<cite></cite><cite title="Yahoo Sports" dir="ltr"></cite> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>CLEVELAND (AP) -- Former Cleveland Cavaliers owner Ted Stepien, whose propensity for trading away draft picks resulted in an NBA rule change, died Monday at his home in Willoughby Hills. He was 82. </p> Stepien paid $2 million for 37 percent of the Cavaliers in April 1980 and soon became the majority shareholder. The Cavaliers went 66-180, dropped to the bottom of the league in attendance and lost $15 million during Stepien's three years of ownership. </p> He went through six coaches during that span, including four during the 1981-82 season -- Don Delaney, Bob Kloppenburg, Chuck Daly and Bill Musselman. The team finished 15-67. </p> Because of his habit of trading draft picks for mediocre players, the league passed the "Stepien Rule," which restricts teams from dealing future first-round selections in consecutive years.</div></p> Source</p> It is obviously sad that he has died, but by looking through the records he wasn't exactly the greatest success at being an owner, making questionnable moves and going through coaches faster than Asafa Powell can run 100m. </p> </p>
The guy was blind and couldn't see what his teams were doing on the floor. </p> Pretty remarkable that you could buy an NBA franchise (enough of one) for just $2M.</p> </p>
