Could this be the end of the so-called Cleveland Curse?
The city of Cleveland hasn’t won a championship in of the major sports leagues since the Cleveland Browns’ 1964 NFL championship. That means more than half a century has passed without the Browns, the NBA’s Cavaliers or Major League Baseball’s Indians winning the ultimate prize in their respective leagues.
The Cavaliers will try to end that drought Sunday when they face the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
The Browns, Indians and Cavaliers have have had plenty of other near misses in their attempt to bring a title to Cleveland. Here are some notable postseason disappointments Cleveland sports teams have experienced.
1965 BROWNS
The Browns were seeking a second straight NFL title in 1965 when they fell 23-12 to the Green Bay Packers in the championship game. Cleveland only trailed 13-12 at halftime before the Packers pulled away in the second half. Cleveland arguably suffered an even bigger heartbreak the following summer when Jim Brown announced his retirement at the age of 30.
1968 BROWNS
Cleveland’s bid for its first Super Bowl appearance ended with a 34-0 loss in the NFL championship to the Indianapolis Colts, who would go on to be upset by the New York Jets in Super Bowl III.
1969 BROWNS
For the second straight year, the Browns’ season ended one step shy of the Super Bowl. They fell 27-7 to the Minnesota Vikings, who would lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV.
1980 BROWNS
Cleveland won the AFC Central and had home-field advantage in the divisional playoffs. The Browns trailed the Oakland Raiders 14-12 but had the ball at Oakland’s 13-yard line in the final minute when Mike Davis picked off a Brian Sipe pass in the end zone. The Raiders went on to win the Super Bowl.
1986 BROWNS
The Browns went 12-4 and were leading the AFC championship game 20-13 at home when Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway led a game-tying 98-yard touchdown drive. The Broncos won the game on Rich Karlis’ 33-yard field goal in overtime. The Broncos would go on to lose to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
1987 BROWNS
The Browns went 10-5 and got back to the AFC championship game, though this time they had to go to Denver. Trailing 28-10 in the third quarter, the Browns cut the lead to 38-31 and drove into position for a tying touchdown. Earnest Byner appeared on his way to the end zone with about a minute left when Jeremiah Castille stripped the ball and recovered the fumble. The Broncos won 38-33 and went on to lose to the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl.
1989 CAVALIERS
The Cavaliers went 57-25 and earned the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference finals but lost the decisive game of a best-of-5, opening-round playoff series with the Chicago Bulls on Michael Jordan’s buzzer beater. The Bulls ended up losing to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals.
1989 BROWNS
A loss to Denver kept the Browns out of the Super Bowl once again, though this AFC championship game loss wasn’t quite as close as the other two. Cleveland, which worked its way into the AFC championship game after a 9-6-1 regular season, was within 24-21 at the end of the third quarter before Denver pulled away for a 37-21 victory. The Broncos went on to lose to the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.
1991 CAVALIERS
The Cavaliers split the first four games of the Eastern Conference finals with the Chicago Bulls before losing the series in six. The Bulls went on to win the NBA title.
1995 INDIANS
The Indians went 100-44 and earned their first World Series berth since 1954, but their potent lineup couldn’t solve the Atlanta Braves’ outstanding pitching staff. The Indians got just one hit and allowed a Dave Justice homer in a 1-0 Game 6 loss that clinched the World Series for Atlanta.
1996 INDIANS
Cleveland went 99-62 and posted baseball’s best regular-season record for a second straight season, but the Indians lost a best-of-5 American League division series to the Baltimore Orioles in four games. Baltimore went on to lose to the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees in the ALCS.
1997 INDIANS
The Indians led the Florida Marlins 2-1 in Game 7 of the World Series before Jose Mesa allowed the tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Edgar Renteria singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 11th as the Marlins edged the Indians 3-2.
1998 INDIANS
Cleveland owned a 2-1 lead over the heavily favored New York Yankees in the ALCS before losing the next three games. The Yankees went on to win the World Series.
1999 INDIANS
The Indians captured a fifth straight AL Central title and won the first two games in a best-of-5 AL division series before losing three straight games to the Boston Red Sox. The Indians squandered an early 5-2 lead to lose 12-8 at home in Game 5. Boston lost to the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees in the ALCS.
2001 INDIANS
Cleveland won two the first three games against heavily favored Seattle in a best-of-5 American League division series before the Mariners won the final two games. Cleveland carried a 1-0 lead into the seventh inning of Game 4 before falling 6-2. Seattle went on to lose to the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees in the ALCS.
2007 CAVALIERS
LeBron James led the Cavaliers to their first NBA Finals appearance in history, but they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
2007 INDIANS
Cleveland won three of the first four games in the ALCS before losing three straight games to the eventual World Series champion Red Sox. Cleveland was outscored 30-5 over the final three games of the series.
2008 CAVALIERS
Cleveland forced the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics to seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. James scored 45 points in Game 7, but the Cavs still fell 97-92 in Boston.
2009 CAVALIERS
The Cavaliers went 66-16 and rolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs without losing a single game before falling to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals. The Magic went on to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
2010 CAVALIERS
The Cavaliers earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for a second straight year but squandered a 2-1 lead and lost a six-game Eastern Conference semifinal to the Boston Celtics. Boston got all the way to the NBA Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. Cleveland suffered even more pain in the offseason when James departed for Miami, where he would win two titles with the Heat.
2015 CAVALIERS
With James back in Cleveland, the Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals and owned a 2-1 lead before falling to the Golden State Warriors in six games.
