Gund has clear vision of LeBron James, team's future

The Cleveland Cavaliers' owner, who is blind, has achieved a lot in his life.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund has never seen LeBron James in action. Not those no-look passes. Not the soaring leaps to the basket. Not the sky-high dunks that have made him the most hyped rookie ever to play in the NBA.
Gund has been blind nearly twice as long as James has been alive, but he has a clear picture of the 18-year-old, 6-foot-8, 240-pound player who's helped transform the Cavaliers from forgettable to hot commodity.
"In my mind's eye I think of somebody who carries himself with a sense of confidence, not of arrogance and not of hubris, but with a nice, quiet confidence and belief in what he's all about," Gund said. He pictures James "as a younger man, but with a real maturity in his face and his eyes. A real understanding of his stature. Clearly, a real strong, husky young man."
High expectations
Gund, 64, also envisions James as part of a Cavaliers future that he sums up in one word: championship.
"I don't like losing," Gund said.
Determination is something Gund has mastered.
A degenerative retina disorder called retinitis pigmentosa began stealing his sight in his 20s. He was a pilot who had just returned from Navy duty in the Pacific and a recent Harvard grad with a budding career at a New York bank.
By age 30, he was legally blind.
"It was a very difficult time going through that," Gund said. "When you lose something, a very important sense and part of your life, of course you go through all of the emotions and there's a lot of frustration and wondering whether or not you can be productive."
With the support of his wife, Lulie, Gund pressed on.
He continued working for his family's businesses and charities. He also started his own company, Gund Investment Corp. of Princeton, N.J., with holdings in hotels, apartment and office buildings and advertising. Today, sales top $2 million annually.
In 2000, Forbes magazine listed the Gunds as one of America's richest families with a net worth of $1.6 billion.
Cleveland roots
The family's roots are as deep in Cleveland as those of the sports teams the city adores.
In the 19th century, Gund's grandfather, George F. Gund, sold Crystal Bottled Beer and Ye Old Lager until Prohibition forced his brewery out of business. The family turned its attention to other businesses, including real estate.
George Gund II, Gordon Gund's late father, made millions in banking. He also bought a decaffeinated coffee producer, eventually selling it to Kellogg Co. in 1927 for $10 million, mostly in stock. Kellogg sold the coffee to General Foods, which changed the name to Sanka.
Gordon Gund and his brother, George Gund III, bought the Cavaliers in 1983 in a last-minute deal because "we're true to Cleveland." Then-owner Ted Stepien had threatened to move the club because of poor fan support.
As chairman of Cavaliers/Gund Arena Inc., Gund moved the venue from suburban Richfield to downtown in 1994. Annual sales grew from $37.8 million in 1999 to $79 million in 2002, and but for last season's hit-bottom year, game attendance has improved.
A stately, white-haired man who's rarely seen in anything but designer suits in public, Gund walks with a cane, sometimes with the assistance of an aide. He attends some games at Gund Arena, listening to the action on the radio in a private suite.
"I have a mental image of the court and where the players are on the court and what's happening," he said. "I'm always asking people what they look like and how they move, if they're athletic, how strong they are. I have a pretty good sense of it. I have enough to make it enjoyable."
Savior
James, the NBA's top draft pick, signed a three-year, $12.96 million deal with Cleveland in July. Immediately there was talk of James turning around a team that was the worst in the league last season with a 17-65 record.
So far this season, Cleveland has lost more games than it's won.
Gund said he was elated to get James but asked league commissioner David Stern to restrain the hype.
"We've got to all be patient because it takes time to put young players like this together with a new coaching staff," Gund cautioned. "They'll build on that. It will be fun to watch them build on that. I'm more excited than I have been in a long time about this."
James, meanwhile, said he'll work hard for Gund.
"Ever since I knew I was going to be drafted by Cleveland, I've just wanted to help any way I could to make us a better team," James said. "It's amazing everything that he has been able to accomplish in his life."
In 1971, Gund started the Foundation Fighting Blindness, which has raised $175 million for research. About 6 million Americans suffer vision loss from degenerative eye diseases.
"Of all the things I do, that's the most important," Gund said.
Gund is convinced a cure for blindness will be found. Until then, he vows to continue giving.
"A lot of what makes life satisfying and interesting and exciting is to be able, if you are fortunate, to be able to give back and to help other people," he said.
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