1970–71 Cleveland Cavaliers season

NBA basketball team season (inaugural season) March 2026 August 2023 Cleveland Cavaliers 1971 15 67 Central 4 8 Bill Fitch Cleveland Arena Did not qualify WEWS-TV WERE 1 CLE The 1970–71 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the inaugural season of NBA basketball in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 15–67 record in their first season, finishing last in the Central Division and Eastern Conference. John Johnson was named an All-Star, the first in franchise history. Key Dates: Offseason Expansion draft As an expansion (first year) franchise, the Cavaliers chose 11 players from other NBA teams in the 'expansion draft.' Player Position Team Butch Beard Guard Atlanta Hawks Len Chappell Center Milwaukee Bucks Johnny Egan Guard L.A. Lakers Bobby Lewis Guard San Francisco Warriors McCoy McLemore Center Detroit Pistons Don Ohl Guard Atlanta Hawks Walt Wesley Center Chicago Bulls Loy Petersen Guard Chicago Bulls Luther Rackley Center Cincinnati Royals Bingo Smith Guard San Diego Rockets John Warren Guard New York Knickerbockers BOBCATS: All-Time Expansion Draft Results https://web.archive.org/web/20080116123003/http://www.nba.com/bobcats/news/draft_central_expansion_alltime_results.html 2008-01-16 Free agents Trades Draft picks 1970 NBA draft Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club team 1 7 John Johnson Forward United States Iowa 2 26 Dave Sorenson Forward United States Ohio State 3 41 Surry Oliver Guard United States Stephen F. Austin 4 60 Glen Vidnovic Forward United States Iowa 5 75 Wayne Sokolowski Forward United States Ashland 6 94 Joe Cooke Guard United States Indiana 7 109 Narvis Anderson Forward United States Stephen F. Austin 8 128 Walt Robertson Forward United States Loyola University Chicago 9 143 Tom Lagodich Guard United States Kent State 10 162 Ken Johnson Forward United States Indiana Roster Cleveland Cavaliers 1970–71 #77222F #FFA402 #FFA402 #77222F 10 Joe Cooke basketball SG 6 3 175 Indiana Aug. 14, 1948 23 Gary Freeman basketball PF 6 9 210 Oregon State Jul. 25, 1948 32 John Johnson basketball, born 1947 SF 6 7 200 Iowa Oct. 18, 1947 5 Bobby Lewis basketball, born 1945 SG 6 3 175 North Carolina Mar. 20, 1945 30 Larry Mikan PF 6 7 210 Minnesota Apr. 8, 1948 45 Luther Rackley C 6 10 220 Xavier Jun. 11, 1946 15 Dave Sorenson PF 6 8 225 Ohio State Jul. 8, 1948 7 Bingo Smith SG/SF 6 5 195 Tulsa Feb. 26, 1946 40 Gary Suiter C 6 9 225 Midwestern State Jan. 18, 1945 11 John Warren basketball SG 6 3 180 St. John's Jul. 7, 1947 17 Bobby Washington PG 5 11 175 Eastern Kentucky Jul. 11, 1947 44 Walt Wesley C 6 11 220 Kansas Jan. 25, 1945 Bill Fitch Jim Lessig Regular season Season standings CLE CLE Game log October Record: 0–9; Home: 0–2; Road: 0–7 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record 1 October 14 A Buffalo Braves L 92–107 0–1 2 October 16 A Portland Trail Blazers L 112–115 0–2 3 October 17 A San Francisco Warriors L 108–128 0–3 at Oakland, California 4 October 20 A Portland Trail Blazers L 98–120 0–4 5 October 22 A San Diego Rockets L 110–140 0–5 6 October 23 A Phoenix Suns L 104–108 0–6 7 October 25 A Los Angeles Lakers L 96–123 0–7 8 October 28 H San Diego Rockets L 99–110 0–8 9 October 30 H Cincinnati Royals L 110–125 0–9 November Record: 1–17; Home: 0–8; Road: 1–9 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record 10 November 1 H Atlanta Hawks L 107–130 0–10 11 November 2 A Philadelphia 76ers L 87–141 0–11 12 November 4 H Milwaukee Bucks L 108–110 0–12 13 November 7 A Buffalo Braves L 91–103 0–13 14 November 8 H Seattle SuperSonics L 105–111 0–14 15 November 10 A San Francisco Warriors L 74–109 0–15 16 November 12 A Portland Trail Blazers W 105–103 1–15 17 November 13 A Seattle SuperSonics L 91–111 1–16 18 November 14 A Portland Trail Blazers L 110–125 1–17 19 November 16 A Baltimore Bullets L 86–98 1–18 20 November 18 H Baltimore Bullets L 98–111 1–19 21 November 20 A Boston Celtics L 112–116 1–20 22 November 21 A New York Knicks L 94–102 1–21 23 November 22 H Phoenix Suns L 99–114 1–22 24 November 25 H San Francisco Warriors L 99–108 1–23 25 November 27 H Portland Trail Blazers L 102–111 1–24 26 November 28 A Cincinnati Royals L 86–105 1–25 27 November 29 H Detroit Pistons L 99–120 1–26 December Record: 4–13; Home: 4–6; Road: 0–7 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record 28 December 4 H Boston Celtics L 107–118 1–27 29 December 6 H Buffalo Braves W 108–106 2–27 30 December 9 H Portland Trail Blazers L 102–109 2–28 31 December 11 A Milwaukee Bucks L 92–134 2–29 32 December 12 A Cincinnati Royals L 95–114 2–30 33 December 13 H San Diego Rockets L 95–118 2–31 34 December 15 A New York Knicks L 92–110 2–32 35 December 16 H New York Knicks L 84–108 2–33 36 December 18 A Buffalo Braves L 94–113 2–34 37 December 19 H Buffalo Braves W 123–112 3–34 38 December 20 H Chicago Bulls L 103–116 3–35 39 December 22 A Chicago Bulls L 80–121 3–36 40 December 25 A Cincinnati Royals L 100–117 3–37 41 December 26 H Buffalo Braves W 120–107 4–37 42 December 27 H Philadelphia 76ers W 114–101 5–37 43 December 29 H Milwaukee Bucks L 97–119 5–38 44 December 31 A Atlanta Hawks L 85–119 5–39 January Record: 5–9; Home: 4–4; Road: 0–5; Neutral: 1–0: # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record 45 January 1 H Baltimore Bullets L 105–128 5–40 46 January 2 A Milwaukee Bucks L 73–118 5–41 47 January 4 H Portland Trail Blazers L 106–119 5–42 48 January 6 H New York Knicks L 94–127 5–43 49 January 7 H Los Angeles Lakers L 105–110 5–44 50 January 9 H Buffalo Braves W 111–89 6–44 51 January 14 A Detroit Pistons L 106–108 6–45 52 January 16 A Philadelphia 76ers L 96–115 6–46 53 January 19 N Buffalo Braves W 111–79 7–46 at Syracuse, New York 54 January 24 A Boston Celtics L 110–121 7–47 55 January 25 H Boston Celtics W 117–116 8–47 56 January 27 H Portland Trail Blazers W 118–104 9–47 57 January 29 A Atlanta Hawks L 111–119 9–48 58 January 31 H Buffalo Braves W 117–108 10–48 February Record: 2–12; Home: 1–5; Road: 0–7; Neutral: 1–0 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record 59 February 2 N Buffalo Braves W 101–91 11–48 at Rochester, New York 60 February 3 H Seattle SuperSonics L 95–98 11–49 61 February 5 A San Diego Rockets L 105–116 11–50 62 February 6 A Phoenix Suns L 91–119 11–51 63 February 7 A Portland Trail Blazers L 103–112 11–52 64 February 9 H Los Angeles Lakers L 111–116 11–53 65 February 12 H Phoenix Suns L 105–114 11–54 66 February 13 H Buffalo Braves L 106–111 11–55 67 February 14 A Chicago Bulls L 83–108 11–56 68 February 17 H Chicago Bulls L 104–109 11–57 69 February 19 H Cincinnati Royals W 125–109 12–57 70 February 21 A Portland Trail Blazers L 105–123 12–58 71 February 24 A Seattle SuperSonics L 101–123 12–59 72 February 28 A Los Angeles Lakers L 90–107 12–60 March Record: 3–7; Home: 2–5; Road: 1–2 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record 73 March 6 A Buffalo Braves L 109–120 12–61 74 March 7 A Detroit Pistons W 104–100 13–61 75 March 9 H Philadelphia 76ers L 113–124 13–62 76 March 12 H Atlanta Hawks L 107–119 13–63 77 March 14 H Cincinnati Royals L 103–115 13–64 78 March 16 H San Francisco Warriors W 108–103 14–64 79 March 17 A Baltimore Bullets L 109–113 14–65 80 March 20 H Detroit Pistons W 114–103 15–65 81 March 21 H Portland Trail Blazers L 110–113 15–66 82 March 23 H Portland Trail Blazers L 112–114 15–67 Cleveland Cavaliers 1971 #B22222 white Total: 15–67 (Home: 11–30; Road: 2–37, Neutral: 2–0) Cleveland Cavaliers October yes #FFCC33 navy 0 2 0 7 Cleveland Cavaliers November #FFCC33 navy 0 8 1 9 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 10 || November 1, 1970 || Atlanta | L 107–131 | | | | Cleveland Arena3,533 | 0–10 Cleveland Cavaliers December #FFCC33 navy 4 6 0 7 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 44 || December 31, 1970 || @ Atlanta | L 85–119 | | | | Alexander Memorial Coliseum5,429 | 5–39 Cleveland Cavaliers January #FFCC33 navy 4 4 1 5 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 57 || January 29, 1971 || @ Atlanta | L 111–119 | | | | Alexander Memorial Coliseum7,192 | 9–48 Cleveland Cavaliers February #FFCC33 navy 1 5 1 7 Cleveland Cavaliers March #FFCC33 navy 2 5 1 2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 76 || March 12, 1971 || Atlanta | L 107–119 | | | | Cleveland Arena8,341 | 13–63 CLE 1971 References Cleveland Cavaliers on Database Basketball Cleveland Cavaliers on Basketball Reference Cleveland Category:Cleveland Cavaliers seasons Cleveland Cleveland