Cleveland Cavaliers Mount Rushmore: LeBron James and Who?
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a team of postseason heartbreak, but also a team with some of the richest history in basketball.
As they prepare to defend home court against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, seeking to make the NBA Finals for the first time since 2018, it's worth taking a look back at some of the best players to ever wear a Cavs uniform.
For this list, Kevin Love gets an honorable mention despite making four consecutive Finals and serving as the elite rebounding stretch-forward that got them there. The same goes for Brad Daugherty, though he did hold the all-time record for points by a Cavalier despite his career being curtailed by back injuries.
Honorable Mentions
- Kevin Love (2014-2023)
- Žydrūnas Ilgauskas (1996-2010)
- Brad Daugherty (1986-1994)
- Jim Chones (1974-1979)
- Larry Nance (1989-1994)
4. Mark Price (1987-1995)
Price's No. 25 jersey was retired by the Cavaliers for a reason - he led the franchise in all-time assists until LeBron James came around, and his career mark of 4,206 still appears untouchable for the foreseeable future; Darius Garland could have come close (2,738) had he remained a Cavalier, but for now, Price stands at No. 2.
Price is one of the greatest free-throw shooters of all time; his 90.4% career mark just barely trails Stephen Curry (90.9%) and is tied with Steve Nash for second-best all time. And still, Curry has time to have his career mark drop by 0.5%, so Price could return to the top of that statistical mountaintop.
Price was the face of the Cavaliers teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s that consistently made the playoffs, and while Price made the playoffs in seven of his eight years with Cleveland, he only made it to the Eastern Conference Finals once, getting downed in six games by Michael Jordan and the Bulls.
Still, Price finds himself in the Cavs' top 10 in several categories, including points and field goals, and contributed meaningfully to the team's broadcast after his playing career ended.
3. Austin Carr (1971-1980)
While Carr may be more remembered for his time at Notre Dame, which warranted his No. 1 overall draft selection by the Cavs in 1971, he was still known as "Mr Cavalier" and the driving force behind the "Miracle of Richfield" team that advanced past the Washington Bullets in the 1976 playoffs.
Carr is one of six players, including Price, to have his jersey retired by the franchise, and ranks fourth all-time in franchise history with 10,265 points, a total that should stand for quite some time.
Now a broadcaster, Carr's quote of telling opponents to "get that weak stuff outta here!" on his calls has made him a fan favorite, and his enriching color commentary has come full circle for a Cavs legend.
2. Kyrie Irving (2011-2017)
Often polarizing, Irving was the No. 1 draft pick for the Cavs in 2011 out of Duke, and more than justified his draft selection.
Irving is one of the most gifted ball-handlers in league history, and showed why while with the Cavs. His iconic, step-back three-pointer in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Warriors cemented the Cavs' title run, to this day the only time Cleveland has reached the mountaintop.
It's Irving's consistently clutch play, his impact on the 2016 championship run and complementary play alongside LeBron that warrants a permanent place on Cleveland's Mount Rushmore.
1. LeBron James (2003-10, 2014-18)
While the Akron, Ohio, native left many in Cleveland feeling betrayed when he left for the Heat in 2010, he more than made up for it when he returned to The Land in 2014. He reached the Finals in each of his four seasons with the Cavaliers and overcame a 3-1 deficit in 2016 to take down an all-time great Warriors team and reach the mountaintop.
James is the face of the Cavaliers, he is the Cavaliers, and he is the franchise's most defining player. He leads all Cavs players in points by more than double, triple-doubles by a handy margin, as well as assists, steals, and points per game.
No one will have a more indelible impact on the city of Cleveland, its basketball soul, and potentially ever match the postseason impact of James in his shortened second stint with the Cavaliers.
Related: Who Belongs Next to Stephen Curry on the Warriors' Mount Rushmore?
Related: Larry Bird … and Then Who? Ranking the Best Boston Celtics of All Time
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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 8:27 AM.