WAYNE EMBRY

Wayne Embry is widely respected for his accomplishments on and off the court. His contributions to the sport of basketball are recognized nationwide.

He was born in 1936 in Springfield, Ohio, attended Tecumseh High School as a three-year letter winner and received Honorable Mention All-State. At Miami University he was a two-time All-Mid American Conference selection. In 1957-58 Embry was All-American Honorable Mention, team Captain, high scorer, MVP, and the 4th player in Miami University history to have his jersey (23) retired.

Embry went pro with the Cincinnati Royals in 1958. Nothing short of spectacular, Embry was five-time consecutive NBA All-Star (1961-65) and Royals Captain (1962-66). In 1966, Embry joined the Boston Celtics, where during his last season (1968), the team captured the title of NBA Champions. Embry went on to dominate the court for one more season with the Milwaukee Bucks (1968-69).

When he retired from playing, Embry’s career was far from over. In 1971, he was named General Manager of the Milwaukee Bucks, becoming the first African American to hold that position in the NBA. He served as Vice President, and General Manager, and later Executive Vice President of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In 1994 he became the NBA’s first African American president with the Cavaliers, a position he still holds along with Chief Operating Officer.

Embry’s leadership impact with the Cavaliers is unmatched; they jumped from averaging 31 wins and four playoff appearances in their first 16 years to 45 average wins and nine playoff appearances in the 12 under Embry, while attendance jumped from 9,533 to 16,942 per game.

The Sporting News named Embry NBA Executive of the Year in 1992 and 1998. In 1998, Embry received the honor of being enshrined in Cleveland Sports Stars Hall of Fame.