1999–2000 Cleveland Cavaliers season

The 1999–2000 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 30th season for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association.^[1] The Cavaliers received the eighth overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft from the Boston Celtics via trade, and selected point guard Andre Miller from the University of Utah, and also selected shooting guard Trajan Langdon out of Duke University with the eleventh overall pick.^[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team acquired Lamond Murray from the Los Angeles Clippers,^[5][6][7] signed free agent Mark Bryant,^[8] and hired Randy Wittman as their new head coach.^[9][10]

However, after only playing just five games the previous season, Zydrunas Ilgauskas would miss the entire regular season due to continuing foot injuries.^[11][12] Under Wittman, and with the addition of Murray, Miller and Bryant, the Cavaliers played around .500 in winning percentage with an 11–9 start to the regular season. However, the team struggled losing ten of their next eleven games, which included a seven-game losing streak in December, and later on held a 19–30 record at the All-Star break.^[13] The Cavaliers posted a six-game losing streak in March, and finished in sixth place in the Central Division with a 32–50 record.^[14]

Shawn Kemp averaged 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, but struggled shooting .417 in field-goal percentage, while Murray averaged 15.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, and Bob Sura provided the team with 13.8 points and 3.9 assists per game, and also led them with 122 three-point field goals. In addition, Miller provided with 11.1 points and 5.8 assists per game, was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, while Brevin Knight contributed 9.3 points, 7.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and Wesley Person contributed 9.2 points per game and 106 three-point field goals. Meanwhile, Danny Ferry contributed 7.3 points per game, Andrew DeClercq averaged 6.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, Bryant provided with 5.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, and Cedric Henderson contributed 5.4 points per game.^[15]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at The Arena in Oakland in Oakland, California, Sura participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout,^[16][17] while Miller was selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as a member of the Rookies team.^[16][18] Miller scored 18 points as the Rookies defeated the Sophomores team in overtime, 92–83.^[18] Sura also finished tied in eleventh place in Most Improved Player voting,^[19] while Miller finished in fourth place in Rookie of the Year voting.^[20][19]

The Cavaliers finished 24th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 603,702 at the Gund Arena during the regular season.^[15][21] Following the season, Kemp was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in a three-team trade,^[22][23][24] while Sura was traded to the Golden State Warriors,^[25][26][27] DeClercq was dealt to the Orlando Magic,^[28][29][30] Bryant was released to free agency, and Ferry signed as a free agent with the San Antonio Spurs.^[31]

For the season, the Cavaliers redesigned their home and road uniforms, removing the controversial light blue splash from across their jerseys and shorts. The white home uniforms featured a light blue, orange and black trim, which was also featured on the right side of their jerseys and shorts, along with the team's primary logo on the right leg of their shorts; the black road uniforms featured a light blue and orange trim.^[32][33] The new uniforms would remain in use until 2003.