Cleveland’s 12 Closest Championship Calls Since 1964

15 Min Read

2009 Cavaliers

2009 Cavs

While the Cavs reached the finals for the first time in franchise history two years earlier, that team largely looked glad to just be there and were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. This group was supposed to be different. The Cavs won 66 games during the regular season as James hoisted his first MVP trophy and, in a scenario which was repeated in the first two rounds of this year’s playoffs, dispatched the Detroit Pistons and then the Atlanta Hawks in four straight. The Orlando Magic were perceived as little more than a speed bump on the road to a showdown with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. But with Dwight Howard dominating inside and Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus and Rafer Alston raining down three-pointers, the Magic ousted the Cavs in six games.

Next: 2007 Indians


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Ken Hornack is a longtime NBA sports journalist. Before covering the Orlando Magic for the Daytona Beach News-Journal and FoxSportsFlorida.com, the native of the Cleveland area got his foot in the door with the Cavaliers during the Tom Nissalke coaching era and will forever associate his senior year of high school with the Miracle of Richfield. You can follow him @Ken_Hornack.