The 1971–72 The Floridians season was the fourth and final season of

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

in Florida. For this season, 34 games were played in Miami, with the other home games being played in either Tampa or St. Petersberg. The Floridians edged out the

Carolina Cougars The Carolina Cougars were a basketball franchise in the American Basketball Association that existed from 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Ca ...

for the final playoff spot by one game, with their 116–115 overtime victory proving key to clinching the spot, as their record was 35–45 and the Cougars record was at 33–49, with the Floridians not only having two more games to play than the Cougars but only needing to win once more to officially clinch, which they did four days later versus the

Memphis Pros Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memphis ...

, 118–107. The team's biggest winning streak all season was 4, with their first half record being 19–23. They went 17–25 in the second half of the season, with a season high six game losing streak in that half. They finished 8th in points scored, at 112.8 per game and 8th in points allowed at 114.3 per game. In the Semifinals, they were swept by the

Virginia Squires The Virginia Squires were a basketball team based in Norfolk, Virginia, and playing in several other Virginia cities. They were members of the American Basketball Association from 1970 to 1976. The team originated in 1967 as the Oakland Oaks, a ...

. After the season, the team was disbanded, due to attendance not improving despite trying to appeal to the region. Pro basketball would not return to the area until 1988 with the Miami Heat, who have worn throwback jerseys of the team on occasion as part of "Hardwood Classics Nights", doing so for the first time during the 2005–06 season.

Roster

* -- Will Allen - Power forward * 21 Mack Calvin - Point guard * -- Rick Fisher - Power forward * 11

Ronald Franz Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse '' Rögnvaldr'', Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 234; Hanks; Hodges (2003) § Ronald. or possibly from Old English '' Regenweald''. In some cases ''Ronald'' is an Anglicised form ...

- Small forward * 51

Carl Fuller Carl Edmond Fuller (born January 10, 1946 in St. Augustine, Florida) is a retired professional basketball center who played two seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a member of The Floridians in the 1970–71 and 1971–72 sea ...

- Center * 41

Ira Harge Ira Lee Harge (born March 14, 1941) is a retired American professional basketball player. Born in Anguilla, Mississippi, Harge played high school basketball in Detroit, Michigan before starring in college at the University of New Mexico. He playe ...

- Center * 15

Warren Jabali Warren Jabali (August 29, 1946 – July 13, 2012) was an American basketball player. He played professionally in the American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1968 to 1975. Early career Born Warren Edward Armstrong, Jabali changed his name whi ...

- Shooting guard * 32 Larry Jones - Shooting guard * 43

Manny Leaks Emanuel Leaks, Jr. (born November 27, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Leaks was a 6'8" forward/center who played at Niagara University from 1965 to 1968. He averaged 17.3 points and 15.1 reboun ...

- Center * 30 Willie Long - Power forward * 43

Walt Piatkowski Walter Piatkowski, Jr. (born June 11, 1945) is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'8" forward, Piatkowski began his career at Toledo Woodward High School then starred at Bowling Green State University, where he was a Converse ...

- Power forward * 51

Craig Raymond Craig Milford Raymond (April 5, 1945 - October 15, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. Raymond played basketball at Hudson's Bay High School in Vancouver, Washington, where he was named a ''Parade'' All-American during his sen ...

- Center * 31 Sam Robinson - Small forward * 44

George Tinsley George T. Tinsley (born September 19, 1946) is a retired American basketball player. Background Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Tinsley played competitively at Male High School and college basketball at Kentucky Wesleyan College, where he was a mem ...

- Small forward * 12

Al Tucker Albert Amos Tucker Jr. (February 24, 1943 – May 7, 2001) was an American professional basketball player. Born in Dayton, Ohio, Tucker is sometimes credited with inventing the alley-oop with his brother Gerald while at Oklahoma Baptist Universi ...

- Power forward * 20

Lonnie Wright Lonnie Wright (January 23, 1945 – March 23, 2012) was an American professional basketball and football player who played in the same season for the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association and the Denver Broncos of the American ...

- Point guard

Final standings

Eastern Division

Playoffs

Eastern Division Semifinals ''The Floridians lose series, 4–0''

Awards and honors

1972 ABA All-Star Game The fifth American Basketball Association All-Star Game was played January 29, 1972 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky before an audience at 15,738. Joe Mullaney of the Kentucky Colonels coached the East, with LaDell Andersen of the Utah Sta ...

selections (game played on January 29, 1972) * Mack Calvin *

References

Floridians on Basketball Reference

External links

* ttp://www.remembertheaba.com/Floridians.html The Floridians page {{DEFAULTSORT:1971-72 The Floridians season Miami Floridians seasons The Floridians The Floridians, 1971-72 The Floridians, 1971-72