When Cleveland’s Public Auditorium opened its doors in 1922 there were assuredly big plans for the building. Throughout the life of the building, it has hosted political conventions, some of the most famous musical acts in history and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
Now, the Cleveland Charge are calling this iconic Cleveland landmark home.
The Charge are the NBA G League affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team formerly was known as the Canton Charge before relocating up Interstate 77 in 2021. From 2021 until this season, the team played its home games at the Wolstein Center on Cleveland State University’s campus. The NBA G League is the NBA’s minor league. All 30 NBA franchises have an affiliate, plus there is one unaffiliated G League team, located in Mexico City.
Beginning Friday, they’ll play their home games in one of the more unique venues in professional basketball.
“It's awesome. I love that it's the new with the old,” Charge general manager Liron Fanan told Cleveland Magazine.
Charge games will have a capacity of 5,100 fans, with the opportunity to expand to nearly 7,000 if demand meets it. There is courtside seating along the sidelines and the baselines, and mezzanine-level seating throughout. A large LED video board hangs on one end of the floor.
Walking into the basketball setup at Public Hall gives the feel of an old, historic place with modern amenities. The building is more than 100 years old, but it has been kept in terrific condition. The Charge moving in has meant that upgrades were made to certain parts of the building, too. The LED board is new, and so are both home and visiting locker rooms, a weight room and coaches offices underneath the main level.
“When we came the first time the court was not on, so you had to kind of imagine it,” Fanan says. “I loved that it's already somewhat our colors. Like everything up there is already fit for us. And I love how it's got the hanging seats and sections, I love that. I think it gives you a lot of feel to the game as well.”
Cleveland basketball fans will see something familiar inside Public Hall when watching the Charge play, aside from just the team’s colors. The team is using the Cavs’ City Edition floor from last season as the court. That floor was created as a nod to Cleveland’s Playhouse Square district and fits in with the vibe at Public Hall perfectly. Fans will also see some familiar faces, as from time to time younger players from the Cavs roster such as Jaylon Tyson and Craig Porter Jr. will play on assignment from the parent club. There are also three players designated as “two-way” players, meaning that their contracts are set up so that they could frequently be shuttled back and forth between the Cavs and the Charge. Luke Travers, J.T. Thor and Emoni Bates are those three players.
Public Hall creates a different environment for a basketball game than anything else locally. It’s a perfect fit for the G League because that experience is overall different than going to an NBA game.
“The growth that we've experienced going from our previous home to this one was a necessary piece because of the demand the fans have found out that the G league is fun,” Charge CEO Rocco Maragas says. “That three-letter word, fun, is something that's at the core of everything we do.”
Charge games at Public Hall will feature the chance for fans to be closer to the action than they might be able to experience with the Cavs. Games will have a giant inflatable pop-a-shot, sign-making stations, temporary tattoos, kids being able to shoot free throws on the floor after the game and autograph sessions after every game.
“Fun has been what we've had a pure goal of since Day One, we knew when we were moving to Cleveland, the one thing we had to keep at our core was fun when we're expanding,” Maragas says. “It needs to be fun when people are coming here for the first or the last time. That happens in every game, no matter who you are, no matter where you fun needs to be a core of what we do, because that's going to be the memorable part of it.”
The Charge begin their multi-year tenure at Public Hall with two games this weekend, taking on the Wisconsin Herd, the G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks, Friday and Saturday evenings. Tickets for this weekend start at $7 on Friday night and $5 on Saturday.
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