The health system has partnered with the team for more than three decades, and the new complex will also offer care for the general public.
The NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers are getting another assist from the Cleveland Clinic.
The health system is partnering with the pro basketball team and Bedrock Real Estate to build a new training facility. Officials broke ground on the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center this week.
The training complex isn’t just designed for the NBA team. The facility, which will span more than 210,000 square feet, will also offer services to the general public, officials said.
The complex is slated to open in 2027, and is part of Bedrock Real Estate's $3.5 billion Cuyahoga Riverfront Master Plan.
The Cleveland Clinic and the Cavaliers have had a relationship since 1993, and that partnership is going to last quite a bit longer. The Cavaliers announced this week that the team has agreed to a 25-year extension of its partnership with the Cleveland Clinic.
With the deal, the Cleveland Clinic continues one of the nation’s longest relationships between a pro sports franchise and a health provider, the system said.
Tom Mihaljevic, MD, CEO and president of Cleveland Clinic, said the new training facility marks another milestone in the partnership.
"Together, we are building a facility that will redefine the standards of performance and wellness,” Mihaljevic said in a statement. “This center will serve not only elite athletes but also individuals from all walks of life, reflecting our shared commitment to health, innovation and community development. Our partnership strengthens Cleveland’s position as a leader in both healthcare and sports excellence."
The health system says the center will offer care for athletes of all levels, including weekend warriors, and touted care that will be “personalized to the individual and informed by data inputs from one of the largest sports health data hubs.”
Dan Gilbert, chairman of the Cleveland Cavaliers Chairman and founder and chairman of Bedrock Real Estate, said the facility will help spur the development of the city’s waterfront.
“Combining our practice facility with the sports medicine experts from the Cleveland Clinic means that not only will our players have access to the best possible care, but so will the residents of Cleveland and the surrounding areas – creating a multiplier effect that will benefit both the City and the Cavaliers,” Gilbert said in a statement.
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland’s all-star guard, participated in the groundbreaking. Mitchell hailed the facility as an indication of how much the team cares about its players, according to an Associated Press report.
"This is going to be huge for the longevity of our careers,” Mitchell said.
Hospital systems have formed partnerships and sponsorship deals with more and more pro sports teams in recent years.
The Kansas City Chiefs, the defending Super Bowl champs, have long had an affiliation with The University of Kansas Health System, which is the team’s official healthcare provider. Most NFL and Major League Baseball teams have partnerships with health systems.