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RetroSeasons
RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
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Cleveland Cavaliers logo

Cleveland Cavaliers
Seasons 1971-2021 (51 seasons)

  • Franchise Overview
  • Seasons
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Teams Cleveland Cavaliers History Seasons

Recap

The team began play as an expansion team in 1970, along with the Portland Trail Blazers and Buffalo Braves. Home games were first held at Cleveland Arena from 1970 to 1974, followed by the Richfield Coliseum from 1974 to 1994. Since 1994, the Cavs have played home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland, which is shared with the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. Dan Gilbert has owned the team since March 2005.

The Cavaliers opened their inaugural season losing their first 15 games and struggled in their early years, placing no better than sixth in the Eastern Conference during their first five seasons. The team won their first Central Division title in 1976, which also marked the first winning season and playoff appearance in franchise history, where they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. The franchise was purchased by Ted Stepien in 1980. Stepien's tenure as owner was marked by six coaching changes, questionable trades and draft decisions, and poor attendance, leading to $15 million in financial losses. The Cavs went 66–180 in that time and endured a 24-game losing streak spanning the 1981–82 and 1982–83 seasons.

George and Gordon Gund purchased the franchise in 1983. During the latter half of the 1980s and through much of the 1990s, the Cavs were a regular playoff contender, led by players such as Mark Price and Brad Daugherty, and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1992. After the team's playoff appearance in 1998, however, the Cavs had six consecutive losing seasons with no playoff action. Cleveland was awarded with the top overall pick in the 2003 draft, and they selected LeBron James. Behind James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cavaliers again became a regular playoff contender by 2005. They made their first appearance in the NBA Finals in 2007 after winning the first Eastern Conference championship in franchise history. After failing to return to the NBA Finals in the ensuing three seasons, James joined the Miami Heat in 2010. As a result, the Cavaliers finished the 2010–11 season last in the conference, enduring a 26-game losing streak that, as of 2017, ranks as the longest in NBA history for a single season and second overall. Between 2010 and 2014, however, the team won the top pick in the NBA draft lottery three times, first in 2011 where they selected Kyrie Irving, and again in 2013 and 2014.

LeBron James returned to the Cavs in 2014 and led the team to four straight NBA Finals appearances. In 2016, the Cavaliers won their first NBA Championship, marking Cleveland's first major sports title since 1964. The 2016 NBA Finals victory over the Golden State Warriors marked the first time in Finals history a team had come back to win the series after trailing three games to one. The Cavaliers have made 22 playoff appearances, and won seven Central Division titles, five Eastern Conference titles, and one NBA title.

Close
Season Overviews Seasons List
2020-21 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2020-21 Cleveland Cavaliers
22-50 (.306)
Missed Playoffs
2019-20 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2019-20 Cleveland Cavaliers
19-46 (.292)
Missed Playoffs
2018-19 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2018-19 Cleveland Cavaliers
19-63 (.232)
Missed Playoffs
2017-18 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2017-18 Cleveland Cavaliers
50-32 (.610)
Lost NBA Finals
2016-17 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2016-17 Cleveland Cavaliers
51-31 (.622)
Lost NBA Finals
2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers
57-25 (.695)
Won NBA Finals
2014-15 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2014-15 Cleveland Cavaliers
53-29 (.646)
Lost NBA Finals
2013-14 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2013-14 Cleveland Cavaliers
33-49 (.402)
Missed Playoffs
2012-13 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2012-13 Cleveland Cavaliers
24-58 (.293)
Missed Playoffs
2011-12 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2011-12 Cleveland Cavaliers
21-45 (.318)
Missed Playoffs
2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers
19-63 (.232)
Missed Playoffs
2009-10 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2009-10 Cleveland Cavaliers
61-21 (.744)
Lost Conference Semifinals
2008-09 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2008-09 Cleveland Cavaliers
66-16 (.805)
Lost Conference Finals
2007-08 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2007-08 Cleveland Cavaliers
45-37 (.549)
Lost Conference Semifinals
2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers
50-32 (.610)
Lost NBA Finals
2005-06 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2005-06 Cleveland Cavaliers
50-32 (.610)
Lost Conference Semifinals
2004-05 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2004-05 Cleveland Cavaliers
42-40 (.512)
Missed Playoffs
2003-04 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2003-04 Cleveland Cavaliers
35-47 (.427)
Missed Playoffs
2002-03 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2002-03 Cleveland Cavaliers
17-65 (.207)
Missed Playoffs
2001-02 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2001-02 Cleveland Cavaliers
29-53 (.354)
Missed Playoffs
2000-01 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
2000-01 Cleveland Cavaliers
30-52 (.366)
Missed Playoffs
1999-00 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1999-00 Cleveland Cavaliers
32-50 (.390)
Missed Playoffs
1998-99 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1998-99 Cleveland Cavaliers
22-28 (.440)
Missed Playoffs
1997-98 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1997-98 Cleveland Cavaliers
47-35 (.573)
Lost First Round
1996-97 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1996-97 Cleveland Cavaliers
42-40 (.512)
Missed Playoffs
1995-96 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1995-96 Cleveland Cavaliers
47-35 (.573)
Lost First Round
1994-95 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1994-95 Cleveland Cavaliers
43-39 (.524)
Lost First Round
1993-94 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1993-94 Cleveland Cavaliers
47-35 (.573)
Lost First Round
1992-93 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1992-93 Cleveland Cavaliers
54-28 (.659)
Lost Conference Semifinals
1991-92 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1991-92 Cleveland Cavaliers
57-25 (.695)
Lost Conference Finals
1990-91 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1990-91 Cleveland Cavaliers
33-49 (.402)
Missed Playoffs
1989-90 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1989-90 Cleveland Cavaliers
42-40 (.512)
Lost First Round
1988-89 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1988-89 Cleveland Cavaliers
57-25 (.695)
Lost First Round
1987-88 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1987-88 Cleveland Cavaliers
42-40 (.512)
Lost First Round
1986-87 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1986-87 Cleveland Cavaliers
31-51 (.378)
Missed Playoffs
1985-86 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1985-86 Cleveland Cavaliers
29-53 (.354)
Missed Playoffs
1984-85 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1984-85 Cleveland Cavaliers
36-46 (.439)
Lost First Round
1983-84 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1983-84 Cleveland Cavaliers
28-54 (.341)
Missed Playoffs
1982-83 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1982-83 Cleveland Cavaliers
23-59 (.280)
Missed Playoffs
1981-82 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1981-82 Cleveland Cavaliers
15-67 (.183)
Missed Playoffs
1980-81 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1980-81 Cleveland Cavaliers
28-54 (.341)
Missed Playoffs
1979-80 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1979-80 Cleveland Cavaliers
37-45 (.451)
Missed Playoffs
1978-79 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1978-79 Cleveland Cavaliers
30-52 (.366)
Missed Playoffs
1977-78 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1977-78 Cleveland Cavaliers
43-39 (.524)
Lost First Round
1976-77 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1976-77 Cleveland Cavaliers
43-39 (.524)
Lost First Round
1975-76 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1975-76 Cleveland Cavaliers
49-33 (.598)
Lost Conference Finals
1974-75 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1974-75 Cleveland Cavaliers
40-42 (.488)
Missed Playoffs
1973-74 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1973-74 Cleveland Cavaliers
29-53 (.354)
Missed Playoffs
1972-73 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1972-73 Cleveland Cavaliers
32-50 (.390)
Missed Playoffs
1971-72 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1971-72 Cleveland Cavaliers
23-59 (.280)
Missed Playoffs
1970-71 Cleveland Cavaliers Season
1970-71 Cleveland Cavaliers
15-67 (.183)
Missed Playoffs

Related Content

Stories, Photos, Videos, Podcasts, and Publications featuring Cleveland Cavaliers Seasons
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Final 3:39 of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals | Cavaliers vs Warriors video clip
Final 3:39 of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals | Cavaliers vs Warriors
11 minutes Jun 19, 2016
We flashback to the final 3 minutes and 39 seconds of Game 7 of the...
Final 3:39 of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals | Cavaliers vs Warriors / We flashback to the final 3 minutes and 39 seconds of Game 7 of the NBA Finals where 2 of the best plays in NBA History transpired! About the NBA: The NBA is the premier professional basketball league in the United States and Canada. The league is truly global, with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages, as well as NBA rosters at the start of the 2016-17 season featuring a record 113 international players from a record 41 countries and territories. For the 2016-17 season, each of the league's 30 teams will play 82 regular-season games, followed by a postseason for those that qualify. The NBA consists of the following teams: Atlanta Hawks; Boston Celtics; Brooklyn Nets; Charlotte Hornets; Chicago Bulls; Cleveland Cavaliers; Dallas Mavericks; Denver Nuggets; Detroit Pistons; Golden State Warriors; Houston Rockets; Indiana Pacers; Los Angeles Clippers; Los Angeles Lakers; Memphis Grizzlies; Miami Heat; Milwaukee Bucks; Minnesota Timberwolves; New Orleans Pelicans; New York Knicks; Oklahoma City Thunder; Orlando Magic; Philadelphia 76ers; Phoenix Suns; Portland Trail Blazers; Sacramento Kings; San Antonio Spurs; Toronto Raptors; Utah Jazz; Washington Wizards. The NBA offers real time access to live regular season NBA games with a subscription to NBA LEAGUE PASS, available globally for TV, broadband, and mobile. Real-time Stats, Scores, Highlights and more are available to fans on web and mobile with the NBA App. For more information, as well as all the latest NBA news and highlights, log onto the league's official website at http://www.NBA.com Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/nba Subscribe to NBA LEAGUE PASS http://www.nba.com/leaguepass Download NBA Game Time http://www.nba.com/mobile Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nba Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nba Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/nba Follow us on Tumblr http://nba.tumblr.com Shop for NBA Gear: http://store.nba.com
Cleveland Cavaliers Media Guidepublication
Cleveland Cavaliers Media Guide
55 issues 1971-2025
This media guide is a comprehensive resource created by the team to provide detailed information about its players, coaches, history,...
/ This media guide is a comprehensive resource created by the team to provide detailed information about its players, coaches, history, and season schedule. Released annually, it serves journalists, broadcasters, and fans by offering accurate profiles, statistics, and historical records. The guide enhances media coverage, fan engagement, and promotional efforts.

Cavaliers History

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  • Links Website
    Wikipedia
    Twitter
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