By Bill Nichols

"He's the one guy who tells me where to go and then I can't wait to get there," declared Bill Fitch.

Fitch, coach of the Cavaliers, was talking about Eddie Gottlieb, resident schedulemaker of the National Basketball Association.

Gottlieb is truly a legend in his own time.  He was one of the founders of the NBA, member of the basketball Hall of Fame and friend to all in the game.

"Just say I'm past 70," he replied when asked about his age the other day from his office in Philadelphia.  But, he seems ageless.

Gottlieb is listed as a consultant to the NBA, but he has one of the most difficult tasks of all -- making an 82 game schedule for 19 teams that have 19 different ideas how their schedule should be.

"It was easier when we starter in 1946," he recalled.  "In those days there were only eight teams and none on the West Coast.

"It's a lot tougher today with more teams, but I never get any complaints from the coaches or general managers.

"Oh, sometimes after a team plays three straight nights a reporter will say to a coach, 'With three straight games isn't your team tired.' The coach will usually say, without thinking, yeas, but the reporter asks and then answers his own question.

"But, overall, I try to fulfill everybody's wishes."

Gottlieb has been involved with professional basketball for nearly 50 years.  He coached and owned the old Philadelphia Sphas in the American League, the NBA's predecessor.

"We had a great club in those days," he recalled.  "I remember once we came to Cleveland and played to a packed house a Public Hall twice in the same day against the Rosenblums.

"Those were great days, but basketball has gotten better."

"The players are bigger, better and stronger"

Gottlieb was owner of the Philadelphia Warriors until 1962 and was the man who nurtured Wilt Camberlain in his formative years.

I'll probably get an argument, but I think Wilt and Bill Russell were the two most dominant men to ever play the game," declared Gottlieb.  "But, the fella I liked wa Joe Fulks.  he had more variety in his snots than anybody I ever saw.  The closest one to him is Rick Barry."

Gottlieb was never accused of being a pacifist when he coached basketball.  He admits he was tense and did his share of shouting at players, officials and anyone within earshot.

Now, when he goes to an NBA game, "I just sit back and enjoy the game and I don't care who wins.  It's different, but I still enjoy it.  Basketball is a wonderful game."

Someday, Eddie Gottlieb will no longer be associated with the NBA and the league will be a lot poorer because of it.

Bill Fitch has been named to coach the Eastern Conference team when 17 NBA stars have a six-game exhibition tour during June in Hawaii, Japan and Korea.  Boston's Tommy Heinsohn will guide the Western Conference squad.  Playing for the East will be Austin Carr, Bob McAdoo, Dave Cowens, Don Nelson, Bill Bradley, Calvin Murphy, Rudy Tomjanovich, Phil Chenier and Tom Van Arsdale.  On the West team are are Bob Lanier, Dave Bing, Gail Goodrich, Cazzie Russell, Sidney Wicks, Geoff Petrie, Dick Van Arsdale and Spencer Haywood.

It's now almost certain that deputy commissioner Simon Gourdine will not take over the commissioner's chair.  The NBA's selection committee continues to procrastinate about a replacement for the retiring Walter Kennedy.  Look for a politician to get the job ... Earl Monroe will be installed into the NAIA Hall of Fame.  If the Cavs make it into the playoffs the club will realize at least $27,500.