Pittsburgh Pipers (1967-68 and
1969-70)/Minnesota Pipers (1968-69)/ Pittsburgh Condors (1970-71 to
1971-72)
Year-to-Year Notes (courtesy Robert Bradley)
Formative Period
February 1967 - The formation of ABA announced with a franchise owned to
Gabe Rubin (a Pittsburgh theater owner, who had been involved with the
Pittsburgh Rens of the American Basketball League) .... The franchise is
named the Pittsburgh Pipers .... Sign Connie Hawkins (who had played for
the Rens after being banned from the NBA because of his alleged
association with gamblers). Draft Earl Monroe (who signs with Baltimore of
the NBA). Sign Charlie Williams (who had been banned from the NBA in 1965
because of his alleged failure to report a bribe offer made to a college
teammate).
1967-68 (54-24)
First Place in Eastern Division
Avg. Regular Season Attendance: 3,143
Play in the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. January 1968 Hawkins plays in the
All-Star Game. Hawkins and Williams are named First Team All-ABA Hawkins
is named ABA Most Valuable Player and leads the league in scoring with
26.8 PPG. May 1968 Cazzetta is named ABA Coach of the Year. Defeat
Indiana 3 games to 0, Minnesota 4 games to 2 and New Orleans 4 games to 3
in playoffs to win the ABA Championship!
1968-69 (36-42)
Fourth Place in Eastern Division
Avg. Regular Season Attendance: 2,183
June 1968 After losing over $250,000, Rubin sells 85% interest in the
Pipers to ABA General Counsel William J. Erickson.... Erickson becomes
club President and moves the franchise to Minneapolis (the site of the
league office) where it becomes the Minnesota Pipers .... Cazzetta chooses
not to follow team to Minnesota. Jim Harding is hired as coach .... Play
in the Metropolitan Sports Center and Duluth Auditorium. Erickson
defaults on his payments and the team reverts back to Rubin. Harding is
fired as coach after a fist fight with Rubin at the All-Star Game. January
1969 Williams plays in the All-Star Game as Hawkins is selected to play
but misses the game due to a knee injury. Lose
in first round of the playoffs to Miami 4 games to 0.
1969-70 (36-42)
Fifth Place in Eastern Division
Avg. Regular Season Attendance: 2,009
Draft George Thompson. John Clark hired as coach June 1969 Hawkins
leaves the ABA to sign with Phoenix of the NBA after reaching a settlement
in his $6 million suit against the NBA. The franchise returns to
Pittsburgh after losing a reported $400,000 in Minnesota. Fail
to qualify for the playoffs!
1970-71 (36-48)
Fifth Place in Eastern Division
Avg. Regular Season Attendance: 2,806
The franchise is purchased by Haven Industries, Inc. Former Pittsburgh
Pirate Dick Groat is hired as Executive Vice President. The team
nickname is changed to the "Condors" after a name-the-team
contest. The contest winner was originally the "Pioneers" (the
nickname of Point Parks, a local NAIA school), and after the threat of a
lawsuit, the name "Condors" was picked instead. January 1971
a reporter finds a signed contract between the Condors and Villanova
University star Howard Porter in Commissioner Jack Dolph's briefcase. The
Condors fail in an attempt to lure Hawkins back from the NBA. Fail
to qualify for the playoffs!
1971-72 (25-59)
Sixth Place in Eastern Division
Avg. Regular Season Attendance: 2,215
October 1971 Metro Sports, headed by Donald H. Abrahams, a Maryland
investment banker, buys the franchise, stating that the team will remain
in Pittsburgh. Fail to qualify for the playoffs!
Dispersal of
Franchise
June 1972 The league announces it will attempt to relocate the Condors
franchise to a larger television market. The Condors franchise is
purchased by the league and disbanded. The Condors' players are dispersed
in a special draft . |
