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The Cleveland Cavaliers (also known as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1970. This list summarizes the team's season-by-season records, including post-season, and includes select season-end awards won by the team's players and/or coaches. The Cavaliers were founded in 1970 as an expansion franchise and since their first season, they have always played in the Central Division and in the Eastern Conference.
On October 14, 1970, the Cavs lost to the Buffalo Braves 92-107 in their first game. They have been awarded the first overall draft pick six times, choosing Austin Carr in 1971, Brad Daugherty in 1986, LeBron James in 2003, Kyrie Irving in 2011, Anthony Bennett in 2013 and Andrew Wiggins in 2014. In his last season with the Cavs, Carr won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, the first of three Cavaliers to win the award (Eric Snow and Luol Deng won the award in 2005 and 2014, respectively). As a Cavalier, LeBron won Rookie of the Year as well as four MVP awards and two All Star Game MVP awards. He also led the Cavaliers to three NBA Finals and won the 2016 title as Finals MVP. Cleveland's next first overall pick after James, Kyrie Irving, won Rookie of the Year in 2012 and NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2014.
In their 45 seasons, the Cavs have achieved a winning record 20 times. Highlights include 19 playoff appearances, which included winning the Central Division championship five times (1975–76, 2008–09, 2009-10, 2014-15, and 2015-16), winning the Eastern Conference championship three times (2006–07, 2014-15, and 2015-16), and winning the NBA Title in 2016. In five straight playoff appearances with LeBron James in his first tenure with Cleveland, the Cavs won more playoff games than they lost each season, something they only ever managed, barely, once before, in the 1991-92 season. Overall, their winning percentage through the years is .456, with 1660 wins and 1967 losses in regular season play (as of March 13, 2015). They are 84 and 84 in the playoffs, a winning percentage of .500.
Seasons
Note: Statistics are correct as of the 2015–16 season.