Cleveland Cavaliers History
The Cavaliers joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1970 and made it to the playoffs for the first time in the 1975–76 season. The history of the team changed when they selected LeBron James — who grew up in the nearby city of Akron, Ohio — straight out of high school with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft.
James won Rookie of the Year and led the Cavs to the playoffs in his third season. They made it to the NBA Finals the following year, but were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. After Cleveland lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2009–10 playoffs, James announced his intention to take his talents to the Miami HEAT. He played in Miami for four seasons before returning to the Cavs for the 2014–15 campaign.
In 2016, led by James, the Cavaliers won their first NBA championship, overcoming a 3-1 deficit, and marking Cleveland's first major sports title since 1964.
Cleveland Cavaliers Team Info
Conference: Eastern
Division: Central
Year Founded: 1970
Team Colors: Wine, Gold, Black
Team Rivals: Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers
Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
The Cleveland Cavaliers play at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, previously known as Quicken Loans Arena. The arena was built in 1994 and is part of the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex with Progressive Field, which is next door and home to Major League Baseball's Cleveland Guardians. The arena can seat 19,432 people at basketball games, making it one of the largest NBA arenas for seating capacity.