The term worst owner in sports is thrown around a lot whenever a team is consistently terrible or makes a questionable trade. This owner was so terrible that the NBA had to change a rule about him.
While Ted Stepien (name sound familiar?) only owned the Cavs for 2 seasons, he did damage that would take decades to make up for. Besides being a terrible judge of talent, he made poor business decisions, fired popular commentators and team personnel, and threatened to move the team.
When Stepien owned the team, Stan Albeck was the head coach. But, in their first conversation Stepien told Albeck that he would fire him. He would be replaced by Bill Musselman. Musselman, however, was not any better. He was consistently late for practice due to losing track of time playing racket ball and played Randy Smith all 48 minutes IN A PRESEASON GAME.
The Cavs started the season 25-46 and Musselman was fired and then replaced by Don Delaney. Musselman then became Ted Stepien’s right hand man and took every opportunity to undercut Don Delaney. After a 4-11 start, Delaney was fired and replaced by Chuck Daly. After going 9-32 he was fired.
The Cavs scrambled to find a head coach, and they ended up rehiring Bill Musselman, the same one that went 25-46. He somehow did much worse than this to finish out the season, ending 2-21. On the last game of the seas on, Musselman brought champagne to the locker room but the Cavs’ players didn’t feel like celebrating so they just brought it home for a better occasion.
For Stepien’s final season, he hired Tom Nissalke, and they finished 23-59 which was much better than the season before. However, Ted Stepien didn’t continue to be the owner as he lost over $20 M in just 3 years as owner.
But all of this isn’t why they made a rule about him. It was because of his terrible trading. He was desperate to win now despite being an absolutely terrible team. So, he traded Bill Robinzine and 2 first round picks to the mavs for Richard Washington and Jerome Whitehead. Washington and Whitehead ended up playing a combined 90 games with the team.
The first of the first round picks, in 1983, became Derek Harper, drafted 11th overall. While he never made an all star game, he played 9 seasons with the Mavs and, in his peak, averaged 20 points per game.
The second of the first round picks was Roy Tarpley, drafted 7th overall in 1986. He started out playing very well, averaging 20 points per game in 1991. Then, he got suspended for substance abuse 5 of the next 6 seasons. However, when he played he was very productive and it produced an interesting underrated what-if.
The Cavs had already traded their 1984 first round pick to the Mavs so the Mavs now owned their picks from 1983, 1984, and 1986. Why the Mavs? I really have no idea. Maybe Ted Stepien is Mark Cuban in disguise.
At this point, the commissioner of the NBA stepped in and said that Cleveland couldn’t trade with anyone temporarily. A few weeks later, a memo was sent out saying that a Cavs trade had to be approved by the league.
Still, the Cavs weren’t done trying to turn the Mavs into a dynasty. They traded their 1985 first round pick to the Mavs for Geoff Hutson. He wasn’t terrible, but he definitely wasn’t worth Detlef Schrempf.
Yes, the Cavs traded Detlef Schrempf, a future 3 time all star, to the Mavs for Geoff Hutson.
After the Cavs had traded away all of their future picks, they became desperate to acquire picks. They quickly traded Bill Laimbeer to the Pistons for a first round pick and a second round pick. The Cavs just can’t win. Laimbeer ended up winning 2 championships with the Pistons, and Chuck Daly, the coach they fired, as the head coach.
As you’d expect, the Cavs were terrible for years to come. They didn’t have their picks, a competent coach, or any money. Stepien sold the team.
Interestingly, Mark Price was drafted by the Mavericks but was traded to the Cavs for a second round pick by the new owner. I guess this was the Mavs paying back the Cavs for 4 free first round picks, which is now illegal.
As most of y’all know, the Stepien rule states that you cannot trade first round picks in back to back seasons. The Stepien rule was implemented right as Ted sold the team.
Yes, Ted Stepien was only the owner for 3 years but he made so many absolutely terrible moves that he’s the worst owner in the history of sports.