Why Stepien Rules? 

Ted Stepien was the owner of the Cavaliers from 1980 to 1983, and was one of the worst owners professional sports in America has ever known.  He was so bad, that in 1982 the NBA legislated rules to protect Stepien from himself.  The Stepien Rule, which is still in effect today, prevents a team from trading its first round pick in consecutive seasons...something Ted did a lot of.  

A brief look back at the career of Cavaliers Owner Ted Stepien is as follows: 

In 1982, the New York Times wrote an article calling Stepien's Cavaliers the "worst club, and most poorly run franchise in professional basketball."  During his tenure as Cavaliers owner, the Cavaliers went 66-180, employed five different coaches, and had losses of $15 million.  One of the five Coaches he fired was Chuck Daly.  Another Cleveland institution got the axe was Joe Tait - who got the axe in 1981 for his on air criticisim of Stepien's ownership.  The NBA stepped in with the aforementioned Stepien Rules a short time later, after the Cavaliers made a series of ridiculous transactions, which included trading away a number of first round picks for mediocre talents.  One of the traded draft picks resulted in the Lakers drafting James Worthy in 1982.  In 1983, at David Stern's urging, Stepien eventually sold the Cavaliers to the Gund Family prior to the 1983 - 84 season for $20 million dollars.  With the help of a kid born in Akron a few years later, the Gunds eventually sold the Cavaliers to Dan Gilbert in 2005 for $375 million.