The 1970–71 NBA season was the Buffalo Braves inaugural season in the NBA. With a roster made up primarily of castoffs, the Braves got off on the right foot by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...

 107–92 at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium

Buffalo Memorial Auditorium

Buffalo Memorial Auditorium was an indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. It hosted the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL, the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL, the Buffalo Braves of the NBA, the Buffalo Stallions of MSL, the Buffalo Bandits of MILL, the Buffalo Blizzard of the second NPSL and the Buffalo...

 on October 14. However, the Braves would drop their next nine as they took on established NBA teams on the way to finishing in last place in the Atlantic Division. The Braves' record was 22–60, which was 7 games better than the Cleveland Cavaliers, their partners in expansion.

NBA Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	15	John Hummer John Hummer John Hummer is a venture capitalist and retired professional basketball player who was an original member of the Buffalo Braves after starring for the Princeton Tigers men's basketball team...	Center		Princeton Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
2	24	Cornell Warner Cornell Warner Cornell Warner is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'9" forward/center from Jackson State University, Warner played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Buffalo Braves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Lakers...	Center		Jackson State Jackson State University Jackson State University is a historically black university founded in 1877 in Natchez, MS by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. The Society moved the school to Jackson in 1882, renaming it Jackson College, and developed its present campus in 1902. It became a state supported...
3	43	Chip Case	Forward		Virginia University of Virginia The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
4	58	Ervin Polnick	Forward		Austin State Stephen F. Austin State University Stephen F. Austin State University is a public university located in Nacogdoches, Texas, United States. Founded as a teachers' college in 1923, the university was named after one of Texas' founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin. Its campus resides on part of the homestead of another Texas founding...
5	77	Robert Moore	Guard		Central State Central State University Central State University, commonly referred to as "C-State", is a historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio, United States. It is the only public HBCU in Ohio.-History:...
6	92	Doug Hess	Center		Toledo University of Toledo The University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The Carnegie Foundation classified the university as "Doctoral/Research Extensive."-National recognition:...
7	111	Cliff Shegogg	Forward		Colorado State Colorado State University Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
8	126	Larry Woods	Guard		West Virginia West Virginia University West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
9	145	Larry Duckworth			Henderson State Henderson State University Henderson State University, founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, is a four-year public liberal arts university located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. It is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges...
10	160	Joe Taylor			Dillard Dillard University Dillard University is a private, historically black liberal arts college in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded in 1930 incorporating earlier institutions that went back to 1869, it is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church....
11	177	Dick Walker			Wake Forest Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...

Expansion Draft

Player	Position	Team
Emmette Bryant Em Bryant Emmette Bryant is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'1" guard from DePaul University, Bryant played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Buffalo Braves...	Guard	Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
Freddie Crawford Freddie Crawford Freddie Crawford is a former American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association. Crawford was drafted in the fourth round of the 1964 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. Previously, he had been drafted by the Knicks in the 1963 NBA Draft. He would eventually play with the...	Guard	Milwaukee Bucks Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
Dick Garrett Dick Garrett Eldo "Dick" Garrett is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'3" guard from Southern Illinois University, Garrett was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 27th overall pick of the 1969 NBA Draft...	Guard	L.A. Lakers
Herm Gilliam Herm Gilliam Herman L. Gilliam Jr. was an American professional basketball player. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.-1965-1969:...	Guard	Cincinnati Royals
Bill Hosket Bill Hosket, Jr. Wilmer Frederick Hosket is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'8" forward/center, Hosket played basketball at Belmont High School , where he won an Ohio state championship in 1964, and then played college basketball at the Ohio State University from 1965 to 1968...	Forward	New York Knicks New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
Bailey Howell Bailey Howell Bailey E. Howell is a former professional basketball player now enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A 6'7" forward from Mississippi State University, he played 12 seasons in the NBA as a member of the Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia...	Forward	Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
Paul Long	Guard	Detroit Pistons Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
Mike Lynn Mike Lynn (basketball) Michael Edward Lynn is a retired American basketball player. He won two NCAA championships at UCLA, then played two seasons in the National Basketball Association....	Guard	Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
Don May Don May Donald John May is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'4" two-time 2nd team All-American forward from the University of Dayton who was the star of the Flyer team that lost in the 1967 national championship game to Lew Alcindor's UCLA team...	Guard	New York Knicks New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
Ray Scott Ray Scott (basketball) John Raymond Scott is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach of the Detroit Pistons...	Center	Baltimore Bullets Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
George Wilson George Wilson (basketball center) George "Jiff" Wilson is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'8" , 225 lb center, Wilson starred at Marshall High School in Chicago, Illinois, where he won state championships in 1958 and 1960...	Forward	Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...

Roster

{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%;"
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #E23B45; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;" | Buffalo Braves 1970-71 roster
|- style="background-color: #106BB4; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;"
! Players !! Coaches
|-
| valign="top" |
{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"
! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From
|-

Season standings

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Atlantic Division
! Team !! W !! L !! PCT. !! GB
|-
| align="left" | New York Knicks

New York Knicks

The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

 || 52 || 30 || .634 || -
|-
| align="left" | Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...

 || 47 || 35 || .573 || 5
|-
| align="left" | Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...

 || 44 || 38 || .537 || 8
|-
| align="left" | Buffalo Braves

Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...

|| 22 || 60 || .268 || 30
|}

Player stats

Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="background:#106bb4; color:white" width="16%" | Player
! style="background:#106bb4; color:white" width="9%" | GP
! style="background:#106bb4; color:white" width="9%" | REB
! style="background:#106bb4; color:white" width="9%" | AST
! style="background:#106bb4; color:white" width="9%" | STL
! style="background:#106bb4; color:white" width="9%" | BLK
! style="background:#106bb4; color:white" width="9%" | PTS
! style="background:#106bb4; color:white" width="9%" | AVG
|- align="center"
|-
|}