Former Cleveland Cavaliers owner, Richfield Coliseum founder Nick Mileti dies

Nick Mileti did much for professional sports in Northeast Ohio. The local legend died Wednesday morning, the Cavaliers and Guardians both announced Thursday.

Mileti was 93.

At varying points in his lifetime, Mileti owned the Cleveland professional baseball team, the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League and the Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association.

However, in the realm of sports in this area, his legacy is sealed. Mileti is the man responsible for bringing the National Basketball Association to Cleveland in 1970 with the founding of the Cleveland Cavaliers .

That team left an indelible mark on the Akron area. When Mileti realized the team’s home since its inception, the Cleveland Arena was inadequate, he had the legendary Richfield Coliseum built. It opened in 1974.

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"You are the standard by which all basketball crowds are now measured," Mileti wrote in a letter published in the Cavs program in the 1976-77 season. "Everyone associated with the Cavaliers is proud of you and your most important role … helping the team on its way to the championship and putting the word PRIDE back into the vocabulary of Northeast Ohio."

Players from those early teams held him in the same regard.

Point guard Austin Carr, who still serves as an analyst on Cavs television broadcast, was the team'sNo. ` overall pick in 1971 out of Notre Dame.

“Nick Mileti took a chance on me as the No. 1 pick in 1971. That decision cemented a lifelong journey for me in Cleveland, and I will forever be grateful for this franchise and the impact he had on my life.  I can truly say that there is no Mr. Cavalier without this franchise existing today," Carr said in statement. "The memories we shared extend far beyond the basketball court; he was a wonderful person and a true friend. He will be deeply missed, and my heartfelt condolences go out to everyone whose lives he impacted.”

Carr played with forward Campy Russell, who the team drafted No. 8 overall in 1974, on the Miracle of Richfield team, a squad that mesmerized the area decades before the arrival of LeBron James. Russell is well aware of what the team means to the area now.

“This is the passing of a man who brought Cleveland into the NBA and laid the foundation for where we are today. His vision and willingness to take risks in creating this franchise were remarkable," he said. "The Cavaliers have become a beloved part of Cleveland's identity, and looking back to 1970, we can all see the significant impact he had on both the team and Northeast Ohio. I will always remember him fondly, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family during this time.”

The Coliseum served as the home of the Cavs until 1994, when the team moved into what is now Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

By that time, Mileti was long gone as the team’s owner, having sold control of the team in to Ted Stepien in 1980.

But the team that he established would go on to do something in 2016 that no Cleveland team in a major sport had done in more than five decades - win a championship.

"Nick Mileti changed the course of Cleveland sports history, and his passion and commitment will be deeply missed," a team representative wrong in a prepared statement. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time. His spirit will continue to inspire us, and we will forever honor his memory and the indelible mark he left on our franchise and community."

Mileti purchased the Cleveland professional baseball team from Vernon Stouffer for $9.7 million in 1972. Mileti and his investors won a bid over none other than future New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. Shortly after, Mileti bought the radio stations WKYC (1100-AM) and WMJI (105.7-FM) from NBC to air baseball and basketball games. WKYC was renamed WWWE-AM and Mileti brought in popular sports talk show host Pete Franklin and his "Sportsline" program. WWWE is now known WTAM.

“Every boy dreams of owning a baseball club, especially if he's played the sport as I have,” Mileti told the Associated Press in March of 1972.

Mileti sold his stake in the baseball team to one of his investors, Ted Bonda, in 1975.

Mileti graduated from Cleveland John Adams High School before attending Bowling Green University and law school at Ohio State University.

Before his life in sports, Mileti was a prosecutor in the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood and he worked on senior citizens housing projects. Bowling Green named its alumni center, which opened in 1976, after Mileti.

Mileti also authored three books, and co-founded the Lakewood Hometown Band Concerts and the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Former Cleveland Cavaliers owner, Richfield Coliseum founder Nick Mileti dies