bradley 4.0 !F 24 Samuels, Samardo 81 !6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 260 lb (118 kg) 1989–01–09 Louisville 1.5 !G 3 Sessions, Ramon 75 !6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1986–04–11 Nevada 4.0 !F 13 Thompson, Tristan (DP) 81 !6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1991–03–13 Texas 6.0 !C 17 Varejão, Anderson (C) 83 !6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 260 lb (118 kg) 1982–09–28 Brazil	Head coach Byron Scott (Arizona State) Assistant coach(es) Paul Pressey (Tulsa) Jamahl Mosley (Colorado) Joe Prunty (Cal Poly Pomona) Athletic trainer(s) Max Benton (Colorado) Strength and conditioning coach(es) Stan Kellers (Cleveland State) Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (IN) Inactive (S) Suspended Injured * High school Roster • Transactions Last transaction: 2011-06-25

International rights

C		Sasha Kaun	2008 NBA Draft	56th pick
PF		Milan Mačvan	2011 NBA Draft	54th pick

Coaches and others

Main article: List of Cleveland Cavaliers head coaches

Coaches

Bill Fitch 1970–79 Stan Albeck 1979–80 Bill Musselman 1980–81 Don Delaney 1981 Bob Kloppenburg 1981 (Interim) Chuck Daly 1981–82 Bill Musselman 1982 Tom Nissalke 1982–84 George Karl 1984–86

Gene Littles 1986 (Interim) Lenny Wilkens 1986–93 Mike Fratello 1993–99 Randy Wittman 1999–2001 John Lucas 2001–03 Keith Smart 2003 (Interim) Paul Silas 2003–05 Brendan Malone 2005 (Interim) Mike Brown 2005–09

Byron Scott 2010–present

High points

Franchise leaders

Career

• Games – Žydrūnas Ilgauskas (771)
• Games Started – Žydrūnas Ilgauskas (673)
• Minutes Played – LeBron James (22,105)
• Field Goals Made – LeBron James (5,415)
• Field Goal Attempts – LeBron James (11,403)
• 3-Point Field Goals Made – Mark Price (802)
• 3-Point Field Goal Attempts – LeBron James (2,244)
• Free Throws Made – LeBron James (3,650)
• Free Throw Attempts – LeBron James (4,917)
• Offensive Rebounds – Žydrūnas Ilgauskas* (2,336)
• Defensive Rebounds – Brad Daugherty (4,020)
• Total Rebounds – Žydrūnas Ilgauskas (5,904)
• Assists – Mark Price (4,206)
• Steals – LeBron James (955)
• Blocked Shots – Žydrūnas Ilgauskas (1,269)
• Turnovers – LeBron James (1,802)
• Personal Fouls – Žydrūnas Ilgauskas (2,591)
• Points – LeBron James (15,251)

Per game

• Minutes Played – LeBron James (42.5)
• Field Goals Made – LeBron James (11.1)
• Field Goals Attempted – LeBron James (23.1)
• 3-Point Field Goals Made – Dan Majerle (1.8)
• 3-Point Field Goal Attempted – Dan Majerle (5.0)
• Free Throws Made – LeBron James (7.3)
• Free Throws Attempted – LeBron James (10.3)
• Offensive Rebounds – Žydrūnas Ilgauskas (3.2)
• Defensive Rebounds – Cliff Robinson (8.1)
• Total Rebounds – Rick Roberson (12.0)
• Assists – Andre Miller (10.9)
• Steals – Ron Harper (2.3)
• Blocked Shots – Larry Nance (2.5)
• Turnovers – Shawn Kemp (3.4)
• Personal Fouls – James Edwards (4.4)
• Points – LeBron James (31.4)

Per 48 minutes

• Field Goals Made – LeBron James (12.5)
• Field Goals Attempted – World B. Free (27.6)
• 3-Point Field Goals Made – Damon Jones (3.2)
• 3-Point Field Goals Attempted – Damon Jones (8.5)
• Free Throws Made – LeBron James (9.3)
• Free Throws Attempted – LeBron James (12)
• Offensive Rebounds – Chris Dudley (6.5)
• Defensive Rebounds – Cliff Robinson (11.8)
• Total Rebounds – Rick Roberson (16.5)
• Assists – Brevin Knight (12.5)
• Steals – Foots Walker (3.4)
• Blocked Shots – Elmore Smith (4.3)
• Turnovers – Shawn Kemp (4.9)
• Personal Fouls – Mark West (8.3)
• Points – LeBron James (43.3)

Individual awards

NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James – 2009, 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year LeBron James – 2004 NBA Coach of the Year Bill Fitch – 1976 Mike Brown – 2009 NBA Executive of the Year Wayne Embry – 1992, 1998 NBA Sportsmanship Award Terrell Brandon – 1996 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award Austin Carr – 1980 Eric Snow – 2005 NBA All-Rookie First Team Austin Carr – 1972 Dwight Davis – 1973 Brad Daugherty – 1987 Ron Harper – 1987 John Williams – 1987 Brevin Knight – 1998 Zydrunas Ilgauskas – 1997 Andre Miller – 2000 LeBron James – 2004 NBA All-Rookie Second Team Terrell Brandon – 1992 Cedric Henderson – 1998 Derek Anderson – 1998 Chris Mihm – 2001 Carlos Boozer – 2003

All-NBA First Team Mark Price – 1993 LeBron James – 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 All-NBA Second Team LeBron James – 2005, 2007 All-NBA Third Team Mark Price – 1989, 1992, 1994 Brad Daugherty – 1992 NBA All-Defensive First Team Larry Nance – 1989 LeBron James – 2009, 2010 NBA All-Defensive Second Team Jim Cleamons – 1976 Jim Brewer – 1976, 1977 Larry Nance – 1992, 1993 Bobby Phills – 1996 Anderson Varejao – 2010 NBA Player of the Month LeBron James – November 2004, January 2005, November 2005, March 2006, March 2007, January 2008, February 2008, November 2008, January 2009, March 2009, April 2009, November 2009, December 2009, January 2010, February 2010 NBA Coach of the Month George Karl – February 1985 Lenny Wilkens – April 1988, December 1988, February 1993 Mike Fratello – December 1994, December 1995 Mike Brown – January 2008, December 2008, February 2009, March 2009, December 2009

NBA All-Star Weekend

NBA All-Star Game John Johnson – 1971, 1972 Butch Beard – 1972 Lenny Wilkens – 1973, 1989 (Head Coach) Austin Carr – 1974 Campy Russell – 1979 Mike Mitchell – 1981 Brad Daugherty – 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993 Larry Nance – 1989, 1993 Mark Price – 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994 Tyrone Hill – 1995 Terrell Brandon – 1996, 1997 Shawn Kemp – 1998* Žydrūnas Ilgauskas – 2003, 2005 LeBron James – 2005*, 2006* (MVP), 2007*, 2008* (MVP), 2009*, 2010* Mo Williams – 2009 Mike Brown – 2009 (Head Coach) * Starter Long Distance Shootout Mark Price – 1988 (5th), 1990 (7th), 1993 (1st), 1994 (1st), 1995 (3rd) Craig Ehlo – 1990 (5th), 1992 (6th) Bob Sura – 2000 (8th) Wesley Person – 2002 (2nd) Damon Jones – 2007 (5th) Daniel Gibson – 2008 (2nd), 2011 (5th)

Slam Dunk Contest Roy Hinson – 1986 (7th) Ron Harper – 1987 (5th), 1989 (7th) Bob Sura – 1997 (5th) Skills Challenge LeBron James – 2006 (2nd), 2007 (3rd) Mo Williams – 2009 (3rd) Rookie Challenge Chris Mills – 1994 Bob Sura – 1996 Vitaly Potapenko – 1997 Žydrūnas Ilgauskas – 1998 (MVP) Brevin Knight – 1998 Cedric Henderson – 1998 Derek Anderson – 1998 (DNP) Andre Miller – 2000 (R), 2001 (S) Chris Mihm – 2002 (S) Carlos Boozer – 2003 (R), 2004 (S) Dajuan Wagner – 2003 (R) LeBron James – 2004 (R), 2005 (S) Daniel Gibson – 2008 (S, MVP) Two Ball Contest Wesley Person w/ Michelle Edwards – 1998 (7th) Trajan Langdon w/ Eva Nemcova – 2001 (2nd)

Radio and TV

WTAM AM 1100 is the flagship of a 16 station Cavaliers radio network.^[18] Select regular season games can be heard on sister station WMMS FM 100.7 when there is a conflict with the Cleveland Indians. All playoff games air on WTAM, and any conflicted Indians games then go to WMMS.

John Michael (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. [3] Former Ohio State standout and longtime NBA player Brad Sellers joins Snyder on the postgame show for road games, while Jim Chones does so for home games.

On the television side, the vast majority of Cavaliers' games air via cable and satellite on FS Ohio, with select games (both regular season and playoffs) simulcast on WUAB channel 43 (My Network TV) in Cleveland, the longtime free TV home of the Cavs. Channel 43 has aired games from 1973 to 1987 and from 1994 to present.

Play-by-play announcer Fred McLeod and analyst Austin Carr, a former Cavaliers star, handle local TV commentary. WKRK-FM midday co-host Jeff Phelps serves as sideline reporter, and former Cavaliers star Campy Russell and Dionne Miller host the pregame, halftime, and postgame shows. For home games, Phelps and Russell will host the pregame/halftime/postgame shows at the Q, while for road games, Miller and Russell will host them from the FS Ohio studio.

Mascots

Whammer

Whammer is the former mascot of the Cavs. He is a polar bear who is said to have grown up in the tundra and still makes occasional appearances throughout the season at Cavalier games. At halftime he used to dunk a basketball. Whammer's debut was in a November 9, 1995 game against the Chicago Bulls. However, Whammer's tenure coincided with a long dry spell in the franchise's history, with the Shawn Kemp playoff runs being an exception. In fact, few local fans even were aware that the Cavs had a mascot.

Recently when Moondog, the current Cavaliers mascot was asked what Whammer was up to these days he responded "He e-mails the braintrust of the Cavs about twice a week trying to get his old job back. I throw him a bone occasionally and invite him back, mostly to mock him. Finally he's good for a laugh."^[19]

Whammer

Moondog

Moondog is the official mascot of the Cavaliers. Like a growing number of NBA Mascots, the character has a unique connection not just to the team, but to the city and surrounding area. Cleveland is known worldwide as the rock and roll city, due to famed Cleveland radio disc jockey Alan Freed, who popularized the phrase "rock and roll", breaking new ground and sparking a music explosion.

Freed called himself the "Moondog", and his listeners were "Moondoggers". When the Cavaliers looked to create a new mascot which represents the city, Moondog was a natural selection. Like Alan Freed, the mascot aims to be innovative, fun-loving, passionate and controversial.

Moondog was an NBA All-Star selection in 2003 and 2004. He is best known for his behind the back half-court shot and fierce loyalty to his Cavaliers. His first appearance was on November 5, 2003.

Sir C.C.

On November 27, 2010 during the Cavaliers-Memphis Grizzlies game, a new mascot debuted named Sir C.C. Sir C.C. is a swashbuckler character (a la The Three Musketeers) and teams up with Moondog to provide gametime entertainment at home games.

References

1. ^ Finnan, Bob. "Capped-out Cavs handcuffed in draft". The News Herald. Ohio: Journal Register Company. http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2010/06/29/sports/nh2711077.txt. Retrieved July 15, 2010. 
2. ^ Davis, Carolyn E. (February 25, 2005). "Usher About To Become Part-Owner Of Cleveland Cavaliers". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1497521/20050225/usher.jhtml. Retrieved November 30, 2008. 
3. ^ "CC Sabathia, LeBron James and the naming of the Cleveland Cavaliers". The Star-Ledger. May 28, 2009. http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2009/05/cc_sabathia_lebron_james_and_t.html. Retrieved May 28, 2009. 
4. ^ Dixon, Oscar (March 17, 2003). "Jazz take offense when Cavaliers' Davis tries to pad stats". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/cavaliers/2003-03-17-davis-jazz_x.htm. Retrieved December 26, 2008.. 
5. ^ "Cavs part with Davis in 3-for-3 trade". ESPN. December 16, 2003. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1686963. Retrieved December 26, 2008. 
6. ^ "ESPN", http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4285489, Retrieved June 24, 2009.
7. ^ http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/roster_moves_101019.html
8. ^ [1]
9. ^ http://www.nba.com/2010/news/11/18/cavs-eyenga.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2
10. ^ http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/williams_101227.html
11. ^ http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/samuels_101227.html
12. ^ http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gee_101228.html
13. ^ http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/eyenga_110102.html
14. ^ http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/davis_110224.html
15. ^ http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/trade_110224.html
16. ^ [2]
17. ^ Bob Finnan (June 30, 2011). "Cavaliers trade J.J. Hickson to Kings for Casspi and first-round pick". News-Herald. http://news-herald.com/articles/2011/06/30/sports/doc4e0cbcf41bf57924185256.txt. Retrieved June 30, 2011. 
18. ^ Cavs multimedia
19. ^ Cleveland.com homepage Mascot's job is ruff, but Moondog's ready to rock. Accessed April 20, 2007.

External links

• Cleveland Cavaliers official website
• Cavaliers Historical web site
• Cavaliers history
• Cavaliers News
• Cavaliers News Coverage
• Cavaliers Whammer information page
• Cleveland Cavaliers on Basketball-Reference.com
• Sports E-Cyclopedia