The NBA has a long history of quirky characters and bizarre franchise owners, but few have ever quite been on the level of former Cleveland Cavaliers owner Ted Stepien.
The Pennsylvania businessman took over the Cavaliers for just two million dollars in an adventure that only lasted three seasons, yet those years were full of some stunning stories.
It proved more than enough time to be declared a persona non grata in the state of Ohio and to be considered one of the worst owners in the history of American sports, as the Athletic recounts.
One of Stepien‘s most controversial decisions was the creation of the Teddi-Bears, a cheerleading team born under the spotlight of controversy.
Sheldon Ocker, a journalist for the Akron Beacon Journal, once asked Stepien for an interview after taking control of the Cavaliers.
“Come to my place on Sunday after mass. We’ll sit by the pool and watch porn,” Stepien replied.
The story did not stop there, however. The meeting between the journalist and Stepien did not take place at his home, but at a Cleveland strip club where the businessman was casting for his cheerleading team.
The team was led by his wife, and his own 19-year-old daughter was also a part of it.
– .
