List of Cleveland Cavaliers seasons


The Cleveland Cavaliers are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association 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 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, Brad Daugherty, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins. In his last season with the Cavs, Austin Carr won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, the first of four Cavaliers to win the award. 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 five NBA Finals, including the last 4 straight, 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 48 seasons, the Cavs have achieved a winning record 23 times. Highlights include 20 playoff appearances, which included winning the Central Division championship six times, winning the Eastern Conference championship five times, 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. They are 84 and 84 in the playoffs, a winning percentage of.500. Cleveland's 2016 championship meant that the Eastern Conference's Central Division is the only current NBA division with more than three of its five franchises having won NBA titles.

Key

FinishFinal position in league or division standings
Number of games the coach coached
ItalicsSeason in progress
LossesNumber of regular season losses
AMVPAll-Star Game Most Valuable Player
COYCoach of the Year
EOYExecutive of the Year
MVPMost Valuable Player
FMVPNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
ROYRookie of the Year
SPORSportsmanship Award
JWKCJ. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
NBA Champions
Conference Champions
Division Champions
Playoff berth

Seasons

Note: Statistics are correct as of the.
SeasonTeamLeagueConferenceFinishDivisionFinishWinsLossesWin%GBPlayoffsAwardsRef.
'1970–71NBAEastern8thCentral4th1567.18327——
'1971–72NBAEastern7thCentral4th2359.28015——
'1972–73NBAEastern6thCentral4th3250.39020——
'1973–74NBAEastern7thCentral4th2953.35418——
'1974–75NBAEastern6thCentral3rd4042.48820——
'1975–76NBAEastern2ndCentral1st4933.598—Won Conference Semifinals 4–3
Lost Conference Finals 4–2		Bill Fitch
'1976–77NBAEastern6thCentral4th4339.5246Lost First Round 2–1—
'1977–78NBAEastern4thCentral3rd4339.5249Lost First Round 2–0—
'1978–79NBAEastern8thCentral5th3052.36618——
'1979–80NBAEastern8thCentral5th3745.45113—Austin Carr
'1980–81NBAEastern9thCentral5th2854.34132——
'1981–82NBAEastern11thCentral6th1567.18340——
'1982–83NBAEastern10thCentral5th2359.28028——
'1983–84NBAEastern9thCentral4th2854.34122——
'1984–85NBAEastern8thCentral4th3646.43923Lost First Round 3–1—
'1985–86NBAEastern9thCentral5th2953.35428——
'1986–87NBAEastern9thCentral6th3151.38026——
'1987–88NBAEastern6thCentral5th4240.51212Lost First Round 3–2—
'1988–89NBAEastern3rdCentral2nd5725.6956Lost First Round 3–2—
'1989–90NBAEastern7thCentral4th4240.51217Lost First Round 3–2—
'1990–91NBAEastern9thCentral6th3349.40228——
'1991–92NBAEastern3rdCentral2nd5725.69510Won First Round 3–1
Won Conference Semifinals 4–3
Lost Conference Finals 4–2		Wayne Embry
'1992–93NBAEastern3rdCentral2nd5428.6583Won First Round 3–2
Lost Conference Semifinals 4–0		—
'1993–94NBAEastern6thCentral4th4735.57310Lost First Round 3–0—
'1994–95NBAEastern6thCentral4th4339.5249Lost First Round 3–1—
'1995–96NBAEastern4thCentral3rd4735.57325Lost First Round 3–0—
'1996–97NBAEastern9thCentral5th4240.51227—Terrell Brandon
'1997–98NBAEastern6thCentral5th4735.57315Lost First Round 3–1Wayne Embry
'1998–99NBAEastern11thCentral7th2228.44011——
'1999–2000NBAEastern11thCentral6th3250.39024——
'2000–01NBAEastern11thCentral6th3052.36622——
'2001–02NBAEastern14thCentral7th2953.35421——
'2002–03NBAEastern15thCentral8th1765.20733——
'2003–04NBAEastern9thCentral5th3547.42726—LeBron James
'2004–05NBAEastern9thCentral4th4240.51212—Eric Snow
'2005–06NBAEastern4thCentral2nd5032.61014Won First Round 4–2
Lost Conference Semifinals 4–3		LeBron James
'2006–07NBAEastern2ndCentral2nd5032.6103Won First Round 4–0
Won Conference Semifinals 4–2
Won Conference Finals 4–2
Lost NBA Finals 4–0		—
'2007–08NBAEastern4thCentral2nd4537.54914Won First Round 4–2
Lost Conference Semifinals 4–3		LeBron James
'2008–09NBAEastern1stCentral1st6616.805—Won First Round 4–0
Won Conference Semifinals 4–0
Lost Conference Finals 4–2		LeBron James
Mike Brown
'2009–10NBAEastern1stCentral1st6121.744—Won First Round 4–1
Lost Conference Semifinals 4–2		LeBron James
'2010–11NBAEastern15thCentral5th1963.23243——
'2011–12NBAEastern13thCentral5th2145.31829—Kyrie Irving
'2012–13NBAEastern13thCentral5th245825.5——
'2013–14NBAEastern10thCentral3rd334923—Kyrie Irving
Luol Deng
'2014–15NBAEastern 2ndCentral1st5329—Won First Round 4–0
Won Conference Semifinals 4–2
Won Conference Finals 4–0
Lost NBA Finals 4–2		—
'2015–16NBAEastern 1stCentral1st5725—Won First Round 4–0
Won Conference Semifinals 4–0
Won Conference Finals 4–2
Won NBA Finals 4–3		LeBron James
'2016–17NBAEastern 2ndCentral1st5131—Won First Round 4–0
Won Conference Semifinals 4–0
Won Conference Finals 4–1
Lost NBA Finals 4–1		LeBron James
'2017–18NBAEastern 4thCentral1st5032—Won First Round 4–3
Won Conference Semifinals 4–0
Won Conference Finals 4–3
Lost NBA Finals 4–0		—
2018–19NBAEastern14thCentral5th1963.23241——

All-time records