THE The Cleveland Cavaliers The Yankees were among the NBA’s top 10 teams last season in average crowd size at home games, but it took the organization a long road to build its fan base to that level.
Looking back at the team’s early history as part of a tribute to the late Cavs founder Nick Mileti, Cleveland.com’s Terry Pluto shared that the franchise inflated its attendance numbers during its first NBA season in the 1970s.
“The Cavs averaged 3,518 fans during the 1970-71 season, the lowest number in the NBA,” wrote Pluto. “The Cavs inflated attendance figures to reach that 3,518 total. Some nights there were fewer than 1,000 fans in the stands.”
During the 2023-24 regular season, the Cavs averaged 19,345 fans per home game, which ranked eighth in the NBA. They became frequent members of the top 10, a testament to how far the organization has come since its founding.
During the 2015–16 season, when Cleveland won its first and only NBA title, the team averaged 20,562 fans at home games (excluding the playoffs), ranking second in the league behind only the The Chicago Bulls.
The Cavs have been able to count on the support of their fans in recent times during the Donovan Mitchell era. The star point guard, who signed an extension with the franchise this offseason, hopes to lead Cleveland to the NBA title alongside players like Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Last season, the team was able to win its first playoff series since 2018, which could get fans excited for the 2024-25 campaign. Additionally, the Cavs will have new blood this season with Kenny Atkinson as head coach, succeeding J.B. Bickerstaff.
Cleveland had home-court advantage (and the fan support that goes with it) in its first-round playoff matchup last season, which certainly could have impacted the outcome of the series, as the Cavs needed seven games to eliminate the Orlando Magic (Game 7 taking place in Cleveland).
After having that first-round advantage last season, Mitchell and his team will likely be motivated to once again secure a solid playoff spot in the new campaign to ensure they get as many home games as possible in the playoffs.
