1967–68 Pittsburgh Pipers season

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Pittsburgh Civic Arena
Results
Record54–24 (.692)
PlaceDivision: 1st
Playoff finishWon ABA Championship
1968–69 >

The

Pittsburgh Pipers season was the 1st season of the ABA. The Pipers finished first in the Eastern Division and won their first and only ABA title.[1]

In the Eastern Division semifinals, the Pipers swept the Indiana Pacers in three games. In the Eastern Division Finals, the Pipers eliminated the Minnesota Muskies, in five games. The Western Division champion New Orleans Buccaneers appeared in the ABA Championships for the first time and were defeated by the Pipers in seven games. The Pipers would soon move to Minnesota for the next season, only to return a year later. Plaguing injuries nagged the team for the rest of their brief tenure in Pittsburgh, as they would disband in 1972, only four years after winning the title. The Pipers hold a legacy as the first ABA champion along with Pittsburgh's only professional basketball champion.

Roster

1967–68 Pittsburgh Pipers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
C 13 Craig Dill 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 215 lb (98 kg) December 17, 1944 Michigan
G
 		20 Cal Graham 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) June 7, 1944 Gannon University
C 30 Ira Harge 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) March 14, 1941 New Mexico
C 42 Connie Hawkins 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) July 17, 1942 Iowa
SF 12 Art Heyman 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) June 24, 1941 Duke
F
 		12 Bob Hogsett 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) January 29, 1941 Tennessee
PG 20 Jim Jarvis 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) March 3, 1943 Oregon State
G
 		14 Arvesta Kelly 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) November 20, 1945 Lincoln (MO)
F
 		40 Tom Kerwin 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) July 19, 1944 Centenary
SG 25 Barry Leibowitz 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) September 10, 1945 Long Island
G
 		22 Bill Meyer 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) August 30, 1943 Hiram College
SF 45, 50 Rich Parks 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 235 lb (107 kg) October 28, 1943 Saint Louis
PF
 		30 Willie Porter 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 205 lb (93 kg) July 3, 1941 Tennessee State
F
 		John Postley 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) May 30, 1940 Bethune–Cookman
PG 45 Herschell Turner 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) March 29, 1938 Nebraska
PG 22 Steve Vacendak 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) August 15, 1944 Duke
SG 10 Chico Vaughn 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) February 19, 1940 Southern Illinois
PF
 		32 Trooper Washington 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) April 21, 1944 Cheyney
F
 		14 Dexter Westbrook 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1943 Providence
PG 44 Charlie Williams 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 165 lb (75 kg) September 5, 1943 Seattle
PF
 		24 Leroy Wright 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) May 6, 1938 Pacific
Head coach
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster

Season standings

Team W L PCT. GB
Pittsburgh Pipers * 54 24 .692 —
Minnesota Muskies * 50 28 .641 4
Indiana Pacers * 38 40 .487 16
Kentucky Colonels * 36 42 .462 18
New Jersey Americans 36 42 .462 18

Record vs. opponents

1967–68 ABA Records
Team ANA DAL DEN HOU IND KEN MIN NJA NOB OAK PIT
Anaheim — 2–8 3–7 6–3 2–4 0–6 1–5 2–4 2–7 6–4 1–5
Dallas 8–2 — 4–5 8–2 3–3 5–1 2–4 3–3 4–6 7–2 2–4
Denver 7–3 5–4 — 6–3 4–2 2–4 2–4 5–1 5–5 7–3 2–4
Houston 3–6 2–8 3–6 — 3–3 3–3 3–3 3–3 0–10 7–3 2–4
Indiana 4–2 3–3 2–4 3–3 — 6–5 3–8 6–4 3–3 4–2 4–6
Kentucky
 6–0 1–5 4–2 3–3 5–6 — 5–5 4–7 2–4 3–3 3–7
Minnesota 5–1 4–2 4–2 3–3 8–3 5–5 — 7–3 5–1 5–1 4–7
New Jersey 4–2 3–3 1–5 3–3 4–6 7–4 3–7 — 3–3 5–1 3–8
New Orleans 7–2 6–4 5–5 10–0 3–3 4–2 1–5 3–3 — 6–3 3–3
Oakland 4–6 2–7 3–7 3–7 2–4 3–3 1–5 1–5 3–6 — 0–6
Pittsburgh 5–1 4–2 4–2 4–2 6–4 7–3 7–4 8–3 3–3 6–0 —

Playoffs

Eastern Division Semifinals[2]

Game Date Location Score Record Attendance
1 March 25 Pittsburgh 146–127 1–0 2,189
2 March 26 Pittsburgh 121–108 2–0 3,684
3 March 27 Indiana 133–114 3–0 3,141

Pipers win series, 3–0

Division Finals[2]

Game Date Location Score Record Attendance
1 April 4 Pittsburgh 125–117 1–0 3,159
2 April 6 Pittsburgh 123–137 1–1 2,123
3 April 10 Minnesota 107–99 2–1 8,357
4 April 13 Minnesota 117–108 3–1 3,787
5 April 14 Pittsburgh 114–105 4–1 3,350

Pipers win series, 4–1

ABA Finals[2]

Game Date Location Score Record Attendance
1 April 18 Pittsburgh 120–112 1–0 2,665
2 April 20 Pittsburgh 100–109 1–1 3,877
3 April 24 New Orleans 101–109 1–2 6,300
4 April 25 New Orleans 106–105 (OT) 2–2 7,000
5 April 27 Pittsburgh 108–111 2–3 3,347
6 May 1 New Orleans 118–112 3–3 7,200
7 May 4 Pittsburgh 122–113 4–3 11,457

Pipers win series, 4–3

In six out of the 15 playoff games he played, Hawkins was the lead scorer. As such, he was named

Playoffs MVP. Hawkins would be elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
in 1992. As it turned out, this would be his only championship.

Awards, records, and honors

References

  1. ^ "Remember the ABA: Pittsburgh Condors". Archived from the original on April 28, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "1967-68 ABA Regular Season Standings". Remembertheaba.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1967–68_Pittsburgh_Pipers_season&oldid=1285747063"