Anaheim Amigos

The Anaheim Amigos were an American basketball franchise from Anaheim, California and a founding member of the American Basketball Association, which played during the opening 1967/68 season in the league. After this season, the team moved to Los Angeles, California, and was for two seasons with the Los Angeles Stars, before it was relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, and as Utah the Stars from 1970 until the dissolution of the beginning of the 1975/76 season, last of the league before the merger with the NBA in June 1976 played.

Origins

At the founding of ABA on February 2, 1967, a franchise in Anaheim to type Kim and James Ackerman was awarded for $ 30,000. A naming competition was held which led to the name " Amigos ". The team played most of its home games at the Anaheim Convention Center. Five home games were scheduled elsewhere in California and three home games were held in Honolulu, Hawaii. First head coach was Al Brightman.

1967-1968

The squad was led by the Amigos Guards Les Selvage, Jeff Congdon and Steve Chubin, former NBA player Ben Warley and 2.13 m wide center Larry Bunce. More Amigos were Bob Bedell, John Fairchild, Warren Davis, Steve Cramer, Bill Garner, Randy Stoll and H. Turner. Chubin points was the best supplier of the team and a fan favorite. Selvage led the league in three attempts. Warley was the best rebounder the team and an effective shooter from the outside. Congdon played properly, but in the mid- season at the Denver Rockets for Willis Thomas delivered. Bunce did not meet the expectations that arose due to its size, but played just as Warley in the ABA All Star Game.

The Amigos were not successful on the court. They lost their first five games, including the first game in the ABA ever, a 129:134 defeat at the Oakland Oaks. Having lost two-thirds of the first 36 players, Brightman was fired and replaced by Harry Dinnel. During the season, the Amigos lost eight games in a row and had two more series, each with six defeats. The team finished the season with 25 wins and 53 defeats, which meant fifth place in the Western Division and missing the playoffs.

Statement

The Amigos were unsuccessful and off the field. At the home games were an average of 1293 spectators and their games were on the radio and sometimes on television. They lost about $ 500,000 in the season and were sold for $ 450,000 to James J. Kirst, who moved the team to Los Angeles, where she became the Los Angeles Stars. After two seasons in Los Angeles, the team moved again and became the Utah Stars until its dissolution in the middle of last season the ABA.