5 Toughest Things About Being a Cleveland Cavaliers Fan

It’s pretty deflating to look up into the rafters of a team’s arena and see no championship banners. Since being founded in 1970, the Cavaliers have won no titles, with the team’s highest peaks essentially just solid playoff runs which ended all too early. People are saying the current roster gives the Cavs the best chance to end the drought, so here’s hoping this black mark gets erased soon.

It’s almost routine that whenever the Cavaliers have a great player, rumors swirl about their supposed desire to bail for bigger markets. You’d think nobody ever wanted to play for the Cavs. Heck, even before LeBron James returned this summer, nobody from the national media seemed to consider Cleveland a potential landing spot. Yes, if a Cavs player makes noise, it usually results in “sources” saying to expect an exit in the near future.

LeBron probably bucks this by himself, but before his return this summer, the Cavs record in acquiring big-name talent was putrid. Shawn Kemp, Andrew Bynum, Larry Hughes and an aged Shaquille O’Neal all flopped when joining the team as the front office tried to make a league-wide splash. Things look great so far from this past offseason, but if you have a weak stomach, I’d advise you to avoid looking at past marquee pick-ups the Cavs made.

It’s never good to have a rule named after you, but such is the case for former Cavs owner Ted Stepien. Yes, thanks to some absolutely awful trades, the NBA announced the “Stepien Rule” in the early 80s, stating a team couldn’t trade its first-round draft picks in consecutive years. One of said picks Stepien traded ended up being Hall of Famer James Worthy. Not exactly something you want in your team’s history books.

Who’s the team Michael Jordan sunk “The Shot” against? Who’s the team who ended up getting dumped on national TV? Which team hired and fired the same coach two separate times in the span of less than ten years? The Cavs are the answer for all three, as it seems history doesn’t typically break their way. That second one was redeemed this past summer, so here’s hoping it’s a sign of things to come.