As we are heading into just 5 days until Cavs tipoff, today are the stories and the careers behind the number 5. 17 different athletes have worn number 5 and to start this off we go back to 1971.
Bobby Lewis - 1971
Lewis played in 79 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers in his final NBA season at age 25. He was selected by the team in that 1970 expansion draft making him one of the original Cleveland Cavaliers.
He averaged 6 points a game in that season.
John Bagley - 1982-1986
The longest tenured player on this list of 5’s, John Bagley played in 375 for the franchise in the 80s.
Just before the arrival of Mark Price, “Bags” was the team's ultimate playmaker and shared the backcourt with a well known Cavalier in World B. Free. Once Mark Price was fully adjusted to the league and playing well, Bagley was traded to the New Jersey Nets, ending his Cavs career.
In 5 Cavs seasons, John averaged 9.4 points and nearly 7 assists.
Steve Kerr - 1990-1991
Before he was coaching against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals for four years in a row, he also had current coach Kenny Atkinson under his coaching umbrella.
Kerr still holds some three point records with the Cavs with the highest average in their career with the team. That sits at 47.2% and also is the only player in franchise history to shoot over 50% in a season with the Cavaliers.
Earl Boykins - 1999-2000
Boykins had a short 42 game stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he makes the list today because of his impact on the court. At 5 foot 5 he was the second shortest player in NBA history.
He got to play for his hometown Cavs for a little while, but most of his career is remembered as a member of the Denver Nuggets.
J.R. Smith - 2015-2019
A beloved Cavalier. There is a lot to say about "Swish" and his role on the Cleveland Cavaliers. It started off hot when the team acquired him in 2015. His role diminished over time, but he was still a key role player in the playoffs.
He was one of the best perimeter threats on the team in those years where LeBron could drive to the basket and get the ball out to him. He crucially made consecutive threes in the 2016 Game 7 of the Finals that helped bring the game closer.
Despite some of his rough spots, like in the 2018 NBA Finals. But Swish's legacy in Cleveland will always be remembered because of his personality.
Sam Merrill - 2023-current
The current number 5 is a premier threat from three. Looking like he could break Steve Kerr and JR Smith records for shooting.
Merrill is coming into this season being the most trusted player off the bench of the new look Cavs as one of the best floor spacers in franchise history.
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