Kansas City Steers
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| Kansas City Steers | |
|---|---|
| Leagues | American Basketball League (1961–1962) |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Folded | 1963 |
| Arena | Municipal Auditorium Memorial Hall |
| Team colors | Red and White |
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,
The American Basketball League was formed when
League franchises were: the
In their first season, 1961–1962, the Steers were (54–25) under Coach Jack McMahon and were owned by Kenneth A. Krueger. They lost in the Finals to the Cleveland Pipers who were coached by John McLendon. After winning the first two games at Municipal, they lost the next two in Cleveland. The Steelers then lost in the Final game at Rockhurst University (Municipal Auditorium was booked) 106–102.[2][3]
In their final season, 1962–1963, their General Manager was Mike Cleary (for whom John Carroll University's Sports Studies Program is named), who had left George Steinbrenner's Cleveland Pipers the year before. When the ABL folded, 5 Kansas City Steers basketball players, including Bill Bridges and Larry Staverman, transitioned to the NBA.
The Steers folded along with the ABL on December 31, 1962. They were declared to be the ABL Champions based on their 22–9 record under Coach John Dee.[4]
The arena
The Steers played in Municipal Auditorium and Memorial Hall. Historic Municipal Auditorium is still in use today. The address is 301 West 13th Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Memorial Hall is also still in use and is located at 600 North 7th Street Kansas City, Kansas 66101.[5]
Notable alumni
Year-by-year
| Year | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961/62 | ABL | 1st, Western | Finals |
| 1962/63 | ABL | 1st | Champion (no playoff) |
See also
References
- ^ a b "History of the American Basketball League". www.apbr.org.
- ^ "1961 Kansas City Steers Roster and Results on JustSportsStats.com". www.justsportsstats.com.
- ^ "Kansas City almost had a pro basketball champion". kansascity.
- ^ "1962 Kansas City Steers Game-by-Game Results on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ Crossley, Drew (26 March 2017). "1961-1962 Kansas City Steers • Fun While It Lasted".