CLEVELAND -- Former Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Richard Jefferson and coach Mike Fratello have joined the team’s pre and post-game coverage team for the remaining games of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
Starting with Tuesday night’s Game 1 matchup against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre in downtown Toronto, Jefferson and Fratello will join the commentary team of Fred McLeod, Austin Carr, Allie Clifton, Jeff Phelps and Campy Russell for the Cavaliers Live pre-game show, as well as the hour-long post-game edition of Cavaliers Live.
Jefferson and Fratello will serve as guest analysts during the broadcasts.
PHOTOS: Richard Jefferson, Mike Fratello to join Cleveland Cavaliers' broadcast team for postseason
Jefferson and Clifton, who co-hosted the “Road Trippin’” podcast along with former Cavaliers power forward Channing Frye, will host live chats during the remaining postseason games through FOX Sports Ohio’s social-media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).
Jefferson has a special place in Cleveland sports lore, as he was a member of the team that broke the city’s 52-year major sports championship curse and won the NBA Championship with an upset win over the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 on June 19, 2016.
Although Jefferson came off the bench for the Cavaliers, he played an integral role in the team’s ability to overcome 2-0 and 3-1 series deficits and defeat the Warriors in three straight games, including twice on their home floor to close out the upset.
Jefferson averaged 5.7 points and 5.3 rebounds, as well as 1.3 steals in the best-of-seven series against the Warriors. He converted 51.6 percent of his shots from the field during The Finals, a level of competition he had not reached since his second season in the NBA.
Famously, following the win, Jefferson announced his retirement from the NBA, only to come back and help the Cavaliers make their third consecutive trip to The Finals in 2017.
