Dan Gilbert Paid More Than $500,000 To Install Fake Snow Machines For ‘Cavalanche’

May 15, 2025

The Cleveland Cavaliers were first in the NBA in points per game and offensive rating this season. They went on several offensive tears, so much so that the term “Cavalanche” came to life.

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert loved the “Cavalanche” slogan. According to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, Gilbert paid more than $500,000 to install fake snow machines in Rocket Arena’s ceiling that could blast confetti throughout the arena’s bowl when the Cavaliers went on one of their patented runs.

Unfortunately, the “Cavalanche” machine went off exactly once in the entire 2025 postseason.

The Cavaliers swept the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs but lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round in five games.

Cleveland went 0-3 versus Indiana at home.

“Just couldn’t believe it,” Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell said after Game 5. “Didn’t want to believe it, don’t want to believe it, still don’t want to believe it. It’s tough. It’s tough to win in this league. Give them credit — we didn’t do the things necessary.”

The Cavaliers were the No. 1 seed in the East. They were projected to compete for the championship this year.

Instead, they were bounced in the second round for the second year in a row.

“I told you all during the year, we’re going to be judged by this,” Mitchell said. “There will be a lot of talk. That’s what comes with it. Didn’t capitalize. So now we gotta use this as motivation. Everybody’s gonna write us off, everybody in here. It’s not personal, (but) what are we going to do about it next year?”

Kenny Atkinson won the Coach of the Year Award this season. The veteran coach knows it’s a process to become a title contender.

“We didn’t take our foot off the gas,” Atkinson said. “I think we had a hellacious schedule (in March) and didn’t play well … it wasn’t that we’re resting guys for five games, none of that. … But listen, we still have some young players that, you know, it takes time to get to this level, this intensity. And you know they (the Pacers) have a vet squad that’s kind of done it. We just probably have a small group of guys that need to take another step. And they will, it doesn’t like all of a sudden happen, it’s a process.”