The Cavaliers began in the season of 1970. The team started off as an expansion team. Things didn’t start so smoothly for the Cavaliers, having a losing record for the first 5 seasons. The Cavaliers eventually got a break on their sixth season by winning the title in their division. Ted Stepien was the owner of the Cavaliers during the 1980’s. Stepien is remembered today as one of the worst owners in the franchises history. He would trade future draft picks for veteran players. Because of these trades, the NBA implemented a rule that prohibited teams from trading a first round draft pick in successive seasons. This rule was called the “Ted Stepien Rule.”
The 2002-2003 season
The 2002-2003 season was one of the worst seasons in franchise history. The team was tied for the worst record in the league. The Cavaliers finally got a break during the summer of 2003. They had the first pick in the first round of the NBA draft. With that pick the team selected LeBron James. After signing LeBron, the Cavaliers would go on to make playoff appearances from 2006-2010. After the2010 season, LeBron decided to take his talents to Miami, where he would play the next 4 seasons before returning back to Cleveland and bringing home the first Championship for the city in over 50 years.