Cleveland Cavaliers

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American professional basketball team

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Nickname
Conference	Eastern
Division	Central
Leagues
Founded	1970
Withdrew
History	Cleveland Cavaliers
Arena	Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Capacity
Location	Cleveland, Ohio

The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Central Division in the Eastern Conference. The team began play as an expansion team in 1970, along with the Portland Trail Blazers and Buffalo Braves.

History

Early years (1970–1980)

The Cavaliers were founded in 1970 by Nick Mileti. The team struggled in its early years, finishing last in the league during their inaugural season. However, the team saw improvement with the acquisition of players like Austin Carr and Bingo Smith.

The Miracle of Richfield (1975–1976)

The 1975–76 season is often remembered for the "Miracle of Richfield," where the Cavaliers won their first division title and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. The team was led by head coach Bill Fitch and players such as Jim Chones and Nate Thurmond.

The LeBron James Era (2003–2010, 2014–2018)

The Cavaliers' fortunes changed dramatically with the drafting of LeBron James in 2003. James led the team to its first NBA Finals appearance in 2007. After a brief departure to the Miami Heat, James returned to the Cavaliers in 2014 and led the team to its first NBA Championship in 2016, overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors.

Post-LeBron Era (2018–present)

Following LeBron James' second departure in 2018, the Cavaliers entered a rebuilding phase. The team has focused on developing young talent, including players like Collin Sexton and Darius Garland.

Home Arena

The Cavaliers play their home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, located in downtown Cleveland. The arena, originally known as Gund Arena, has been the team's home since 1994.

Mascot

The team's mascot is Moondog, named after Cleveland's musical history, and Sir C.C., a swashbuckler character.

Notable Players

• LeBron James
• Kyrie Irving
• Kevin Love
• Mark Price
• Brad Daugherty

Retired Numbers

The Cavaliers have retired several jersey numbers in honor of their former players:

• 7 - Bingo Smith
• 11 - Zydrunas Ilgauskas
• 22 - Larry Nance
• 25 - Mark Price
• 34 - Austin Carr
• 42 - Nate Thurmond
• 43 - Brad Daugherty

Related Pages

• National Basketball Association
• LeBron James
• Golden State Warriors
• Miami Heat
• Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

Categories

<div class="navbar-header" style="color:#;">Cleveland Cavaliers roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From C 31 Allen, Jarrett 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 243 lb (110 kg) 1998-04-21 Texas F 21 Bates, Emoni (TW, FA) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2004-01-28 Eastern Michigan G 39 Brown, Darius II 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 1999-07-28 Utah State G 10 Garland, Darius 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 2000-01-26 Vanderbilt G 2 Jerome, Ty 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1997-07-08 Virginia C 30 Jones, Damian (FA) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1995-06-30 Vanderbilt G/F 3 LeVert, Caris 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1994-08-25 Michigan G 5 Merrill, Sam 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1996-05-15 Utah State G 45 Mitchell, Donovan 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1996-09-07 Louisville F/C 4 Mobley, Evan 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 2001-06-18 USC F 15 Mobley, Isaiah (TW, FA) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 238 lb (108 kg) 1999-09-24 USC F — Morris, Marcus Sr. (FA) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 218 lb (99 kg) 1989-09-02 Kansas F 8 Nance, Pete (TW, FA) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 2000-02-19 North Carolina F 20 Niang, Georges 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1993-06-17 Iowa State G/F 35 Okoro, Isaac (FA) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 2001-01-26 Auburn G 9 Porter, Craig Jr. 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 186 lb (84 kg) 2000-02-26 Wichita State G/F 1 Strus, Max 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1996-03-28 DePaul F/C 13 Thompson, Tristan (FA) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 254 lb (115 kg) 1991-03-13 Texas G/F 24 Tyson, Jaylon 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 2002-12-02 California F/C 32 Wade, Dean 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 228 lb (103 kg) 1996-11-20 Kansas State

Head coach Kenny Atkinson Assistant coach(es) Johnnie Bryant (associate HC) DeMarre Carroll Jordan Ott Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate (TW) Two-way affiliate player (L) On personal leave Injured Roster Last transaction: July 7, 2024