Former Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov has revealed why he was absent from the team’s recent 10-year reunion celebrating the franchise’s historic 2016 NBA championship, saying he was never invited to attend.
Mozgov made the comments in an interview with Russian outlet Sport Express on Friday after videos of the Cavaliers’ reunion surfaced on social media. The celebration, hosted by LeBron James, took place across the United Kingdom, with the group spending time in London and Scotland while enjoying sightseeing and golf.
Asked whether he had received an invitation to the gathering, Mozgov said he had not.
“Yes, I saw the video of that party. No one wrote or called me. If I’d been invited, I’d have gladly joined. Of course, I’d have loved to be there too, to drink some wine,” Mozgov said.
The reunion featured many of the core contributors from Cleveland’s championship team, including James, Kevin Love, J.R. Smith, Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and Tristan Thompson. Iman Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova also joined the group during the trip.
Mozgov, however, was not the only notable absence. Kyrie Irving also did not attend the reunion despite playing a pivotal role in the Cavaliers’ championship run. Following speculation that Irving had been left out, Smith clarified on social media that the current Dallas Mavericks star had been invited but “ghosted” the group. Smith later shared that Irving reached out afterward, adding, “We GOOD!” on his Instagram story.
Timofey Mozgov still cherishes his place in Cavs championship history
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Unlike Irving, Mozgov said no invitation ever came.
The 39-year-old center appeared in 13 playoff games during Cleveland’s 2016 championship run, providing valuable frontcourt depth despite seeing a reduced role after the Cavaliers acquired Channing Frye at the trade deadline. Mozgov had started 48 regular-season games for Cleveland during the 2015-16 campaign before his minutes declined later in the season.
The Cavaliers completed the first 3-1 comeback in NBA Finals history by defeating the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 to secure the franchise’s first NBA championship.
Although Mozgov was not part of this year’s reunion festivities, his comments suggested he still values his place on the championship team and would have welcomed the opportunity to celebrate one of the defining accomplishments of his NBA career alongside his former teammates.