The Oakland Oaks were an American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team based in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the ...

that was a member of the

American Basketball League (1961–62) American Basketball League is a name that has been used by four defunct basketball leagues in the US: *American Basketball League (1925–1955), the first major professional basketball league *American Basketball League (1961–1962), a league that ...

. They played under this name in the 1962–1963 season, after having played as the San Francisco Saints in the 1961–1962 season.

History

The American Basketball League played one full season,

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

–

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

, and part of the next season until the league folded on December 31, 1962. The ABL was the first basketball league to have a

three point shot A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or trey) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two poi ...

for baskets scored far away from the goal. Other rules that set the league apart were a 30-second shooting clock and a wider

free throw lane Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procur ...

, 18 feet instead of the standard 12. League franchises were the

Chicago Majors The Chicago Majors was a basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, that was a member of the American Basketball League from 1961 to 1963. History The American Basketball League played one full season, 1961– 1962, and part of the next season u ...

(1961–1962);

Cleveland Pipers The Cleveland Pipers were an American industrial basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1950s and early 1960s. The Pipers are mostly known for having played in the short-lived American Basketball League from 1961–62. They were also a po ...

(1961-1962);

Kansas City Steers The Kansas City Steers were an American basketball team based in Kansas City, Missouri from 1961 to 1963. They were a member of the American Basketball League History The American Basketball League played one full season, 1961–1962, and ...

(1961–63);

Long Beach Chiefs The Long Beach Chiefs were an American basketball team based in Honolulu, Hawaii (1961–62) and Long Beach, California (1962–63) that was a member of the American Basketball League. History The American Basketball League played one full sea ...

(1961–1962), as

Hawaii Chiefs Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

in 1961–62;

Los Angeles Jets The Los Angeles Jets were an American basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, founded by Jack Blanck and Len Corbosiero, that was a member of the American Basketball League in the league's 1961–62 season. History The American Basketba ...

(1961–62, disbanded during season); Oakland Oaks 1962–1962, as

San Francisco Saints The San Francisco Saints were a traveling amateur basketball team composed of Chinese Americans that was formed in the 1950s and entered in the Amateur Athletic Union. The team was founded by Father Donal F. Forrester, who was serving as pastor a ...

in 1961–1962;

Philadelphia Tapers The Philadelphia Tapers were an American professional basketball team that played a partial 1962–1963 season in the American Basketball League (1961–62). It traces its history to the 1950s AAU New York Tapers. AAU New York Tapers Originall ...

1961–1962, as

Washington Tapers Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

in 1961–62; moved to New York during 1961–62 season; as

New York Tapers New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

in 1961-62 and the

Pittsburgh Rens The Pittsburgh Rens were an American basketball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that was a member of the American Basketball League from 1961–1963. History The American Basketball League played one full season, 1961–1962, and pa ...

(1961–1962). Owned by George McKeon, the San Francisco Saints moved to Oakland to become the Oaks after the NBA

San Francisco Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 1 ...

started play in 1962–1963, after moving from Philadelphia. The Saints finished 32–32 in 1961–1962, Coached by

Phil Woolpert Philipp D. Woolpert (December 15, 1915 – May 5, 1987) was an American basketball coach, best known as the head coach of the University of San Francisco Dons in the 1950s. He led them to consecutive national championships in 1955 Biography Bor ...

, Kevin O'Shea and

Al Brightman Horace Albert Brightman (September 22, 1923 – June 10, 1992) was an American professional basketball player and coach. Brightman played for the Boston Celtics of the Basketball Association of America during the 1946–47 season. He served as ...

. In 1962–1963, the Oakland Oaks finished 11-14 under Coach

Ermer Robinson Ermer Robinson was a native of San Diego. He graduated from high school in 1942. Robinson was a member of the Harlem Globetrotters. Robinson shot the game winning basket when the Globetrotters beat the Lakers. Robinson was Head Coach of the Oa ...

. The Oaks folded with the rest on the league on December 31, 1962.

The arenas

The San Francisco Saints (1962–1962) played at the historic

Cow Palace The Cow Palace (originally the California State Livestock Pavilion) is an indoor arena located in Daly City, California, situated on the city's northern border with neighboring San Francisco. Because the border passes through the property, a por ...

and the

San Francisco Civic Auditorium The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium (formerly San Francisco Civic Auditorium) is a multi-purpose arena in San Francisco, California, named after promoter Bill Graham. The arena holds 8,500 people. About the venue The auditorium was designed by re ...

, located at 99 Grove St San Francisco, CA 94102. The Cow Palace is located at 2600 Geneva Avenue, Daly City, California. The Oakland Oaks played at Oakland Auditorium, located at 10 10th Street, Oakland, CA.

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
alumni

Inducted, 1992

Notable players

Whitey Bell William Hoyet "Whitey" Bell (born September 13, 1932) is a retired American basketball player. He played collegiately for the North Carolina State University. Bell averaged 14.2 points per game as a senior for NC State during the 1957–58 seaso ...

* Gene Brown *

Archie Dees Archie William Dees (February 22, 1936 – April 4, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. Dees was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1958 NBA draft from Indiana University; Basketball career A 6'8" forward/ center born in Ethel, Mi ...

* Mike Farmer *

Jim Hadnot James Weldon Hadnot (born January 15, 1940 – August 2, 1998) was an American professional basketball center who spent one season in the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a member of the Oakland Oaks during the 1967–68 season. He att ...

* Ron Horn *

Ken Sears Kenneth Robert Sears (August 17, 1933 – April 23, 2017) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the first basketball player on the cover of ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine, appea ...

* Govoner Vaughn *

Wayne Yates Wayne Edward Yates (November 7, 1937August 16, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played 37 games for the Los Angeles Lakers in one National Basketball Association (NBA) season in 1961–62. He later worked as a college ...

Year-by-year

References