cleveland cavaliers history
cleveland cavaliers history
Cleveland Cavaliers tickets, “the Q”, and LeBron James: Where else in the NBA can you get a combination of star power and showmanship like that? Since the arrival of the young superstar forward, Cavaliers tickets have provided as much highlight footage as any club in the league. Things should get even better as James enters his third year in the NBA, and tries to punch Cavs’ ticket back to the playoffs.
James has re-energized a franchise that first entered the NBA in 1970. With their first draft pick of Austin Carr, the Cavaliers took the path of many expansion teams, posting a 15-67 inaugural season and slowly progressing into a competitive franchise. Time, patience, the draft, and trades, saw the Cavaliers eventually fielding notable NBA stars like Nate Thurmond, Dick Snyder, and Campy Russell. By the time the 1975-76 season rolled around, the Cavaliers were on the plus side of the win column with a 49-33 record and on their way to a Central Division title and a postseason appearance under head coach Bill Fitch, the NBA’s Coach of the Year.
That first playoff berth saw the Cavaliers face off against the Washington Bullets, where they emerged victorious in a seven game series that earned the moniker “The Miracle of Richfield” because of the thrilling finishes and memorable performances. Unfortunately, for the Cavaliers faithful, fate dealt the franchise a crushing blow when Jim Chones broke his ankle and fans with Cavaliers tickets watched their team fall to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The late 70’s and early 80’s were a time of struggle for the Cavaliers. Ownership changes and a revolving door of coaches kept the Cavs in a state of turmoil that included the threat of the franchise moving to Washington. Home ownership, in the form of George and Gordon Gund though, helped the Cavaliers turn things around.
Prosperity returned to the Cavaliers franchise in 1986. Leading Cleveland’s return to winning form were players like Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance and Ron Harper. A pair of 50-win seasons and playoff appearance in eight out of the next nine years restored respectability to the Cavaliers. The team hit a high-water mark of 57 -25 in 1992. Advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavaliers were eliminated by the Chicago Bulls.
The 2003 NBA lottery gave the Cavaliers a huge gift in the form of LeBron James. Exploding onto the NBA scene straight out of high school, James established himself as the real deal in his rookie season, winning the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award, averaging 20.9 points while leading the Cavaliers in scoring steals and minutes played.
Basketball fans with Cavaliers tickets have seen the birth of a true NBA superstar in LeBron James. A night at “The Q’ has become a must event for avid basketball fans, and at only 21, LeBron James makes the Cavaliers solid contenders for an NBA Championship in the 2004-2205 season and for years to come.
