NBA franchise

Cleveland Cavaliers

Archive coverage 1970 to 2026

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4,790

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479

Indexed players

2026

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The full franchise story

Every era of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cleveland's arc runs from the Miracle of Richfield through the Price–Daugherty teams to LeBron James's two transformative stays and the first major sports championship in the city's modern era.

Historical reference: Cleveland Cavaliers official team history ↗

1970–71—1981–82

Expansion pain becomes a beloved contender

Peak indexed season1975–76 · 49–33→

The Miracle of Richfield

After a difficult launch, Cleveland won its first division title and playoff series in a dramatic 1976 run.

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Austin Carr →Campy Russell →Nate Thurmond →

1982–83—1992–93

Precision offense meets the Jordan obstacle

Peak indexed season1991–92 · 57–25→

Price, Daugherty and Nance

A smart, balanced contender won 57 games but repeatedly found Michael Jordan and Chicago in its postseason path.

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Mark Price →Brad Daugherty →Larry Nance →

1993–94—2002–03

Competitive defense fades into a rebuild

Peak indexed season1997–98 · 47–35→

The long reset

Cleveland remained respectable for a time before injuries and roster turnover pushed the franchise toward the 2003 lottery.

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Terrell Brandon →Zydrunas Ilgauskas →Andre Miller →

2003–04—2009–10

A hometown star creates a contender

Peak indexed season2008–09 · 66–16→

LeBron's first ascent

James took Cleveland from the lottery to the 2007 Finals and consecutive 60-win seasons, though a championship remained out of reach.

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LeBron James →Zydrunas Ilgauskas →Anderson Varejão →

2010–11—2013–14

The teardown that produced Kyrie

Peak indexed season2013–14 · 33–49→

Between LeBron eras

Four rebuilding seasons supplied the young talent and flexibility that would support an unprecedented reunion.

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Kyrie Irving →Anderson Varejão →Tristan Thompson →

2014–15—2017–18

Four Finals and the 3–1 comeback

Peak indexed season2015–16 · 57–25→

Believeland

James returned, formed a new Big Three and led the 2016 comeback that delivered Cleveland its first NBA championship.

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LeBron James →Kyrie Irving →Kevin Love →

2018–19—present

Size, defense and a new All-Star core

Peak indexed season2024–25 · 64–18→

A contender grows without LeBron

Cleveland rebuilt through the draft, then added Mitchell to a frontcourt-led foundation capable of contending on its own terms.

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Darius Garland →Donovan Mitchell →Evan Mobley →Jarrett Allen →

Franchise leaders

Most indexed appearances

LeBron James1,024 appearances Tristan Thompson870 appearances Zydrunas Ilgauskas831 appearances Danny Ferry756 appearances Bingo Smith745 appearances Anderson Varejao729 appearances Hot Rod Williams705 appearances Austin Carr653 appearances Mark Price629 appearances Brad Daugherty589 appearances Craig Ehlo553 appearances Daniel Gibson538 appearances

Season history

Past seasons

56 seasons · newest first

Game archive