The Cleveland Cavaliers may have had some down years in their franchise history, but the team has always been made up of some interesting and talented players. Here are the 10 best players in Cleveland Cavaliers history.
10. Campy Russell (1974-'80)
The eight overall pick in the '74 draft, Campy Russell averaged 15.8 points per game, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in seven seasons with the Cavs. Making three playoff appearances in Cleveland, Russell averaged 27.5 ppg in the 1978 playoffs.
9. Kyrie Irving (2011-present)
The first of two current Cavs on this list, Kyrie Irving has quickly risen up the ranks after being selected out of Duke as a 19 year old in 2011. He has already won a Rookie of the Year and appeared in three straight All-Star games, while posting 21.0 points per game, 5.7 assists and 1.4 steals.
8. World B. Free (1982-'86)
World B. Free would rank at the top of this list for flash, but he wasn't too bad on the court either. Despite playing on some poor Cavs teams in the early '80's, World B. Free still brought his A-game, scoring at least 22.5 points per game in all four seasons in Cleveland.
7. John "Hot Rod" Williams (1986-'95)
"Hot Rod" may have only started about half of his games during his time in Cleveland, but he still finished third in team history in blocked shots. Williams averaged 11.0 points per game with 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks, with his best single season coming in 1989-'90 (16.8 ppg, 8.1 rebounds, 2.0 blocks).
6. Austin Carr (1971-'80)
The Cavaliers first overall selection in 1971, Austin Carr went on to post the third-most points in team history. Carr averaged at least 20 points per game in each of his first three NBA seasons, and finished with the fifth most games played in team history.
5. Zydrunas Ilgauskas (1997-2010)
The franchise leader in games played, Zydrunas Ilgauskas spent 13 seasons in Cleveland, leading the Cavs in rebounds and blocks all-time. Never the flashiest player on the court, "Z" still averaged 13 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
4. Larry Nance (1988-'94)
Larry Nance began his career in Phoenix, but once he put on a Cavs uniform, he went on to post per game averages of 17.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks over seven seasons with Cleveland. He holds the team record with 243 blocks in a season and third most blocks in franchise history with 1,087.
3. Brad Daugherty (1986-'94)
Selected first overall in 1986, Brad Daugherty made 546 of 548 starts during his time in Cleveland. The big man is the franchise leader in defensive rebounds and falls behind only LeBron James in total points. He averaged 19.0 per game, along with 9.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
2. Mark Price (1986-'95)
Ten years ago Mark Price would have topped this list. Price spent 10 years in Cleveland as the face of a talented team in the late 80's and early 90's. Price made four All-Star game appearances, led Cleveland to seven playoff appearances and averaged 15.2 ppg, 6.7 assists and 1.2 steals.
1. LeBron James (2003-'10, '14 - present)
Not a huge surprise here. LeBron James was selected first overall out of high school in 2003 and quickly cemented his name as the top player to where the Cavs jersey. He may have bolted to Miami for a while, but short of winning a championship in Cleveleand, James has been stellar, averaging 27.6 ppg, 6.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists. He has won two MVP awards and holds the franchise record for total points, scoring average, field goals made and steals.
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