Wilt Chamberlain Almost Joined Cavaliers in 1979, But the Contract Blew Away and That Was That

In February 1997, Wilt Chamberlain, then 60 years old, was one of the legendary figures honored during NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, celebrating the league’s 50 greatest players.  Reflecting back on his career and the state of the game, Chamberlain revealed that several NBA teams had tried to lure him out of retirement during the 1970s. And yes, among those was the Cleveland Cavaliers. They were actually front and (pun intended) center.

“The Cavs did want me to return, but they were not the only ones,” Chamberlain told SI.com of that November 1979 conversation. “They weren’t the first team, nor the last, to talk to me about playing again.”

In fact, Chamberlain said in 1991 that over a decade, teams like the Bulls, Cavaliers, Nets, Knicks, Sixers, Mavericks, Suns, and Clippers all made efforts to get him back on the court.

The Cavaliers were owned by Nick Mileti since their inception in 1971. After strong playoff runs from 1976 to 1978, Cleveland struggled in 1979, finishing 30-52. That led to Bill Fitch resigning as head coach and GM in May 1979. Mileti hired Stan Albeck as the new head coach two months later, who played a key role in the Chamberlain discussions.

Chamberlain had retired after the 1972-73 season with the Lakers, holding nearly 80 individual NBA records. He then joined the ABA’s San Diego Conquistadors for the 1973-74 season as a player-coach. However, a court ruling prevented him from playing because the Lakers still held an option on his contract, so he remained coach only. His assistant was none other than Albeck.

According to Terry Pluto’s book “Loose Balls,” Albeck carried most of the coaching duties while Chamberlain was more of a figurehead. Wilt himself admitted that Albeck was the real coach, and they operated as a joint effort.

The Conquistadors finished 37-47 that season, winning a one-game playoff against the Denver Nuggets before losing to the Utah Stars in six games.

It was Albeck who first floated the idea of trying to bring Chamberlain back to the NBA. The Bulls and Suns had tried before but failed.

Cavs Make Their Pitch

In November 1979, then-Cavs GM Ron Hrovat said the idea came from Albeck. The three of them sat around, and Albeck suggested, “Let’s go out and get Wilt.”

Initially, Hrovat thought it was crazy, but the rumor that Chamberlain was in better shape than ever led them to reach out.

Chamberlain said he was interested in playing only one year, which cooled things at first. But after further meetings — including Mileti and his wife having lunch with Wilt — they made him a solid offer.

Chamberlain spoke openly about multiple teams wanting him back. He said being a Hall of Famer made the situation unique since no one had come out of retirement to play again before.

He was tempted at times, not for money, but to be the first Hall of Famer to make a comeback. However, he knew it would require a strong desire to represent himself properly and give fans their money’s worth.

Mileti’s goal was clear. He wanted a championship. He believed Wilt could help with that on and off the court.

The Cavaliers roster at the time featured rising star Mike Mitchell, veterans Austin Carr, Campy Russell, Foots Walker, Bingo Smith, John Lambert, plus contributors Randy Smith, Kenny Carr, Dave Robisch, Bill Willoughby, and Walt Frazier.

Chamberlain did his homework and was convinced the Cavs could win. He knew Albeck and felt comfortable playing for him.

Hrovat said Chamberlain was willing to travel and play defense but admitted it might take one to two months to get back into offensive shape.

Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown said Chamberlain asked if he could still play. Brown told him yes but warned about limited minutes.

Albeck wanted Chamberlain to focus on rebounding, but Chamberlain said he wanted to shoot threes. Albeck responded, “Fine, shoot all the threes you want.”

Regarding salary, Hrovat denied reports of a $150,000 base pay. Much of Chamberlain’s salary would come from incentives, which could make him one of the highest-paid players if achieved. The Cavaliers were not trying to lowball him. The contract was generous, with bonuses tied to playing time.

The Cavs wanted Chamberlain for two seasons to build for the future, not just one year.

Albeck didn’t know if Chamberlain would sign — but indicated he was sure that Wilt could still play.

Chamberlain’s previous contract issues with the Lakers no longer prevented him from returning. And Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss said he would not seek compensation if Wilt signed with Cleveland.

The Cavs met with Chamberlain for hours in November 1979. Still, they did not push him for a quick decision.

Blown Opportunity

Despite optimism, things went sideways when the Cavaliers tried to hand-deliver the contract. Chamberalin was not home, so the papers were left in a gate, and a strong wind blew them across his front lawn.

No, seriously.

This somewhat comical ordeal reportedly angered Chamberlain — who told Albeck he could not play for a team that handled business that way.

Albeck said Chamberlain was very close to coming back, but that was the moment it all slipped away.

Chamberlain reflected later that coming back would have been a fun challenge and believed he could have led the league in rebounding again. But the emotional strain and his pride kept him from returning.

He also recalled 76ers owner Harold Katz trying to sign him in 1982. Chamberlain supposedly was in better shape than when he retired. He said he believed he could still compete. In today’s world, social media would have had a field day. Back then, hardly anyone noticed.

Anyway, Chamberlain’s final reason for not returning was that he wanted to remain special in fans’ eyes — as opposed to, you know, risk coming back and being less than expected.

The 1979-80 Cavaliers finished 37-45 and missed the playoffs. Albeck stayed just one season before moving on. Hrovat was later fired by fairly neurotic new owner Ted Stepien.

Chamberlain never played again. He passed away from heart disease on October 12, 1999, at age 63.

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