When I first met former Cavs owner Nick Mileti – Terry Pluto

Mileti packed the crowds, and it didn’t take long. The Cavs averaged 3,518 fans that 1970-71 season, the lowest attendance in the NBA. The Cavs inflated their attendance numbers to that 3,518 total. Some nights, there were fewer than 1,000 fans in the seats.

The old arena was dark, smelled of stale beer, and smoke hung just below the ceiling. Yes, those were the days when you could smoke almost anywhere, including in your seat during a Cavs game. Looking back on that first season, it’s amazing the Cavs are still around.

How They Became the Cavs

The Cavs started this season on a 15-game losing streak. They beat Portland. They then lost the next 12 games, dropping their record to 1-27.

“I wondered if the team would disappear during the season,” Joe Tait told me. “Then I thought maybe we’d survive the season… but I’m not sure about next year.”

The Cavs were 15-67 in their first season. I didn’t care. I was excited about the NBA coming to Cleveland. Mileti had a contest in the Plain Dealer asking fans to submit a nickname. I know I submitted something, it wasn’t “Cavaliers,” the eventual winner.

The five finalists chosen by Mileti were:

1. The Jays (This was the nickname of Mileti’s son).

2. The Towers.

3. The Presidents.

4. The Foresters.

5. The Horsemen.

The Plain Dealer had another contest, this time with all five names. I think I voted for The Towers. The Terminal Tower in downtown Cleveland… basketball players are tall… The Towers sounded good to me.

More than 11,000 people voted. Mileti later admitted he didn’t look at all the names or count the votes. He loved the Cavaliers. He owned the team. He chose it.

A true visionary

I thought of this story when I heard Mileti died on Thursday at the age of 93.

Mileti was a prominent figure in Cleveland sports in the 1970s. At one point, he owned the Tribe, the Cavs and a radio station (now WTAM, 1100 AM). He also owned two hockey teams: the Barons and the Crusaders.

He purchased the former Cleveland Arena and the Barons in 1968, starting his empire. He later built and owned the Richfield Coliseum, which opened in 1974.

How did a former John Adams cheerleader from a working-class Cleveland family manage to do this? He was only 35 when he made his first purchase?

“Other people’s money,” Joe Tait told me. “Looking back, I still don’t know how he managed to convince so many people to invest in all his companies.”

Tait died in 2021 at the age of 83. He was one of my closest friends. We worked together on two books – “Vintage Riders” And ““It was a real ball.” Tait loved to tell stories in Mileti.

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He sold hope

Today, we call it “presenting a vision.” Back then, it was simply about being able to sell ideas to people who had money.

If you look at an old John Adams scrapbook from when Mileti was in school, you’ll discover that he was more than just a cheerleader. He was:

President of the ball.

President of Sports.

Student Council.

Dance committee.

Distinction Day Committee.

It’s hard to know what all these groups were about, but they clearly put Mileti at the heart of the action at the East Side Public School, Class of 1949.

But most of all, he was a dreamer. In the 1970s, Cleveland was considered an urban wasteland. The Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969. People moved to the suburbs. Factories and mills closed. At times, things seemed hopeless.

“Nick had big plans and big ideas,” Tait said. “I owe a lot to Nick in my career. He was always optimistic. He hired me for the Cavs (in 1970) and then the Indians. Bill Fitch probably wouldn’t have coached in the NBA if Nick hadn’t hired him. Fitch recommended Nick hire me. We both owe a lot to Nick.”

When Mileti spoke, it was in words and images. He was a Rembrandt. You could see him. You could feel him. And most importantly, he made you want to be a part of it. It was special. It was your moment. You have to do it now!

On the road to Hollywood

Mileti eventually sold his shares in the various franchises and the Coliseum. By 1981, he had finished his studies in Cleveland. He moved to Hollywood and invested in the film business. His new dream was to become a producer.

He climbed this mountain with a film about the Vietnam War called “Streamers”, based The film is based on a play by David Rabe. It was directed by Robert Altman, who was a big name in cinema at the time. The film received excellent reviews. But it cost about $2 million to make and only grossed $400,000.

I remember meeting Mileti in the late 1980s. I was in Los Angeles covering the Cavs. Mileti came to the game. He visited Tait, who then brought me into the conversation.

I asked Mileti for an interview. He refused.

After he left, I remember Tait saying, “Nick didn’t seem very happy. Hollywood wasn’t what he thought it would be for him.”

Mileti later became interested in real estate. He owned a share of a World Football League team in Las Vegas. He rarely returned to Cleveland.

Mileti was a Clevelander who was at his best in Cleveland.

When I heard of his death, I thought back to that day in 1970. There was a smiling, excited Nick Mileti in the building he owned, watching his dream come to life on the court with the Cavs. That was Mileti at his best.