The Cleveland Cavaliers joined the NBA as an expansion team.1)
The team name “Cavaliers” was selected through a fan contest, beating “Jays,” “Foresters,” and “Presidents.”2)
The Cavs selected Austin Carr with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1971 NBA Draft.3)
The Cavaliers won their first division title in 1976.4)
A thrilling 1976 playoff run ended in the Eastern Conference Finals.5)
The team played at Richfield Coliseum before moving to Gund Arena (now Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse) in 1994.6)
The Cavaliers drafted LeBron James No. 1 overall in 2003.7)
LeBron won the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year award.8)
LeBron led the team to the 2007 NBA Finals, but they were swept by the Spurs.9)
The Cavs won 66 games in the 2008-09 season.10)
LeBron won NBA MVP awards in 2009 and 2010.11)
LeBron left Cleveland for the Miami Heat, causing massive controversy.12)
The Cavs had the No. 1 pick three times (2011, 2013, 2014).13)
The team selected Kyrie Irving first overall in 2011, who won Rookie of the Year.14)
LeBron announced his return to Cleveland, promising to win a championship.15)
The Cavaliers won their first-ever NBA Championship.16)
They became the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals.17)
Kyrie Irving hit the game-winning three-pointer in Game 7.18)
His iconic chase-down block on Andre Iguodala is one of the most famous plays in NBA history.19)
He recorded the first-ever triple-double in a Game 7 of the NBA Finals.20)
The Cavs and Golden State Warriors met in four consecutive NBA Finals (2015-2018).21)
The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors, who had the best regular-season record in NBA history.22)
The rivalry between LeBron James and Stephen Curry became a defining moment in NBA history.23)
He signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, ending his second stint with the Cavs.24)
The team rebuilt around Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.25)
In 2022, the team traded for Donovan Mitchell, making them contenders again.26)
Mark Price and Brad Daugherty led the Cavs in the late '80s and early '90s.27)
The fan-favorite big man had his jersey retired by the team.28)
His No. 22 jersey was retired, and his son Larry Nance Jr. later played for the team.29)
A key piece of the 2016 championship team and longtime leader.30)