In just two seasons, Brother Wayne Embry has made great progress towards completing the challenge of ensuring that the Cleveland Cavaliers continue with their plan to bring an NBA Title to the fans of Northeast Ohio. "I think you have to establish a goal of winning the NBA Championship/' said Embry at the time of his hiring. "If you establish a goal of just making the playpffs and you fall short of that, you're nowhere. You win championships with character; you win games with athletic ability." One of the most respected executives in the league, Embry begins his third season with the Cavaliers as Vice President and General Manager of Basketball Operations. He had previously served as Vice President and Basketball Consultant with the Indiana Pacers during the 1985-86 season.
FROM THE COURT TO THE BOARDROOM
In 1972, Embry was named Vice President and General Manager of the Bucks. During his six years as General Manager, he was best known for his delicate handling of The Sphinx/Winter 1989
Embry was the first black ever named to a top front office position in the NBA and the first in professional sports. He also is a member of the ABAUSA Olympic Basketball Player Selection Committee, a select group of coaches and basketball experts responsible for selecting the USA Olympic Team, including the 1984 gold medal winning team. Embry, an Ohio native who was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio, was a five-time NBA All-Star. He played professionally for the Cincinnati Royals (1958-66), the Boston Celtics (1966-68), including the Celtics World Championship team in 1968, and the Milwaukee Bucks (1968-69).
He served as Vice President and Consultant for the Milwaukee Bucks from 1977-85, while serving as the president of the Michael Alan Lewis Company, which converts and fabricates fiberboard paper, insulation, and poly products for the automotive industry. Embry was appointed to the Board of Directors of G. Heileman Brewing Company in the spring of 1987. Embry, 51, began his 17-year association with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1968 when he was chosen in the expansion draft. After one season, in which he averaged 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds, he retired. Upon his retirement he returned to Boston, where he had played for the 1968 World Champion Celtics, to become the city's Director of Recreation. During that time, Embry maintained his close ties with the Bucks organization, as he directed the negotiations with Hall-of-Famer Oscar Robertson which brought Robertson to Milwaukee, a move which propelled the Bucks to the 1971 World Championship.
the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar trade to the Los A n g e l e s Lakers; o n e of t h e biggest trades in the history of the NBA. The t r a d e b r o u g h t Elmore Smith, Dave Meyers, Brian Winters, and Junior Bridgeman to the Bucks, forming the core of the Bucks teams that won 11 division titles during the 1970's and 1980's.
Brother Wayne Embry has used his knowledge of professional basketball, gained from his days as an All Star player, to build a successful career in the high finance world of corporate athletics. As an NBA General Manager, he's gained success both with the Milwaukee Bucks and with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Wayne has a deep interest in the youth of his community. He enjoys delivering his message of striving for success in whatever a person does, to as many youth groups as his demanding schedule allows. In Milwaukee, Wayne served on the Board of Directors of the Children's Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin. He has continued that type of involvement in the Northeast Ohio community, as evidenced by the Cavs' involvement with Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital and Akron's Children's Hospital. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a minor in business administration, and is a member of the Miami University Hall of Fame. Embry captained Miami's basketball team from 1956-58 and was named All-Mid American Conference in the 1957-58 season. He was recently selected as a Trustee of Miami University. Wayne and his wife Terri have three children, Debbi, Jill and Wayne, Jr. Page 19