Renowned for his deerstalker cap and robust beard, Franklin Mieuli owned the Warriors for more than two decades and in 1975 delivered an NBA Championship to the Bay Area. The colorful Mieuli was already established in the Bay Area sports scene with ownership stakes in the 49ers and Giants when he joined a group that purchased the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962 and moved them to the Bay Area. He soon bought out all of his erstwhile partners, and was the Warrior’s sole owner until 1986, a remarkable stretch of longevity in a league where franchises changed hands frequently. A leader in breaking down racial barriers in the NBA, in 1969 he made Al Attles one of the league’s first African-American head coaches. Six years later Attles led the Warriors to the league championship, sweeping the heavily favored Washington Bullets in the finals. Under Mieuli the Warriors reached the playoffs ten times, advancing to three league finals. A pioneer in sports broadcast production, Mieuli’s association with the local sports scene began in the 1950s when as marketing director for a local brewery he became involved with the 49ers. He soon was producing their radio broadcasts, and when the Giants moved to San Francisco, he did the same for them. He eventually purchased a minority interest in both teams. He founded a radio and TV production company Franklin Mieuli and Associates, which still is involved with local sports teams. He was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame and National Television Academy Northern California Chapter Golden Circle.

Inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Narrative by David Bush