1974–75 Spirits Of St. Louis Season
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1974–75 Spirits Of St. Louis Season
The 1974-75 American Basketball Association season saw the Spirits of St. Louis, led by Marvin Barnes, Maurice Lucas, Gus Gerard and coach Bob MacKinnon, finish third in the ABA Eastern Division and defeat the New York Nets in the 1975 ABA Semifinals before losing in the Eastern Division Finals to the eventual ABA champion Kentucky Colonels. Offseason Draft picks The Spirits drafted John Lucas (who stayed in college), Gus Gerard and Mickey Johnson (who signed with the Chicago Bulls of the NBA), and in a special draft of NBA players selected Pete Maravich, Henry Bibby, Phil Jackson, Paul Westphal and Jeff Mullins, all of whom stayed in the NBA. Preseason transactions Following the 1973–74 season the Carolina Cougars were purchased for $1.5 million by new owners including Ozzie Silna, Daniel Silna, Harry Weltman, Donald Schupak and Donald Schupak. The new owners moved the team to St. Louis and began play as the Spirits of St. Louis. Rudy Martzke was named D ...
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Bob MacKinnon
Robert MacKinnon (December 5, 1927 – July 7, 2015) was an American college and professional basketball coach. He coached three different professional teams in his career; the American Basketball Association's Spirits of St. Louis, and the NBA's Buffalo Braves and New Jersey Nets. MacKinnon also served as the Nets' general manager. Biography MacKinnon was a three-sport athlete at McKinley Vocational High School in Buffalo, New York. He was an All-High choice in basketball in 1944, 1945, and 1946, and established a Yale Cup scoring record while pacing the Macks to the City Championship as a junior and senior. Bob excelled in football as well, as an All-High halfback and member of three City Championship teams. He won All-High honors in baseball while leading the Macks to the 1946 City Championship. Although MacKinnon played baseball at Canisius College and captained the 1950 squad, his greatest success as a college athlete came in basketball. His honors included selection to t ...
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Paul Westphal
Paul Douglas Westphal (November 30, 1950 – January 2, 2021) was an American basketball player, head coach, and commentator. Westphal played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1972 to 1984. Playing the guard position, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 1974. Westphal played in the NBA Finals again in 1976 as a member of the Phoenix Suns. His NBA career also included stints with the Seattle SuperSonics and the New York Knicks. In addition to being a five-time All-Star selection, Westphal earned three All-NBA First Team selections and one Second Team honor. After his playing career ended, Westphal coached for Southwestern Baptist Bible College (now Arizona Christian University), Grand Canyon University, and Pepperdine University, and served also as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, and Sacramento Kings in the NBA. Westphal coached the Suns to the NBA Finals in 1993. In 2019, Westphal was inducted into the Naismith Bask ...
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Bob McKinnon
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: Places * Mount Bob, New York, United States *Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *Bob (surname) *Bob (dog), a dog that received the Dickin Medal for bravery in World War II *Bob the Railway Dog, a part of South Australian Railways folklore Television, games, and radio * ''Bob'' (TV series), an American comedy series starring Bob Newhart * ''B.O.B.'' (video game), a side-scrolling shooter * Bob FM, on-air brand of a number of FM radio stations in North America Music Musicians and groups *B.o.B (born 1988), American rapper and record producer *Bob (band), a British indie pop band *The Bobs, an American a cappella group *Boyz on Block, a British pop supergroup Songs * "B.O.B" (song), by OutKast * "Bob" ("Weird Al" Yankovic song), from the 2003 album ''Poodle Hat'' by "Weird Al" Yankovic *"Bob", a song from the album ''Brighter Than ...
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Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of the league's original eight teams, the Celtics play their home games at TD Garden, which they share with the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins. The Celtics are one of the most successful basketball teams in NBA history. The franchise is one of two teams with 17 NBA Championships, the other franchise being the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics currently hold the record for the most recorded wins of any NBA team. The Celtics have a notable rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, which was heavily highlighted throughout the 1960s and 1980s. During the two teams' many match-ups in the 1980s, the Celtics' star, Larry Bird, and the Lakers' star, Magic Johnson, had an ongoing feud. The franchise has played the Lakers a record 12 times in the NB ...
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Don Chaney
Donald Ray Chaney (born March 22, 1946) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most notable for winning two championships as a player on the Boston Celtics, and winning NBA Coach of The Year while leading the Houston Rockets. Playing career Chaney played basketball in college for the University of Houston, where he was a teammate of future Basketball Hall-of-Famer Elvin Hayes. Chaney played all 40 minutes of the famed " Game of the Century" at the Astrodome. In that year's 1968 NBA draft, Chaney became the first-round pick (12th overall) of the Boston Celtics; he was also drafted by the Houston Mavericks of the American Basketball Association. Chaney became a champion with the Boston Celtics during his rookie year, in 1969. On February 28, 1973, Chaney set a career high in points score with 32, in a win over the Golden State Warriors. He would also help the Celtics toward winning the 1974 NBA Finals. He also had a short two season stint with the Lo ...
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Billy Cunningham
William John Cunningham (born June 3, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the ''Kangaroo Kid'' for his leaping and record-setting rebounding abilities. He spent a total of 17 seasons with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers (nine as player, eight as coach), and two seasons as a player with the Carolina Cougars of the ABA. One of basketball's all-time greats, Cunningham was elected to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame and honored by selection to both the NBA's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams as one of its legendary players, as well as to the ABA All-Time Team. He was All-ACC, the ACC Player of the Year, and an All-American in college, later named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team honoring the fifty best players in Atlantic Coast Conference history. As a professional he was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, an NBA All-Star, All-NBA First and Second Team, an ABA All-Star, All-ABA First Team, and the ...
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Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the Denver Larks in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA), but changed their name to Rockets before the first season. The Rockets then changed their name again to the Nuggets in 1974. After the name change, the Nuggets played for the final ABA Championship title in 1976, losing to the New York Nets. The team has had some periods of success, qualifying for the ABA Playoffs for all seasons from 1967 to the 1976 ABA playoffs where they lost in the finals. The team joined the NBA in 1976 after the ABA–NBA merger and qualified for the NBA playoffs in nine consecutive seasons in the 1980s and ten consecutive seasons from 2004 to 2013. However, they have not made an appearance in the NBA Finals since their last ...
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Mack Calvin
Mack Calvin (born July 27, 1947) is an American former basketball player. A five-time ABA All-Star, Calvin recorded the second most assists in ABA history, and was later named to the ABA All-Time Team. High school career Calvin was born in Fort Worth, Texas and attended Long Beach Poly in California. College career A 6'0" point guard from Long Beach City College and the University of Southern California, Calvin was a 14th-round draft pick of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers in 1969. In his final college season, Calvin and his Trojans defeated the UCLA Bruins, 46–44, in Pauley Pavilion, ending several of the Bruins' consecutive win streaks: 17 straight over USC, 41 in a row overall, 45 consecutive in Pacific-8 Conference play, and 51 straight at Pauley. Professional career He played seven seasons (1969–1976) in the now-defunct American Basketball Association (ABA) and four seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Calvin began his professional career with the AB ...
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Jim Chones
James Bernett “Bunny” Chones (born November 30, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player, and current radio analyst for the Cleveland Cavaliers. A 6'11" forward/center, Chones starred at Marquette University, where he earned All-America honors as a junior in 1972 after averaging 20.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. When he left Marquette to pursue an ABA career, he was only the second player in NCAA history to leave school for professional basketball before his graduating year. The New York Nets offered him a sizeable contract, and stipulated that he must accept within days and leave college. As a result, he left Marquette in February 1972 with his college team undefeated and ranked second in the nation. After Chones' departure Marquette finished the season at 25–4. Professionally, he first played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) with the New York Nets, with whom he was an ABA All-Rookie First Team selection. He also spent a season wit ...
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Teddy McClain
Teddy is an English language given name, usually a hypocorism of Edward or Theodore. It may refer to: People Nickname * Teddy Atlas (born 1956), boxing trainer and fight commentator * Teddy Bourne (born 1948), British Olympic epee fencer * Teddy Bridgewater (born 1992), Minnesota Vikings quarterback * Teddy Dunn (born 1981), American actor * Teddy Edwards (1924–2003), American jazz saxophonist * Tivadar Farkasházy (born 1945), Hungarian humorist, author, mathematician, economist and journalist * Teddy Gipson (born 1980), American basketball player * Teddy Higuera (born 1957), former Major League Baseball pitcher * Teddy Hoad (1896–1986), West Indian cricketer * Ted Kennedy (1932–2009), long-serving American Senator from Massachusetts * Teddy Kollek (1911–2007), six-time mayor of Jerusalem * Theodore Long (born 1947), general manager for World Wrestling Entertainment * Teddy Morgan (1880–1949), Welsh international rugby union player * Teddy Park (born 1978) ...
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Rudy Martzke
Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch political scientist *Rudolf Rudi Assauer (1944–2019), German football manager and player *Rudolf Rudy Ballieux (1930–2020), Dutch immunologist * Rudi Carrell (1934–2006), Dutch television entertainer * Rudy Cerami (born 1988), American football player * Rudy D'Amico (born 1940), American National Basketball Association scout, and former college and professional basketball coach * Rudy Demotte (born 1963), Belgian politician *Rudi Dil, birth name of Ruud Gullit (born 1962), Dutch retired football manager and player * Rudi Dolezal (born 1958), Austrian film director and film producer *Rüdiger Rudi Dornbusch (1942–2002), German economist *Alfred Willi Rudolf Rudi Dutschke (1940–1979), the most prominent spokesperson of the 1960s G ...
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Daniel Silna
Ozzie (December 27, 1932 – April 26, 2016) and Daniel (born August 26, 1944) Silna are American businessmen of Latvian descent best known for their success in the textile industry, as well as being co-owners of the American Basketball Association's Spirits of St. Louis and the lucrative deal cut to fold that team during the ABA-NBA merger. Brothers Ozzie and Daniel Silna made a fortune as pioneers in the manufacture of polyester. In 1974, they wanted to own an NBA team. After an attempt to buy the Detroit Pistons fell short, the Silnas purchased the ABA's Carolina Cougars franchise with the expectation of moving it into the NBA with the impending merger of the two leagues.Spirits of St. Louis
- RememberTheABA.com.
On April 26, 2016, Ozzie died of cancer at the age of 83.


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