Minnesota Muskies

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Minnesota Muskies
Minnesota Muskies logo
DivisionEastern Division
Founded1967
History
ArenaMet Center
LocationBloomington, Minnesota
Team colorsBlue and Gold
   
Team managerDennis Murphy
Head coachJim Pollard
Ownership
  • L.P. Shields & Fred Jefferson
    1968–1969
  • Ned Doyle
    1970

The Minnesota Muskies were a member of the

Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, which they shared with the Minnesota North Stars. [1]

History

The ABA first located its league office in

Minneapolis Lakers. The Muskies would win 50 games in their lone season
.

Early in the league's first season the Muskies and the

Pittsburgh Pipers rallied to eventually win the Eastern Division title by four games.[3]
The Muskies would finish the season with a record of 50 wins and 28 losses.

In the Eastern Division playoff semifinals, the Muskies split the first four of five games with the Kentucky Colonels and then won the decisive Game Five, 114–108, at home. The Muskies then met the Pipers for the Eastern Division Championship and lost 4 games to 1 to the eventual champion.

1967–68 ABA Eastern Division

Eastern Division 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

For their success on the court, the Muskies were a complete bust off the court. They lost an estimated $400,000 in their first and only season. They only averaged 2,800 people per game, but it might have been far less, given that they only sold 100 season tickets.[4] The Muskies' management sought to make changes for the upcoming 1968–69 season with the team planning to play nine of their home games at other locations in Minnesota and signed a favorable television contract. In spite of this, the owners decided to relocate the franchise to Miami on May 24, 1968, for the 1968–69 ABA season. Prior to the start of that season, the team was forced to sell Daniels to the Indiana Pacers for cash to pay off accumulated debts.

However, Minnesota was not left without an ABA team as league champion Pipers ironically relocated to Minneapolis to play as the

Minnesota Pipers for the 1968–69 ABA season.[5]
The franchise would move back to Pittsburgh after one season in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Timberwolves wore Muskies uniforms for 6 games during the 2011–12 NBA season as part of the NBA's "Hardwood Classics".[6]

Basketball Hall of Famers

Minnesota Muskies Hall of Famers
Players
No. Name Position Tenure Inducted
34 Mel Daniels C 1967–1968 2012
Coaches
Name Position Tenure Inducted
Jim Pollard 1 Head Coach 1967–1968 1978

Notes:

  • 1 Inducted as a player.

References

  1. ^ "Rand: Minnesota Muskies anyone?". Star Tribune.
  2. ^ "1967-68 Pittsburgh Pipers Roster and Stats".
  3. ^ "1967-68 ABA Season Summary".
  4. ^ "Rand: Minnesota Muskies anyone?". Star Tribune.
  5. ^ "Pittsburgh Condors Franchise Index".
  6. ^ "Rand: Minnesota Muskies anyone?". Star Tribune.

External links