Cleveland Cavaliers · Franchise era 2 of 7
Price, Daugherty and Nance: the Cleveland Cavaliers story
Franchise era
1982–83—1992–93
Price, Daugherty and Nance
Cleveland Cavaliers
The story in one sentence
A smart, balanced contender won 57 games but repeatedly found Michael Jordan and Chicago in its postseason path.
01
Precision offense meets the Jordan obstacle
02
Mark Price, Brad Daugherty and Larry Nance gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for the long reset.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1982–83
What came before
After a difficult launch, Cleveland won its first division title and playoff series in a dramatic 1976 run.
1992
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics
1992
Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls
1993
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls
After 1992–93
What came next
Cleveland remained respectable for a time before injuries and roster turnover pushed the franchise toward the 2003 lottery.
The core