CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers and Cleveland Cliffs announced on Tuesday that they are extending their partnership.
The Cliffs logo will be featured on the Cleveland Cavaliers uniforms starting next season.
“Cliffs has been an anchor for Cleveland and the Great Lakes Region for 175 years. We share an immense amount of hometown pride and love for this region and are committed to having a positive influence on the people that live and work here,” said Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse CEO, Len Komoroski. “While our respective roles in the community are much different from each other, both Cliffs and the Cavs are considered part of the ‘fabric of life’ here in Northeast Ohio. It is now very appropriate and relevant for Cliffs to be represented, literally, on the fabric of the Cavs player jerseys.”
Cliffs will become the only steel company in the country to have a jersey patch partnership with an NBA team.
“Cleveland-Cliffs is proud of our partnership with the Cavaliers and the NBA, for our employees, their families, their communities and the entire Great Lakes Region. The Cavs stand out as a unique and authentic showcase for the importance of teamwork with its talented players, coaching staff and management team, coming together strategically to win. Cleveland-Cliffs is no different. We are made by our 26,000 employees. These people, situated across the entire Great Lakes region, are talented and dedicated, working together to execute a well thought strategy to produce a vital material, steel, that is woven into the fabric of everyday modern life. The power of this Cliffs-Cavs partnership is our common culture of teamwork, family and community, which are fundamental to our on-going success. The journey together will be rewarding, and winning is about the whole team," Lourenco Goncalves, Cleveland-Cliffs' Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer said.
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland said he was excited about the partnership since both of his grandparents worked in the steel industry.
“I will be very proud to wear the Cleveland-Cliffs logo on my jersey starting next season,” said Garland. “Being from Gary, Indiana, I know first-hand how important Cliffs and steel are to communities, both here in Cleveland and across our region. Every time I put this jersey on and see the Cliffs patch on the chest, I’ll be reminded of these people and motivated by the hard-working mentality that they bring every day.”
Cliffs, a flat-roller producer, has been headquartered in downtown Cleveland since 1847.
