by The following season saw the Cavaliers continue to improve as their win total grew once again. They used the combination of Carr, Smith and Jim Cleamons to win 32 games. It was nearly a double digit improvement in their win total from the prior season. It was a sign that the Cavaliers were headed in the right direction.
The Cavaliers did endure a slight hiccup the following season by only winning 29 games, however, their young talent continued to improve with the addition of rookie Jim Brewer. The Cavaliers were on the cusp of bigger and better things, complete with a move into a new venue. The luck of the Cavaliers was about to change, as the team and their fans were about to witness a miracle.
The Richfield Coliseum was built in the early seventies and opened to the public in 1974 as a home for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. It also played host for the WHA’s Cleveland Crusaders, the NHL’s Cleveland Barons and in later years, the AFL’s Cleveland Thunderbolts, as well as indoor soccer teams, the Cleveland Force and Cleveland Crunch.
The Coliseum hosted major sporting events, such as the 1981 NBA All Star game. It also showcased several Professional Wrestling events seen worldwide on pay-per-view. It was the venue for concerts with big names from Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder to U2 and Bruce Springsteen. Hall of fame basketball star, Larry Bird, even mentioned that it was his favorite place to play at on the road. The building, located in the middle of large areas of farmland, thirty minutes south of downtown Cleveland, stuck out like a sore thumb. It was a massive structure that held over 20,000 fans.
It was even one of the first arenas to include luxury boxes. Joe Tait, the legendary announcer for the Cavaliers remembers his first impressions of the Richfield Coliseum. It was a beautiful building in comparison to the old Cleveland Arena; it was like going from the ghetto to the palace. The one question was if people would still show up because of the long distance many had to travel to get there. At the time that part of Summit County was surrounded by farms. It was in the middle of nowhere and there was a sheep ranch right next to the building. I thought it was an absolutely beautiful building.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers had a new home, now they just needed to start winning. Cavs owner, Nick Mileti, built the Richfield Coliseum for his recently formed basketball team. Until then, they had been playing at the Cleveland Arena, but didn’t enjoy much success. Since their opening season of 1970, the Cleveland Cavaliers hadn’t had a single winning season. Shortly after the move to Richfield in 1974, the Cavs record started to improve. They won 40 games that year, but fell just short of the playoffs. Joe Tait recalls the 1974-1975 season. “Things were changing because we were starting to get better ballplayers. We had not yet won a lot of ballgames in the history of the team so the upgrade in the talent of the roster was crucial. The fact that we came within one game was frustrating but also encouraging because it showed you how close they were to bigger and better things.”
In 1975-76, NBA Coach of the Year, Bill Fitch, led the Cavaliers to a record of 49-33 and a National Basketball League Central Division title. They boasted a roster filled with talent such as Austin Carr, Bobby Bingo Smith, Jim Chones, Dick Snyder, and the newly acquired perennial All Star, Nate Thurmond. Years had passed since Cleveland won anything; 1964 was the last time that a Cleveland team won a championship. So, the team’s success had everyone in Northeast Ohio excited about sports again, including announcer, Joe Tait: “After the horrible start to the season head coach, Bill Fitch, made the trade for Nate Thurmond, which was the catalyst that turned that ball club around. Nate was great player and also a tremendous leader. He came in and really galvanized the team to get them aimed in the right direction and then went on to win the division.”
The first unit of the Cavaliers consisted of Jim Cleamons and Dick Snyder at guard, Jim Chones at center with Jim Brewer and Bobby “Bingo” Smith holding up the front court. Coming off the bench were Austin Carr, Campy Russell, Foots Walker, and Nate Thurmond. The bench players were just as good as some of the starting lineups that season. The Cavaliers boasted a solid rotation of players that would to take them well into the post-season.
The Cleveland Cavalier fans enthusiasm helped “lift up” and shape some of the broadcasting by Joe Tait as well. Joe recalls the fan’s excitement. “Sure, you get swept up in the enthusiasm and excitement of the whole thing. If anything, you have to make sure that you don’t overdo it yourself because it is very easy to do so. I know a couple of times listening back to old tapes that I probably did go too far. It was hard not to get totally involved in that series because of the extreme nail biting results of those games. The crowd really did pick up the team and pick me up as well. It was a rare experience because it was the first time the team had ever been to the playoffs and at best had a mediocre performance prior to that season. They took out Washington and because most people considered the fact they were even there a miracle, the name stuck.”
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