Nick Mileti, who helped found the Cleveland Cavaliers and became a prominent figure in the city’s sports landscape in the 1970s, has died.
He was 93.
Mileti died in his sleep on Wednesday in Rocky River, Ohio, said a spokesman for the Cleveland Guardians, one of several teams Mileti once owned.
Photo: AP
The son of Sicilian immigrants emerged as one of the city’s true power brokers after purchasing a minor league hockey team, the Cleveland Barons, and the Cleveland Arena in 1968.
He became a key figure in ownership groups that started purchasing or founding other franchises. In 1970, they brought the NBA to Cleveland by selling shares of the expansion-team Cavaliers at US$5 each to raise US$2.25 million and cover the US$3.7 million expansion fee.
“A true pioneer in the world of sports, Nick was not just a leader; he was a dreamer who transformed that dream into reality for countless fans in Cleveland,” the Cavaliers said in a statement. “Nick Mileti changed the course of Cleveland sports history, and his passion and commitment will be deeply missed.”
He purchased controlling interest in 1972 in the city’s MLB franchise, then named the Indians, and he helped oversee construction of the Richfield Coliseum, where the Cavs played from 1974 to 1994.
Mileti also bought a World Hockey Association franchise in 1972 and moved it from Calgary, Canada, to Cleveland, renaming it the Crusaders, and owned two of the city’s largest radio stations.
He was replaced as Indians president in 1975 and, under pressure from banks, sold his stakes in the team. The Crusaders ceased operations in 1976 after an NHL team moved into town, and Mileti sold his stake in the Cavaliers in 1980.
Eventually, though, Mileti got back into the sports business.
After moving to California in 1979 to help produce and finance plays and movies, he founded the Canadian Football League’s Las Vegas Posse, owned multiple radio stations and wrote three books.
However, Mileti’s influence in Cleveland continued.
He was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the Cavaliers’ Wall of Honor in 2019 — part of the team’s 50th anniversary celebration — and was rewarded during that ceremony with an NBA championship ring from the Cavs’ first title team in 2015-2016.
“I have often heard people say, ‘It’s not how long you live, but what you live for,’” former Cavs star Jim Chones said. “Nick was rewarded with longevity because he touched many in his mission to make Cleveland great again. His voice was soft but confident, demanding attention. He loved Cleveland, and Cleveland loved him.”
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister. They “will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively canceled,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and
Defender Steph Catley says her UEFA Women’s Champions League title win with Arsenal last week will act as motivation to secure continental glory with Australia when the country hosts the Women’s Asian Cup next year. Catley and compatriots Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross were part of the Arsenal squad that defeated Barcelona in Lisbon on Sunday last week, before flying to Melbourne to feature in the Matildas’ 2-0 win over Argentina on Friday. The game was the first in a two-match series against the South Americans as the Australians continue preparations for the continental championship in March next year, when they would
RSS