The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the most exciting and heartbreaking basketball teams in the NBA. Here are 11 things you didn’t know about the Cavs.
1. Cleveland Presidents. The Cavaliers were an expansion team in the NBA in 1970. Before they landed on the name “The Cavaliers”, “The Jays”, “The Foresters” and “The Presidents” were also considered.
2. #1 NBA Draft Picks. The Cavs had 6 #1 draft picks through its history, including Austin Carr, Brad Daugherty, LeBron James, Kyire Irving, Anthony Bennett, and Andrew Wiggins.
3. Rookie of the Year. They had two players who received the Rookie of the Year Award; LeBron James in 2004 and Kyrie Irving in 2012.
4. Eastern Conference Champions. The Cavs won the Eastern Conference Championship twice. Once in 2007 and again in 2015.
5. MVP. LeBron James was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2009 and 2010.
6. Retired Numbers. The Cavs have 7 numbers retired, including Bobby “Bingo” Smith (7), Žydrūnas Ilgauskas (11), Larry Nance (22), Mark Price (25), Austin Carr (34), Nate Thurmond (42), and Brad Daugherty (43).
7. LeBron James. He leads the Cavs in Minutes Played, Field Goals, Free Throws, Assists, Steals, and Points. Overall, he’s the greatest basketball player who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
8. Richfield Coliseum. The Cavs played at the Cleveland Arena until 1974 when they moved to the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio, about 20 miles south of Cleveland. The were re-located to the Gund Arena in 1994. And now they play at Quickens Loans Arena, which is the same arena, but renovated and with a different name in 2005.
9. The Decision. In 2010, LeBron James decided to take his talents to South Beach to play for the Miami Heat for four years. He won two NBA Champions, before coming back to the Cavs in 2014.
10. Coach of the Year. They had two coaches who received the Coach of the Year Award; Bill Fitch in 1976 and Mike Brown in 2009.
11. Mascots. The Cavs had three mascots during their time, Whammer (Polar Bear), Moondog (Dog), and Sir C.C (a Swashbuckler Cavalier).