Little Known Facts About the Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers own the best record in the NBA as we approach the playoffs. Sure, LeBron is a tremendous player and the team has been a Cleveland staple since its beginnings at the Richfield Coliseum in 1970, but just how well do you know the team? Test your knowledge with these little-known facts:

LeBron James

1. Before concentrating exclusively in basketball, James played high school football at Akron's St. Vincent/St. Mary's.

2. LeBron shares the same birth date with Tiger Woods (Dec. 30).

3. LeBron's favorite cereals are Fruity Pebbles, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Frosted Flakes. There is even a shoe - the Nike Zoom LeBron IV - inspired by his love for Fruity Pebbles.

The Franchise

1. Coach Mike Brown is the 17th head coach in Cavs franchise history.

2. Moondog, the Cavaliers' mascot since 2003, is named after the moniker that legendary Cleveland DJ, Alan Freed, gave himself. The previous mascot was Whammer, a polar bear.

3. The Cavs current wine and gold uniforms are the 10th design in the franchise's 40-year history. They were adopted in 2003. The team is expected to undergo yet another change next season.

4. The Cavaliers got their name in 1970 from Jerry Tomko, the winner of The Plain Dealer's "Name the Team" contest. His was one of more than 11,000 entries.

The Q

1. Quicken Loans Arena collected more than four tons of recyclable waste in both the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons.

2. Quicken Loans Arena was designed by the Kansas City architectural firm Ellerbe Becket, which also designed San Antonio's AT&T Center and Memphis's FedExForum, among many other sports arenas.

The Team

1. Forward J.J. Hickson is an only child.

2. Guard Delonte West paints and draws in his spare time.

3. Guard Daniel Gibson is no fool; he was sixth out of a class of 212 and was a member of the National Honor Society at Jesse H. Jones High School in Houston.

5. Center Shaquille O'Neal's first and middle ("Rashaun") names together mean "Little Warrior" in Islam.

Go Cavs!

Sources:

http://www.cavfanatic.com/
http://www.accesscavaliers.com
http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/team
http://www.cleveland.com/plain-dealer-library/index.ssf/2010/03/cleveland_cavaliers_are_named_by_an_eastlake_man_who_wins_contest_the_plain_dealer_front_page_from_1.html
http://www.tv.com/lebron-james/person/263434/trivia.html#