DETROIT — Quicken Loans founder and Cleveland Cavaliers, Canton Charge and Cleveland Monsters owner Dan Gilbert spoke in public today for the first time since he suffered a stroke last year.
Gilbert spoke at the MGM Grand in Detroit, where he received a “Newsmaker of the Year” award at Crain’s Business’s annual luncheon.
"It was long enough," he told the crowd. "I'm ready to have a baby. It's been nine months."
The last time Gilbert spoke in Northeast Ohio was when former head coach John Beilein was hired and introduced in May. Just days after that, Gilbert suffered an ischemic stroke at a Memorial Day party.
Doctors found a clot in his carotid artery that cut blood to his brain, leaving him temporarily paralyzed.
Gilbert believes his outcome would have been much worse had they waited to operate. He now has seven stents.
The 58-year-old billionaire also said in a recent interview with Crain’s that he has returned to working a few days per week. He receives daily physical therapy, with a black Lab service dog named Cowboy by his side.
Before his stroke, Gilbert had been working with Michigan’s governor to see long-term funding approved for road repair. He had also broken ground on a new skyscraper in Detroit.
"We're not in it for chasing the money," he said. "We're in it to achieve the dream and our mission, which all gets implemented by culture and by great leaders."
Gilbert was forced to mostly get around in a wheelchair on this day, while his left shoulder sagged and he sometimes struggled to find the right words. However, he spoke clearly and casually, and even cracked a few jokes.
"We weren't going to be raising a Cavs championship [banner] this year, so I'm very excited about this," he quipped, alluding to the team's dismal 14-40 record.