CLEVELAND (AP) — Nick Mileti, co-founder of the Cleveland Cavaliers and a prominent figure in the city’s sports landscape in the 1970s, has died. He was 93.

Mileti died in his sleep Wednesday in Rocky River, Ohio, according to a spokesman for the Cleveland Guardians, one of several teams Mileti once owned.

The son of Sicilian immigrants became one of the city’s real 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 began buying or creating other franchises. In 1970, they brought the NBA to Cleveland by selling shares of the expansion team Cavaliers at $5 each to raise $2.25 million to cover the $3.7 million expansion fee.

“Nick was a true pioneer in the world of sports and not just a leader; he was a dreamer who turned 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 dedication will be greatly missed.”

In 1972, as part of a group that included future U.S. Senator Howard Metzenbaum, he acquired controlling interest in the city’s Major League Baseball franchise, then called the Indians, and helped oversee the construction of 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 to Cleveland, where he renamed the franchise the Crusaders. He also owned two of the city’s largest radio stations.

In 1975, he was replaced as president of the Indians and, under pressure from banks, sold his shares in the team. The Crusaders ceased operations in 1976 after an NHL team moved to town, and Mileti sold his share in the Cavaliers in 1980.

Eventually, however, Mileti returned to the sports business.

After moving to California in 1979 to help produce and finance plays and films, he founded the Canadian Football League’s Las Vegas Posse, owned several radio stations and wrote three books.

But Mileti’s influence in Cleveland remained.

He was a member of the first class inducted into the Cavaliers’ Wall of Honor in 2019 – as part of the team’s 50th anniversary celebration – and was honored during that ceremony with an NBA championship ring from the Cavs’ first title team in the 2015–16 season.

“I’ve often heard people say, ‘It’s not how long you live, but what you live for,'” said former Cavs star Jim Chones. “Nick was rewarded with longevity because he touched many in his mission to make Cleveland great again. His voice was soft but confident and demanded attention. He loved Cleveland and Cleveland loved him.”

___

NBA players: https://apnews.com/NBA