The Cleveland Cavaliers’ playoff exit came as a huge shock and disappointment to everyone associated with the franchise. That includes owner Dan Gilbert, who was planning for a big party throughout the postseason.
Jason Lloyd of The Athletic revealed Wednesday that Gilbert spent $500,000 on fake snow machines to be put in the ceiling at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The machines were meant to douse the seating area in confetti when the Cavaliers went on a huge offensive run, which came to be dubbed as a “Cavalanche” during the regular season.
The Cavaliers’ issues in the playoffs made the “Cavalanche” machines essentially useless. Gilbert’s investment was used just once during the entire postseason.
The lone usage came in Game 2 of the team’s first-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the Miami Heat, which the Cavs went on to win. To be fair to Gilbert, the effect is actually pretty cool.
IT’S SNOWING IN ROCKET ARENA FOR THE CAVALANCHE #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/spNol7tUru
— Isaac Okoro Fan Club (@IsaacOkoroFan) April 24, 2025
One can forgive Gilbert for thinking this had the potential to be a memorable playoff run. The Cavs won 64 games in the regular season and swept the Heat in the first round of the playoffs. They wound up falling apart against the Indiana Pacers, losing in five games and blowing a seven-point lead in the final minute of Game 2.
Gilbert is not the only one who made some playoff moves that aged terribly. Things just did not work out for Cleveland in general, and the entire organization is left wondering why.
