Utah Stars

The Utah Stars was an American Basketball franchise from Salt Lake City, Utah, who played in the American Basketball Association. Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first professional basketball team based interjected before the match in today's fashion.

History

The team was founded as the Anaheim Amigos, a founding member of the ABA from Anaheim, California. They played at the Anaheim Convention Center. The team colors were orange and black. The Anaheim Amigos were in 1968 to the Los Angeles Stars and played until 1970 in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, then the team moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, to become stars to Utah.

The Utah Stars played at the Salt Palace from 1970 until December 1975, when the team was disbanded during the 1975/76 season. They won 1970/71 the championship in the ABA Kentucky Colonels against the 4-3 and reached in 1973/74 once again the final, which they lost to the New York Nets with 1:4.

The stars are widely regarded as one of the most successful teams in the ABA history. They were also known for one of the largest fan bases in the ABA, and even reached up to resolution 1975. Between 1970 and 1975, the Stars impressive 265 wins and 171 losses ( 60.8 %), which was the best winning percentage of a team that more than one season in the league played.

1970-1971

Despite a promising young squad the Stars a latecomer were more or less in a market, which was led by the Los Angeles Lakers and the UCLA Bruins; there were only average 2500 fans to the games. In June 1970, the team was sold to the cable television pioneer Bill Daniels from Colorado, who moved the team to Salt Lake City. Zelmo Beaty approached for the team and the Stars were second in the Western 0ivision with 57 wins and 27 defeats. In the first round of the playoffs they beat the Texas Chaparrals 4-0, in a thrilling Division Finals the Indiana Pacers 4-3 and finally the Kentucky Colonels 4-3 what the ABA championship meant.

1971-1972

The Stars won their first division championship and won the Western Division with 60 wins and 24 defeats. In the first round of the playoffs they defeated the Dallas Chaparrals 4-0, before being defeated the Indiana Pacers in Division final with 3:4.

1972-1973

The Stars hosted the ABA All Star Games, and again won the Western Division with 55 wins and 29 defeats. The Stars defeated in the first round of the playoffs, the San Diego Conquistadors 4-0, but then lost 2:4 against the Indiana Pacers.

1973-1974

In 1973/74 included the stars from 51 wins and 33 defeats, and thus in turn won first place in the Western Division under new head coach Joe Mullaney. This was the third division title in a row. In the playoffs, the Stars defeated against the San Diego Conquistadors 4-2 and the Indiana Pacers 4-3. In the final they lost to the New York Nets with 1:4.

1974-1975

The last full season of Stars in the ABA took place 1974/75. Daniels was nearly bankrupt due to failed speculation and an unsuccessful candidate for governor in Colorado. One of the victims of the team finances was coach Mullaney, who resigned after he was told that the team is his contract could no longer afford. Daniels tried the team for sale, but there were no takers. The Stars committed to high school players Moses Malone. They finished the season in fourth place in the Western Division and lost in the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets with 1:4.

1975-1976

Despite an average of over 8500 fans per game, the Stars started the season on shaky financial feet. During the pre-season were the stars (and the Virginia Squires ) are providing the guarantee payment for the friendly game against the Chicago Bulls of the NBA is not.

At the time, Daniels was completely bankrupt. As a result, the league replaced the Stars on December 2, 1975 due to lack of content lists. Four of the players (including Moses Malone ) were sold to the Spirits of St. Louis, while a fifth player has been sold to the Virginia Squires. Daniels finally paid all season ticket holders with 8 % interest.

The bottom line

1976 gave the owners of the Spirits of St. Louis known that she wanted to move with her team to Utah for the 1976/77 season to play there as Utah Rockies. Instead, the association of ABA and NBA was held in June 1976 and the Spirits and the Kentucky Colonels are the only two teams that were not incorporated into the NBA. ( The Virginia Squires were dissolved shortly after the end of the season and just before the union because they could not afford bail payments to the league. )

The professional basketball finally returned to Salt Lake City when the New Orleans Jazz from the NBA in 1979 were relocated to Utah. Since then, the Jazz play in Salt Lake City. The other three ABA teams not playing in the NBA after last season the ABA Kentucky Colonels were the Spirits of St. Louis and the Virginia Squires, who all played in cities that thereafter other than Salt Lake City never an NBA team had.

ABA Championship

In their first season in Salt Lake City Stars acquired in second place in the Western Division, a game behind the Indiana Pacers. In the playoffs, the Stars swept the Texas Chapparals off and won against the Pacers in Game Seven of the Division Finals, which earned them a place in the ABA finals.

The stars met there on the Kentucky Colonels. In game one, the Stars defeated the Salt Palace nearly sold-out backdrop Kentucky with 136:117. The stars presented a playoff record with 50 points in the second quarter on. Game two won the Stars with 138:125. Game 3 and 4 were held in Louisville Kentucky and equalized the series. The series returned to Salt Lake City, where the Stars beat Kentucky 137:127. The Stars wanted the championship in the sixth game in Louisville already decided, but the Colonels defeated the Stars just with 105:102, so that the championship had to be decided in the seventh game in Salt Lake City.

With the prospect of the championship saw a record crowd of 13260 spectators this game at the Salt Palace. The game remained close at the end of the Stars attracted but gone and won the championship with 131:121.

When the game ended, hundreds of fans stormed the stars on the court and lifted the players cheering on her shoulders. These actions were a complete surprise to the officials of the stars, for they had not anticipated such a reaction of the fans.

Utah Stars vs. NBA teams

The ABA regularly played friendlies in pre-season against NBA teams. While the ABA won a total of more often, the stars had a ratio of 7:9 against NBA teams.

The first game of the stars against the NBA was a 89:96 defeat at home against the New York Knicks on 28 September 1971. The Stars lost their first four games against the NBA and managed their first victory against the Seattle SuperSonics on September 24, 1972 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Other stars wins against the NBA were against the Boston Celtics on October 4, 1973 as part of a double play in which the Denver Rockets defeated the Phoenix Suns with 113:111 in Utah in advance before 12431 fans; a home victory over the Kansas City - Omaha Kings on October 8, 1974 a home win over the SuperSonics on October 7, 1975; a win over the Kings on October 11, 1975 as part of a doubleheader in Denver, at the then lost the Denver Nuggets against the Golden State Warriors with 100:115 before 17018 fans; and a 118:108 win at the Seattle SuperSonics on 15 October 1975.

In the last game between ABA and NBA ever defeated the Stars the Milwaukee Bucks on October 21, 1975 in Salt Lake City with 106:101. ( In the penultimate encounter the Kentucky Colonels, the Washington Bullets defeated two nights ago with 121:111. )

Achievements

• 3x ABA Western Division Champion after the regular season ( 1971-72, 1972-73, 1973-74 )
• 2x ABA Western Division Champion after the playoffs ( 1970-71, 1973-74 )
• 1x ABA champion ( 1970-71 )

Well-known former players

• Willie Wise
• Ron Boone
• Moses Malone
• Jimmy Jones
• Zelmo Beaty
• Rick Mount