Origins
With the founding of the ABA on February 2, 1967, a charter franchise was awarded to a group of seven investors, including Morton Downey, Jr. The group obtained their franchise for $1,000 as opposed to the $30,000 fronted by most other original teams. Charles G. Smither, one of the seven owners, served as team president; another of the investors, Maurice M. Stern, was operations manager. The team was named the New Orleans Buccaneers and former Mississippi State University head coach Babe McCarthy was signed as its first coach. Among the team's first players were Doug Moe, Larry Brown, Gerald Govan, Jimmy Jones and Red Robbins.
1967–1968 season
The Buccaneers played their home games at the Loyola University Fieldhouse during their first season and averaged 2,337 fans per game there. Doug Moe, Red Robbins, Larry Brown and Jimmy Jones played in the ABA All Star game and Babe McCarthy coaches the West team in the game. Larry Brown was the Most Valuable Player of the inaugural ABA All Star game and led the ABA in assists that season en route to being named Second Team All ABA. Doug Moe was named First Team All ABA and Jimmy Jones made the ABA All Rookie Team. The Buccaneers recruited Jackie Moreland, originally from Minden, who had played for the Detroit Pistons from 1960–1965.
The Buccaneers finished the season in first place in the Western Division with 48 wins and 30 losses, putting them two games ahead of the Dallas Chaparrals and three games ahead of the Denver Rockets. The Buccaneers then defeated the Denver Rockets 3 games to 2 in the Western Division semifinals and then defeated the Dallas Chaparrals 4 games to 1 to win the Western Division championship. The Buccaneers then advanced to the first ever ABA Championship series, facing the Pittsburgh Pipers. The Buccaneers and Pipers split the first six games but the Pipers won the decisive seventh game 122–113 to win the 1968 ABA championship.
End of tenure in New Orleans
The team picked up Wendell Ladner in the draft and rechristened itself the Louisiana Buccaneers, planning to play its home games throughout the state during the 1970–1971 season including in New Orleans, Shreveport, Lafayette, Monroe and Baton Rouge. Like most ABA teams, the Bucs were never on strong financial ground, and the move to the smaller Tulane Gym combined with the marked dropoff in their play caused revenue to dry up. It was hoped that becoming a "regional" franchise would provide more capital.
However, on August 21, 1970, the franchise was purchased by a new owner and ten days later it was moved to Memphis, Tennessee and renamed the Memphis Pros.
The Buccaneers nickname was picked up by a new NFL expansion team in 1976. Since 2002, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints have competed against each other in the NFC South division.
On December 10, 2008, in a game against the now Charlotte Hornets, then Charlotte Bobcats, the Buccaneers were for the first time "revived" by the New Orleans Pelicans, then New Orleans Hornets, the city's current NBA franchise, who played the game in 1967–68 styled Bucs throwback jerseys. The team's cheerleading squad was also dressed in Bucs throwback outfits, Bucs video highlights were played throughout the game, and many of the team's past players and coaches were honored at halftime. The Pelicans would win the game 105–89. [1] The Pelicans wore their Buccaneers throwback jerseys once again in a road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 16, 2009, with Cleveland coming out on top 92–78.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) South division. They joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team, along with the Seattle Seahawks, and played its first season in the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The Washington Caps were an American Basketball Association team from 1969 through 1970. The franchise had previously been the Oakland Oaks. From 1970 through 1976 the team played as the Virginia Squires.
The Memphis Sounds were an American professional sports franchise that played in Memphis, Tennessee from 1970 until 1975 as a member of the American Basketball Association. The team was founded as the New Orleans Buccaneers in 1967.
The Pittsburgh Condors were a professional basketball team in the original American Basketball Association (ABA). Originally called the Pittsburgh Pipers, they were a charter franchise of the ABA and captured the first league title. The team played their home games in Pittsburgh's Civic Arena.
Douglas Edwin Moe is an American former professional basketball player and coach. As a head coach with the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 1988.
James Harrison "Babe" McCarthy, was an American professional and collegiate basketball coach. McCarthy was originally from Baldwyn, Mississippi. McCarthy may best be remembered for Mississippi State's appearance in the 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament when his all-white team sneaked out of town in order to face Loyola University Chicago, which had four black starters.
Loyola Field House was an indoor arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It hosted the ABA's New Orleans Buccaneers for two seasons, and the NBA's New Orleans Jazz (1974–1975). It was also the home venue for Loyola Wolf Pack basketball. The arena held 6,500 people.
Robert Netolicky is a retired American basketball player. A 6'9" power forward/center, he played professionally in the now–defunct American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1967 to 1976. Netolicky was a four–time ABA All–Star and two–time ABA Champion.
The ABA All-Time Team were chosen in 1997 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the American Basketball Association (ABA). It comprised the 30 best and most influential players of the ABA during its ten years and nine full regular seasons of operation, with respect not only to performance at the professional level but in consideration of sportsmanship, team leadership, and contributions to the growth of the league basketball, and irrespective of positions played. Only players to have played at least a portion of their careers in the ABA were eligible for selection, although performance in other leagues, most notably the National Basketball Association was ostensibly considered. Selected and announced beside the all-time team were a most valuable player and top head coach.
The 1968 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the American Basketball Association's inaugural 1967-1968 season, starting on March 23 and ending on May 4. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Pittsburgh Pipers defeating the Western Division champion New Orleans Buccaneers, four games to three in the ABA Finals.
The 1969 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1968–69 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion Oakland Oaks defeating the Eastern Division champion Indiana Pacers, four games to one in the ABA Finals. Warren Jabali of the Oaks was named the Playoff MVP.
The 1967–68 ABA season was the first season for the American Basketball Association. The ABA was challenging the National Basketball Association. The ABA introduced a red, white and blue basketball. They used a 30-second shot clock as opposed to the NBA's 24 second shot clock, and also used the three-point shot. There were 11 teams playing in the first season of the league, with each team playing a 78-game schedule.
The 1968–69 ABA season was the second season for the American Basketball Association. Two teams relocated: Minnesota Muskies became the Miami Floridians. The Pittsburgh Pipers moved to Minnesota and became the Minnesota Pipers. Two others relocated within their territory. The Anaheim Amigos became the Los Angeles Stars. The New Jersey Americans became the New York Nets. The season ended with the Oakland Oaks capturing their first ABA championship.
The 1970–71 ABA season was the fourth season of the American Basketball Association.
The 1968–69 Oakland Oaks season was the 2nd and final season of the Oaks of the ABA. The Oaks finished first in the Western Division and won their first and only ABA title. They were helped in part by the hiring of Alex Hannum and Rick Barry for $85,000 per year.
The 1967–68 New Orleans Buccaneers season was the 1st season of the ABA and of the Buccaneers. The Pipers finished first in the Western Division, going all the way to the ABA Finals.
The 1968–69 New Orleans Buccaneers season was the 2nd season of the Buccaneers in the ABA. The Bucs traded Larry Brown and Doug Moe to the Oakland Oaks in exchange for Steve Jones and Ron Franz.
The 1970–71 Memphis Pros season was the 1st season of the Pros in the American Basketball Association after three seasons in New Orleans as the Buccaneers, with P.W. Blake of Mississippi buying the team on August 21, 1970, and moving the team 10 days later to Memphis. Due to having to reuse the Bucs' jerseys with a name that would fit the four letters they had put on the home and road jerseys, the team was named "Pros". However the Pros had to deal with limited dates to book for games at the Mid-South Coliseum, with some of the games being played in Jackson, Mississippi. On October 20, 1970, the Pros played their first ever game, playing the New York Nets in Memphis, losing 108–103. The biggest losing streak was 8, coming near the end of the season, with them losing 20 out of their last 30 games. However, they sneaked into the playoffs, finishing 3rd over the Texas Chaparrals and Denver Rockets by 11 games. The Pros finished dead last in points scored per game with 109.2, but finished first in points allowed at 109.9 per game. In the playoffs, they were swept by the Indiana Pacers.
