Memphis Pros
| Memphis Pros | ||
|---|---|---|
| founding | 1970 | |
| resolution | 1972 | |
| history |
New Orleans Buccaneers 1967-70 Louisiana Buccaneers |
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| Stadion | Mid-South Coliseum | |
| Location | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Club colors | Scarlet, Navy, White | |
| league | American Basketball Association | |
| division | Western Division | |
| Head coach | Babe McCarthy | |
| owner |
PL Blake 1970 Memphis Area Sports Inc. 1971-1972 |
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The Memphis Pros were an American basketball franchise based in Memphis , Tennessee that played in the American Basketball Association between 1970 and 1972 .
Origins
The New Orleans Buccaneers were a founding member of the ABA, which played there from 1967 to 1970 and won the 1969 championship in the Western Division. After the 1969/70 season, the team was renamed the Louisiana Buccaneers, who should host their home games in several cities in the state. Eventually this idea was thrown out and the future of the Bucs was uncertain.
On August 21, 1970, the team was sold to the Memphis businessman PW Blake. 10 days later he moved with the team and changed their name to Memphis Pros, because the Bucs jerseys that had already been ordered could be converted into Pros jerseys at low cost.
1970-1971
The pros quickly got into trouble with the bad timing of the change. The Mid-South Coliseum was fully booked for most of the winter and the pros could only secure a Friday date for a home game. So they had to play their home games in a few other halls in Tennessee and Mississippi . Unsurprisingly, ticket sales were also low; at the beginning of the season only 180 season tickets were sold.
Bobby Warren of the Los Angeles Lakers joined the team; Ron Franz and Dave Nash were given to The Floridians in exchange for Wilbert Jones, Al Cueto and Erv Staggs. Red Robbins was later traded with the Utah Stars for Craig Raymond and Skeeter Swift with the Pittsburgh Pipers for Charlie Williams. Jimmy Jones, Steve Jones and Wendell Ladner played in the All Star Game; Ladner was named to the All Rookie Team. During the season, an average of 3,199 fans came to the home games. The Pros finished the regular season with 41 wins and 43 losses, which meant third place in the Eastern Division. In the playoffs they were eliminated in the first round with 0: 4 against the Indiana Pacers .
The pros almost didn't survive this season. In December 1970, Blake simply quit the team, claiming he had lost $ 200,000. The league tried desperately to find a new owner, but couldn't find one. Eventually a group called Memphis Area Sports Inc. bought the team for $ 700,000. It consisted of 4,600 residents of Tennessee who bought shares in the team for $ 5, 10, or 50 and elected a board of 24 people. Memphis' stockbroker AW Hart became president.
1971-1972
The team signed Johny Neumann from the University of Mississippi and Larry Cannon, but lost Steve Jones as a free agent to the Dallas Chaparrals ; Jimmy Jones also left the team and joined the Utah Stars.
On October 6, 1971, the Pros received the Boston Celtics from the NBA in a friendly, which the Celtics won 115-94. That was the only time a Memphis team played against a NBA team until the Vancouver Grizzlies moved to Memphis in 2001.
The pros gave Larry Cannon to the Indiana Pacers for Don Sidle during the season and sent Wendell Ladner, Tom Owens and Bobby Warren to the Carolina Cougars in exchange for Randy Denton, Warren Davis and George Lehmann. This trade was initiated by Hart without consulting coach McCarthy.
In the All Star Game only one player of the pros played, Wil Jones.
Despite (or perhaps because of) the personnel changes, the team ended the regular season with only 26 wins and 58 losses, which meant fifth and last place in the Western Division and missed the playoffs.
Although an average of 4441 fans came to the games, the financial problems showed again, so that the league had to take control of the team for the second time.
On April 27, 1972, Babe McCarthy resigned as coach of the pros. On June 13, 1972, the team was acquired by Charles O. Finley, who also owned the Oakland A's . Finley also took on the team's debt. Former University of Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp became president.
Prior to the 1972-73 season, Finley changed the team's name to Memphis Tams .