Factory Of Sadness
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3 of the most embarrassing moments in Cleveland Cavaliers history

By Chad Porto

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 06: Michael Jordan of the Washington Wizards and Darius Miles and Zydrunas Ilgauskas of the Cleveland Cavaliers in action during a game at The MCI Center on November 06, 2002 in Washington DC, USA. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 06: Michael Jordan of the Washington Wizards and Darius Miles and Zydrunas Ilgauskas of the Cleveland Cavaliers in action during a game at The MCI Center on November 06, 2002 in Washington DC, USA. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – CIRCA 1984: Mike Bratz #23 of the Golden State Warriors grabs a rebound against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1984 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Bratz played for the Warriors from 1983-85. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – CIRCA 1984: Mike Bratz #23 of the Golden State Warriors grabs a rebound against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1984 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Bratz played for the Warriors from 1983-85. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

The NBA creates the Stepien Rule because of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ mismanagement

Have you ever been watching ESPN or NBA TV or whatever, and see a trade go through? Some NBA teams traded x-number of picks and players to get the -number of players back. Yet, the draft picks that are given up are always every other year? Have you ever wondered why NBA teams can’t trade picks back to back and have to keep a certain number for their team to use?

Well, that’s because of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Let’s go back to 1980 when Ted Stepien owned the Cavs. Stepien was not a good owner and would trade away countless first-round picks during his ownership in a quest to build a champion. Some believe that Stepien just didn’t want to pay rookies, either way, Stepien ruined the Cavs for years.

After the 1981 season, the Cavs sent their first-round picks in ’83, ’84, ’85, and ’86 to the Dallas Mavericks for Mike Bratz, Geoff Huston, Richard Washington, and Jerome Whitehead. Those four picks would turn into  Derek Harper, Sam Perkins, Detlef Schrempf, and Roy Tarpley

Those four men would combine for three All-Star appearances, two All-NBA appearances, two All-Defensive appearances, an All-Rookie team selection, and two Sixth Man of the Year Awards. The players the Cavs traded for didn’t do much of anything and were quickly gone from the team. The league would literally freeze the Cavs’ ability to trade anymore because they believed Stepien couldn’t be trusted.

In fact, the league was so mad at what Stepien had done, they thought they would be disbanded at some point, so the league gave the team some picks. In 1985, the league-appointed pick to the Cavs netted the team Charles Oakley. In 1986, the league-appointed pick of the Cavs got turned into Ron Harper.

No one owner has done more to damage an era of basketball, while also changing the way the league operates like Stepien.

Next. The 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers squad is better than they’re given credit for. dark

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