Would you believe the best professional basketball team in the world once made its home in Kentucky? Yes, and in Louisville, not Lexington.
Ever hear of the Kentucky Colonels or the now-defunct American Basketball Association?
Exactly 45 years ago, Kentucky was the epicenter of hoops, both college and professional. UK had just advanced to the 1975 NCAA national championship game, where UCLA knocked off the Wildcats in John Wooden’s farewell as Bruins head coach. Louisville nearly spoiled Wooden’s storybook ending in the national semifinals two days earlier, but UCLA pulled out a 75-74 overtime win to advance.
Then, there were the Kentucky Colonels. They won the 1975 ABA championship and were considered by many experts as the best team in the world. The Colonels — coached by Hubie Brown — defeated the Indiana Pacers (now of the NBA) in five games in the best-of-seven series. They clinched the ABA championship in front of a crowd of 16,622 at Freedom Hall in Louisville on May 22, 1975.
The Kentucky Colonels won the 1975 ABA championship and were considered by many as the best team in the world.
The NBA, though, refused to participate. Those in power at the NBA were keenly aware that the ABA was in big trouble. And it had nothing to do with basketball.
Talent-wise in the 1970s, the ABA was on par with the NBA. Ever hear of Julius Erving, Moses Malone or David Thompson? They were all in the ABA. So were stars such as Artis Gilmore, Dan Issel and Louie Dampier, a trio of future Hall of Famers that ignited the Kentucky Colonels ABA championship team.
Innovatively, the ABA was decades ahead of the NBA with its 3-point field goal and marketing ideas. The NBA purists laughed about the 3-point shot. They chuckled and said it made a mockery of the sport. Who’s laughing now?
Financially, though, the ABA was on its deathbed.
The ABA entered the 1975-76 preseason with 10 teams. After three preseason games, however, the Baltimore Claws were shut down by the ABA due to financial problems and unpaid bills.
The San Diego Sails and the Utah Stars both folded just after the season began, the Sails after only 11 games and the Stars after playing 16 contests. The ABA was reduced to seven teams for the remainder of the 1975-76 season.
Just after the regular season ended, the Virginia Squires were forced to fold because they could not meet a league-mandated financial assessment. The ABA was finished.
The six remaining ABA teams began negotiations for the eventual ABA-NBA merger. Eventually, the NBA added four ABA teams (New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers). The New York Nets featured Erving, also known as Dr. J. and considered the most exciting player of that era.
The NBA, however, declined to take in the Kentucky Colonels. The franchise folded on July 17, 1976.
Ironically, the Golden State Warriors had met the Kentucky Colonels in an exhibition game prior to the 1975-76 season. Guess who won? Yes, the Colonels posted a 93-90 victory over the Warriors in Freedom Hall on Oct. 8, 1975. The Colonels had even expanded their market to Cincinnati, playing several exhibition games in Riverfront Coliseum. The Kentucky Colonels appeared an ideal fit for the NBA with a market that included Louisville and Cincinnati.
It didn’t happen. And professional basketball ceased to exist in Kentucky following the 1975-76 season.
Now, as a result of the pandemic and the worldwide economic disaster that’s looming, it’s probably time to wonder if professional basketball will cease to exist in the United States in the very near future. Same for Major League Baseball and the NFL.
-IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, former Northern Kentucky University guard Jalen Tate announced Friday he will play as a graduate transfer at Arkansas next season.
Jalen Tate averaged 13.9 points per game and was named Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year this past season. (Photo by Jeff McCurry)
Tate also averaged 5.4 rebounds per game and dished out 79 assists. He was also selected MVP of the Horizon league Tournament.
NKU played at Arkansas last season, and the Norse dropped a 66-60 decision. Tate missed that game due to an injured hand. The Razorbacks finished 20-12 last season and were 7-11 in the Southeastern Conference.
-NOT TO BE A PESSIMIST, but if medical pundits across the nation are close to being accurate, there is absolutely no way college sports will be played in the fall. That includes football, a big source of revenue for many schools. In fact, I don’t see how any college sport will be played during the 2020-21 academic year. I pray that I’m wrong, but….
-ON THE SUBJECT OF COLLEGES, if all campuses are closed, why would any student or parent fork over the money for online classes? What about the “college experience” all the admissions people scream about every year? Are they going to prorate that off the cost of tuition? It might be hard to enjoy the “college experience” without actually interacting with others on campus.
If that’s gone, enrollment is going to shrink dramatically at colleges and universities across the nation. On second thought, a bunch of colleges and universities across the nation could fold due to financial problems.
The Kentucky Colonels and the ABA certainly did.
Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport
