[1] In the years following their 1998 first-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers, the Cavaliers dropped to the bottom of the league and became a perennial entrant in the annual NBA draft lottery.
The franchise's freefall bottomed out during the 2002–03 season, as the Cavs fell to a 17–65 record, tied with the Denver Nuggets for the league's worst.
[2] The Cavaliers revised their look for the 2003–04 season, introducing a new logo and a variation on the wine and gold color scheme used by the club during the 1970s.
Both the logo and uniforms lasted until 2010 during James' first stint in Cleveland before leaving the team to join the Miami Heat.
The team made major moves during the season, trading Ricky Davis, Chris Mihm, Michael Stewart and a second-round draft pick to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Eric Williams, Tony Battie, and Kedrick Brown.