San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are a National Basketball Association team based in San Antonio, Texas.

Early franchise history in the ABA

The San Antonio Spurs started out as the Dallas Chaparrals of the original version of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967. The team suffered from poor attendance and general disinterest in Dallas. In fact, during the 1970-1971 season, the name "Dallas" was dropped in favor of "Texas" and an attempt was made to make the team a regional one, playing games in Fort Worth, Texas as well as Lubbock, Texas but this proved a failure and the team returned full-time to Dallas in time for the 1971-1972 season.

Related Topics:
American Basketball Association - 1970 - 1971 - Fort Worth, Texas - Lubbock, Texas - 1972

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After missing the playoffs for the first time in their existence in 1972-1973, the team was put up for sale. The team was acquired by a group of 36 San Antonio businessmen, led by Angelo Drossos and Red McCombs who actually leased the team from the original Dallas ownership group, relocated the team to San Antonio, Texas and renamed them the Spurs. The team's primary colors were changed from the red, white, and blue of the Chapparrals to the now familiar silver and black motif of the Spurs.

Related Topics:
1973 - Angelo Drossos - Red McCombs - San Antonio, Texas

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The team quickly made themselves at home at San Antonio's HemisFair Arena playing to increasingly large and raucous crowds. The early Spurs were led by ABA veteran James Silas and bolstered by the acquisition in early-1974 of future NBA Hall-of-Famer George Gervin from the Virginia Squires. Even though playoff success would elude the team in the ABA, the Spurs had suddenly found themselves among the top teams in the ABA. In 1976, the ABA folded, threatening the future of San Antonio's sole professional sports franchise. The NBA however decided to admit four ABA teams into the league, with the Spurs being one of them along with the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and the New York Nets.

Related Topics:
HemisFair Arena - James Silas - 1974 - George Gervin - Virginia Squires - 1976 - Denver Nuggets - Indiana Pacers - New York Nets

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