New Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers | |
---|---|
New Orleans, Louisiana | |
Team colors | Red, white and blue |
Head coach | Babe McCarthy 1967–1970 |
Ownership | Morton Downey Jr. L. Torrey Comila Ronnie Kole James A. Ware Lionel J. Cunningham Charles G. Smither Maurice M. Stern |
Championships | 0 |
Division titles | 1 (1968) |
The New Orleans Buccaneers were a charter member of the
in 1975.Origins
With the founding of the ABA on February 2, 1967 a charter franchise was awarded to a group of seven investors, including
1967–1968 season
The Buccaneers played their home games at the Loyola University Fieldhouse during their first season and averaged 2,337 fans per game there. Doug Moe, Red Robbins, Larry Brown and Jimmy Jones played in the ABA All Star game and Babe McCarthy coaches the West team in the game. Larry Brown was the Most Valuable Player of the inaugural ABA All Star game and led the ABA in assists that season en route to being named Second Team All ABA. Doug Moe was named First Team All ABA and Jimmy Jones made the ABA All Rookie Team. The Buccaneers recruited Jackie Moreland, originally from Minden, who had played for the Detroit Pistons from 1960–1965.
The Buccaneers finished the season in first place in the Western Division with 48 wins and 30 losses, putting them two games ahead of the
1968–1969 season
Prior to the season the Buccaneers traded away Larry Brown and Doug Moe to the
The Buccaneers met the Dallas Chaparrals in the Western Division semifinals and prevailed in a close series, 4 games to 3. Advancing to the Western Division finals, the Buccaneers fell to the Oakland Oaks 4 games to none.
1969–1970 season
The Buccaneers moved their home games to Tulane Gym (now known as Devlin Fieldhouse) and the Municipal Auditorium for the season. Jimmy Jones suffered a knee injury in December that limited his action for the season; he was still selected to play in the ABA All Star game along with teammates Steve Jones and Gerald Govan. Babe McCarthy again coached the West team.
The Bucs finished at .500 with 42 wins and 42 losses. This placed the team in fifth (last) place in that season's highly competitive Western Division, keeping the Buccaneers out of the playoffs. (In the Eastern Division that season that record would have tied them for third place and put them in the playoffs.) For the season, New Orleans averaged 2,599 fans per home game.
End of tenure in New Orleans
The team picked up
However, on August 21, 1970 the franchise was purchased by a new owner and ten days later it was moved to
The Buccaneers nickname was picked up by a new NFL expansion team in 1976. Since 2002, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints have competed against each other in the NFC South division.
On December 10, 2008, in a game against the now Charlotte Hornets, then Charlotte Bobcats, the Buccaneers were for the first time "revived" by the New Orleans Pelicans, then New Orleans Hornets, the city's current NBA franchise, who played the game in 1967–68 styled Bucs throwback jerseys. The team's cheerleading squad was also dressed in Bucs throwback outfits, Bucs video highlights were played throughout the game, and many of the team's past players and coaches were honored at halftime. The Pelicans would win the game 105-89.[1] The Pelicans wore their Buccaneers throwback jerseys once again in a road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 16, 2009, with Cleveland coming out on top 92-78.
Basketball Hall of Famers
New Orleans Buccaneers Hall of Famers | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Players | ||||
No. | Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted |
11 | Larry Brown 1 | G | 1967–1968 | 2002 |
Notes:
- 1 Inducted as a coach.
Season-by-season
Note: W = wins, L = losses, % = win–loss %
Season | W | L | % | Playoffs | Results |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Orleans Buccaneers | |||||
1967–68 | 48 | 30 | .615 | Won division semifinals Won division finals Lost ABA Finals |
New Orleans 3, Denver 2 New Orleans 4, Dallas 1 Pittsburgh 4, New Orleans 3 |
1968–69 | 46 | 32 | .590 | Won division semifinals Lost division finals |
New Orleans 4, Dallas 3 Oakland 4, New Orleans 0 |
1969–70 | 42 | 42 | .500 | Did not qualify |
Notes
The Buccaneers' road uniform was featured in NBA Live 07 as a hidden jersey.