July 11, 1962 - George Steinbrenner (pictured left), president of the American Basketball League’s Cleveland Pipers, predicted today that Jerry Lucas would stay with the team despite its shift yesterday to the NBA. Lucas, a three-season all-American at Ohio State, signed with the Pipers several weeks ago, when the Cleveland club was still a member of the ABA. Lucas turned down a reported $100,000 offer form the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA. He said he objected to the long season in that league. If Lucas does play NBA basketball with the Pipers, Mr. Steinbrenner won’t be signing his paychecks. Mr. Steinbrenner said today that he was resigning in two weeks, though he will remain a stockholder. “I believe somebody who gets along better with the public will be more qualified to handle the team’s affairs,” Steinbrenner said.
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