By Tad Carper
Cleveland Cavaliers, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and Rock Entertainment Group and Chief Executive Officer Len Komoroski jointly announced that Komoroski will step away from his role as CEO at the conclusion of the Cavaliers current season. Komoroski’s career with the Cavaliers began in 2003 as President. He took on the CEO title in 2013. Komoroski will remain affiliated with Rock Entertainment Group, focused on REG’s growth and development as well as special projects and initiatives.
Komoroski’s leadership and the passionate work of the entire organization has resulted in an award-winning foundation and one that is well-positioned with momentum towards continued growth and sustained success.
The acquisition of the Cleveland Monsters (AHL), the Cleveland Charge (NBA G League) and the Cavs Legion 
(NBA2K) franchises were also accomplished during Komoroski’s tenure, with all three teams earning league-level awards for business operations.
“I am immensely grateful to Dan Gilbert for providing the inspiration, resources, and platform to build an incredible team of leaders that have been committed to a culture of excellence and innovation,” Komoroski said. “Dan always speaks of ‘Doing Well by Doing Good’ as a guiding principle and it has been a privilege to work in an environment where we embrace that as a pillar of operating and can positively impact Cleveland and our entire region in a range of different and diverse ways.
“Since I first spoke to Dan about this transition several years ago, we reflected on the ambitious bucket list and journey we’ve had from the time Dan acquired the franchise. From building a world class business team, becoming leaders in commercializing our platform, executing the Transformation of the FieldHouse and establishing it as one of the top entertainment and major event venues in the world, an NBA championship and much more. The 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend seemed like the perfect capstone to the 19 years I have been honored to be a part of this remarkable enterprise along with all of our great team members.”
“Over the past two decades, Len accomplished so much on behalf of our organization. I cannot overemphasize the value of Len’s contributions to the Cavaliers, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and the entire Cleveland community,” said Cavs Chairman Dan Gilbert. “His strategic direction, collaboration, and innovation have been and will continue to deliver long-term success of our business and for our fans. I am grateful for his leadership in helping to establish a world-class championship culture for our team members and ensuring that the future of the organization is positioned for continued long-term success.”
Together with key civic and community officials, Komoroski played a leadership role in creating the public/private partnership agreement formed between the team, Cuyahoga County, and City of Cleveland for the Transformation, a project that entirely renovated and re-positioned the nearly 26-year-old venue. As part of the partnership, the Cavs extended their lease for seven additional years at the venue until 2034. The Transformation project stands as one of the most successful commercialization results of a new or renovated venue in NBA history.
Through the work of Komoroski and the community-minded, innovative business team assembled to guide the franchise, the organization has established and grown a dynamic and impactful social responsibility platform as a core operating pillar. The Cavaliers have also been named a top five finalist for the prestigious Sports Business Journal (SBJ) “Sports Team of the Year” award three times over the past decade. Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse was named a finalist in the “Sports Facility of the Year” category in SBJ’s industry awards for 2020, the year following the completion of the venue’s massive, recent $185 million Transformation.
“Len has been a driving force behind the transformation of the Cavaliers organization over the past two decades,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “His great business instincts, creativity, and strong relationships have made him one of the most respected operators in our industry, and he’s always been generous in sharing insights and best practices with the league office and our teams. We thank him for his many years of outstanding service in the NBA family.”
At the same time, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Cleveland have secured some the highest profile and most economically impactful special events ever hosted over the last two decades. Multiple Men’s and Women’s NCAA tournament and championship events, the 2016 Republican National Convention, 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and most recently, the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend.
Tad Carper is Chief Communications Officer of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
