OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Franklin Mieuli,whose deerstalker cap, substantial beard and casual style made him oneof the NBA's most colorful figures in his 24 years as owner of theGolden State Warriors, died Sunday. He was 89.
Mieuli died of natural causes in a San Francisco Bay Area hospital, the Warriors said in a statement.
Mieuliwas the principal owner of the Warriors from the time they moved to theBay Area in 1962 until he sold them in 1986. He won an NBA title withthe team in 1975, still the club's only championship in nearly ahalf-century in California.
"Franklin was truly one of theinnovators in our league, who was so proud of the Bay Area and hisability to maintain a team there," NBA commissioner David Stern said ina statement Sunday night. "I have always fondly remembered ... hiswarmth and his belief in the importance of sports to a community."
Leveraginghis way into sports ownership through a business producing Bay Areasports broadcasts, Mieuli also once owned a small percentage of the SanFrancisco Giants. He still had a five percent interest in the 49ers,purchased in 1954.
Mieuli was a fixture at Warriors games wellinto his 80s, wearing his distinctive hat and watching from hiscourtside seats at Oracle Arena. He became a beloved figure to fans whofondly remembered his ownership tenure with the long-struggling team,which has made the playoffs just once since 1994.
"He was one ofthe most unique and eccentric individuals that I have ever met, and I'mnot sure there will ever be anyone like him again," said Al Attles, theformer Warriors guard who coached Golden State to its sole title.
Mieuligrew up in San Jose and attended the University of Oregon. He became anadvertising executive for a San Francisco brewery which, at hisinstigation, began sponsoring 49ers radio broadcasts.
Thatassociation with 49ers founders Tony and Vic Morabito led to hispurchase of an interest in the team. He also founded a radio productioncompany, Franklin Mieuli Associates, which produced the broadcasts ofthe Giants after they moved to San Francisco from New York in 1958.
In1962, Mieuli headed a group of Bay Area investors, who along withDiners Club bought the Philadelphia Warriors and moved them to SanFrancisco. After one year of disappointing attendance, Diners Club andseveral investors wanted out, even threatening to fold the team.
Mieulibought the shares of all who wished to sell and kept the team in theBay Area. With no suitable playing venue in San Francisco, Mieulieventually moved the club to the Oakland Coliseum Arena and changed itsname to the Golden State Warriors in 1971, initially playing a handfulof home games in San Diego as well.
While Mieuli never had thefinancial resources of many NBA owners, he kept the Warriorscompetitive for much of his tenure. They reached the playoffs 10 timesbetween 1962 and 1977, advancing to three NBA finals.
Thehighlight of Mieuli's ownership was the 1974-75 season. Led by Hall ofFame forward Rick Barry and Jamaal Wilkes, the underdog Warriors wonthe NBA title, sweeping the heavily favored Washington Bullets in fourgames.
"He always called me his prodigal son after I had left theWarriors to go to the ABA," said Barry, who played four seasons in theABA before returning to the Warriors in 1972. "He vowed to doeverything in his power to get me back. Thank goodness he did, becausewithout his perseverance, I would never have had the opportunity toreturn to the Warriors and experience an NBA championship."
Inaddition to his NBA title ring, Mieuli had a fistful of Super Bowlrings from the 49ers, often wearing one ring from each team in public.Mieuli played an instrumental role in Eddie DeBartolo's purchase of the49ers, leading to their halcyon days in the 1980s.
Besides thedifferences in bank balances, what really set Mieuli apart from otherNBA owners was his lifestyle. The free-spirited Bay Area native wasmore likely to travel by motorcycle than by limousine, and by the 1960she had shed his suits and ties for dungarees and colorful shirts,making him distinctive among the buttoned-up businessmen at leaguemeetings.
After the Warriors won the title, he put the trophy inthe back seat of his sports car for a year, taking it out whenever hevisited a public place so the fans could see it up close.
"FranklinMieuli was one of the most colorful and passionate individuals I haveever met and basketball fans in Northern California certainly owe adebt of gratitude to him for helping establish NBA basketball in theBay Area," Warriors owner Chris Cohan said. "I don't think anyone willever forget the 1975 championship team and the excitement that Franklinand that group of underdogs brought to fans of all ages."
Mieulieventually sold the Warriors to Jim Fitzgerald, reportedly for lessthan $20 million. Cohan is exploring another sale of the club, whichwas judged to be worth $315 million by Forbes magazine late last year.
Beyondprofessional sports, Mieuli's company, still a thriving concern,produced the English language radio broadcasts from the 1960 WinterOlympics in Squaw Valley, Calif.
Mieuli is survived by hislongtime female partner Blake Green, son Peter Mieuli, daughter HollyBuchanan and seven grandchildren.
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