The 1980-81 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 11th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Draft picks
| Round
|
Pick
|
Player
|
Nationality
|
School/Club Team
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Roster
1980–81 Cleveland Cavaliers roster
| Players
|
Coaches
|
|
|
Head coach
Assistant(s)
- Larry Creger
- Gerald Oliver
Legend
- (DP) Unsigned draft pick
- (FA) Free agent
- (S) Suspended
Injured
|
Regular season
Season standings
Notes
- z, y – division champions
- x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
| 1980-81 NBA Records
|
| Team
|
ATL
|
BOS
|
CHI
|
CLE
|
DAL
|
DEN
|
DET
|
GSW
|
HOU
|
IND
|
KCK
|
LAL
|
MIL
|
NJN
|
NYK
|
PHI
|
PHO
|
POR
|
SAS
|
SDC
|
SEA
|
UTA
|
WAS
|
| Atlanta
|
— |
2–4 |
2–4 |
1–5 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
4–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–5 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–5 |
3–2 |
2–4 |
1–5 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–4
|
| Boston
|
4–2 |
— |
5–1 |
4–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
4–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
3–3 |
6–0 |
5–1 |
3–3 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
5–1
|
| Chicago
|
4–2 |
1–5 |
— |
5–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
5–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
3–2 |
3–3 |
2–4 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
5–1
|
| Cleveland
|
5–1 |
1–4 |
1–5 |
— |
2–0 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–4 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–6 |
3–3 |
0–5 |
0–6 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
4–2
|
| Dallas
|
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
— |
3–3 |
0–2 |
2–3 |
0–6 |
0–2 |
0–6 |
0–5 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–4 |
1–4 |
1–5 |
2–3 |
1–4 |
1–5 |
0–2
|
| Denver
|
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
— |
2–0 |
3–2 |
2–4 |
1–1 |
4–2 |
3–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–4 |
2–3 |
2–4 |
3–2 |
3–2 |
2–4 |
0–2
|
| Detroit
|
2–4 |
1–4 |
1–5 |
3–3 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
— |
0–2 |
1–1 |
2–4 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–5 |
3–3 |
1–5 |
1–4 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–5
|
| Golden State
|
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–2 |
2–3 |
2–0 |
— |
3–2 |
1–1 |
5–0 |
1–5 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–4 |
2–4 |
1–4 |
2–4 |
3–3 |
4–1 |
1–1
|
| Houston
|
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
6–0 |
4–2 |
1–1 |
2–3 |
— |
1–1 |
2–4 |
2–3 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–4 |
3–2 |
3–3 |
1–4 |
4–1 |
4–2 |
0–2
|
| Indiana
|
5–1 |
3–3 |
2–3 |
4–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
4–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
— |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–4 |
5–1 |
3–2 |
0–6 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
4–2
|
| Kansas City
|
1–1 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
6–0 |
2–4 |
1–1 |
0–5 |
4–2 |
0–2 |
— |
0–5 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
3–2 |
3–2 |
2–4 |
3–2 |
2–3 |
5–1 |
1–1
|
| Los Angeles
|
2–0 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
5–0 |
2–3 |
2–0 |
5–1 |
3–2 |
2–0 |
5–0 |
— |
0–2 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
2–4 |
3–3 |
2–3 |
3–3 |
6–0 |
3–2 |
1–1
|
| Milwaukee
|
5–1 |
3–3 |
3–3 |
6–0 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
5–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
4–2 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
— |
5–1 |
3–3 |
3–2 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
4–1
|
| New Jersey
|
2–3 |
0–6 |
2–3 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–5 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–5 |
— |
0–6 |
1–5 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–3
|
| New York
|
4–2 |
1–5 |
3–3 |
5–0 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
5–1 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
2–3 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
3–3 |
6–0 |
— |
3–3 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
4–2
|
| Philadelphia
|
5–1 |
3–3 |
4–2 |
6–0 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
4–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
6–0 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
2–3 |
5–1 |
3–3 |
— |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
4–2
|
| Phoenix
|
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
4–1 |
4–1 |
2–0 |
4–2 |
4–1 |
1–1 |
2–3 |
4–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
— |
3–3 |
3–2 |
6–0 |
5–1 |
5–0 |
1–1
|
| Portland
|
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
4–1 |
3–2 |
2–0 |
4–2 |
2–3 |
2–0 |
2–3 |
3–3 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–3 |
— |
2–3 |
4–2 |
4–2 |
2–3 |
2–0
|
| San Antonio
|
1–1 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
5–1 |
4–2 |
2–0 |
4–1 |
3–3 |
0–2 |
4–2 |
3–2 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
2–3 |
3–2 |
— |
4–1 |
3–2 |
5–1 |
1–1
|
| San Diego
|
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
3–2 |
2–3 |
1–1 |
4–2 |
4–1 |
1–1 |
2–3 |
3–3 |
0–2 |
2–0 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–6 |
2–4 |
1–4 |
— |
5–1 |
3–2 |
0–2
|
| Seattle
|
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
4–1 |
2–3 |
2–0 |
3–3 |
1–4 |
2–0 |
3–2 |
0–6 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
1–5 |
2–4 |
2–3 |
1–5 |
— |
4–1 |
1–1
|
| Utah
|
0–2 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
5–1 |
4–2 |
2–0 |
1–4 |
2–4 |
1–1 |
1–5 |
2–3 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
0–2 |
0–5 |
3–2 |
1–5 |
2–3 |
1–4 |
— |
0–2
|
| Washington
|
4–1 |
1–5 |
1–5 |
2–4 |
2–0 |
2–0 |
5–1 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
2–4 |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–4 |
3–3 |
2–4 |
2–4 |
1–1 |
0–2 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
1–1 |
2–0 |
—
|
Game log
1980–81 game log Total: 28–54 (Home: 20–21; Road: 8–33)
|
October: 4–8 (home: 3–3; road: 1–5)
| Game |
Date |
Team |
Score |
High points |
High rebounds |
High assists |
Location Attendance |
Record
|
|
November: 4–10 (home: 4–3; road: 0–7)
|
December: 5–9 (home: 4–5; road: 1–4)
| Game |
Date |
Team |
Score |
High points |
High rebounds |
High assists |
Location Attendance |
Record
|
|
January: 9–5 (home: 5–2; road: 4–3)
|
February: 3–9 (home: 3–4; road: 0–5)
|
March: 3–13 (home: 1–4; road: 2–9)
|
| 1980–81 schedule
|
Player statistics
Player Statistics Citation:[1]
Awards and records
Awards
Records
Milestones
All-Star
Transactions
Free agents
References
|
|---|
|
| 1970s | |
|---|
| 1980s | |
|---|
| 1990s | |
|---|
| 2000s | |
|---|
| 2010s | |
|---|
| 2020s | |
|---|
|