Ranking the NBA’s small market teams

#6: Cleveland Cavaliers

If it weren’t for LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers would almost certainly come last on this list. But having a hometown hero and the greatest NBA player ever (I’m kidding! Or am I?) on your team for 11 seasons helps. Owner Ted Stepien tried his best to self-immolate the franchise, but James is an unstoppable force.

The Cavs boast the eighth worst winning percentage in league history, but five Finals appearances help move them way, way up on the list. That’s the third best of all qualifying teams. I can’t even hold the four Finals losses against them. In 2007, they had no business getting there anyway, and the Spurs quadruple-teamed James all series to secure a win.

In 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, the Cavs went up against the absolutely stacked Warriors, so winning the hardest-fought ring ever is enough of an accomplishment. James only won two MVPs with the Cavs, but he could have easily won several more. If James and Kyrie Irving stayed in town, the Cavs would still be competing every single year.

You might think that I’m focusing too much on James and not enough on the franchise, and for that, I apologize. Their other leaders in win shares are Mark Price, Brad Daughtery, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Hot Rod Williams. If you’d rather read about them, more power to you, but if we’re talking about the Cavs as a franchise, they are LeBron James.