Memphis Sounds
Encyclopedia
Memphis Sounds was the final name of a franchise in the American Basketball Association
. The team had begun as the New Orleans Buccaneers
, and after three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana
moved to Memphis, Tennessee
, where it had occasionally played some home games in the past to reasonable crowds. Known during their time in Memphis as the Memphis Pros, Memphis Tams and, finally, Sounds, they played their home games at the Mid-South Coliseum
.
were a charter member of the ABA. The Buccaneers were coached by Babe McCarthy
, who was famous for two reasons. One was that he had coached Mississippi State University
to a Southeastern Conference
championship in an era when that league's basketball
was dominated by the University of Kentucky
. The other was when the then all-white Mississippi
state legislature forbade the team to participate in the racially integrated NCAA
Tournament. McCarthy took the team out-of-state in the dead of night and had them participate anyway, which gave him a near-legend status in the eyes of some (and the undying hatred of others).
was nearly booked solid through the winter, and the Pros were only able to secure one Friday home game. They were forced to play the balance of their home schedule in several other arenas in Tennessee and Mississippi. Not surprisingly, ticket sales slowed to a trickle; by the start of the season they'd only sold 180 season tickets.
Bob Warren
of the Los Angeles Lakers
joined the team, and Ron Franz
and Dave Nash were traded to The Floridians
for Wilbert Jones, Al Cueto
and Erv Staggs; later, Red Robbins
was traded to the Utah Stars
for Craig Raymond
and Skeeter Swift
was traded to the Pittsburgh Pipers for Charlie Williams
. Jimmy Jones
, Steve Jones
and Wendell Ladner
played in the 1971 ABA All-Star Game
; Ladner, a pick in the last ABA draft, also made the ABA All-Rookie team. An average of 3,199 fans attended Pros home games during the season. The Pros finished with 41 wins and 43 losses, which put them in third place in the Eastern Division. The Pros advanced to the playoffs but lost in the Eastern Division semifinals to the Indiana Pacers
, 4 games to none.
The Pros almost didn't survive that season. In December 1970, Blake simply walked away from the team, claiming to have lost $200,000. The league desperately tried to find a new owner, but there were no takers. Finally in February, a community group, Memphis Area Sports Inc., bought the team for $700,000. It was composed of 4,600 Tennessee residents who bought the team's stock at $5, $10 and $50 a share and elected a 24-person board to run the team. Memphis stockbroker A. W. Hart was installed as team president.
, an underclassman All American from the University of Mississippi
, and added Larry Cannon
, but lost Steve Jones to the Dallas Chaparrals
through free agency; Jimmy Jones also departed, ending up with the Utah Stars
.
On October 6, 1971 the Pros hosted the NBA's Boston Celtics
for a preseason exhibition game. The Celtics won, 115-94. This was the only time a Memphis team played an NBA team until the Vancouver Grizzlies
moved to Memphis in 2001, thirty years later.
The Pros traded Larry Cannon to the Indiana Pacers
in mid-season for Don Sidle
, and executed another midseason trade which sent Wendell Ladner, Tom Owens and Bobby Warren to the Carolina Cougars
for Randy Denton
, Warren Davis
and George Lehmann
. The latter trade was initiated by Hart without consulting McCarthy.
The Pros had one player, Wil Jones, play in the 1972 ABA All-Star Game
.
Despite (or perhaps because of) all the personnel moves, the team finished with only 26 wins against 58 losses, which put them in fifth (last) place in the Western Division, 34 games behind the Utah Stars, and kept them out of the playoffs.
Although they averaged 4,441 fans per home game, the team's financial problems cropped up again, and forcing the league to take control of the team for a second time.
On April 27, 1972 Babe McCarthy resigned as the Pros' coach.
, who also owned Major League Baseball
's Oakland A's and the NHL
's California Golden Seals
. Finley also took over the team's debts. Legendary former University of Kentucky
head coach Adolph Rupp
became team president. The winning entry in a "Rename the Team" contest was the Memphis Tams, perhaps one of the few entries that could be said to have been even less likely than "Pros." The nickname was an acronym for Tennessee - Arkansas - Mississippi, and the logo was a tam o'shanter
-style hat in white, green and gold, which were also the new team colors, shared with the Athletics and Golden Seals.
. The Tams landed George Thompson
in a dispersal draft of Pittsburgh Condors
players. Gerald Govan
was traded to the Utah Stars
for Merv Jackson. George Thompson played in the ABA All Star game but the Tams finished the season with only 20 wins compared to 64 losses. It was the worst record in the ABA and put them in fifth (last) place in the Eastern Division, 33 games behind the Carolina Cougars
. The Tams did not make the playoffs, in part due to heavy roster turnover (they made 28 roster moves in the first two months of the season alone). Despite their poor play they averaged 3,476 fans per home game.
Finley had the team wear all possible combinations of green, white and gold tops and trunks. However, he had little to no involvement with franchise operations. Despite his earlier promises, he was already in negotiations with officials in St. Paul, Minnesota to move the team there. When word got out of this, Finley went from savior to pariah almost overnight. He didn't help his own cause by instituting several cost-cutting moves. For instance, he cut one veteran player before Christmas, and another on New Year's Day.
and Larry Finch
. The Tams also used a draft pick to select underclassman David Thompson
but Thompson stayed in college. Finley had asked the ABA to look into his claims that ABA president Bill Daniels had a conflict of interest due to asking Finley to pay him a finder's fee for helping Finley find potential buyers for his team. The ABA declined to investigate Finley's charges.
Finley tried to sell the team to a group of investors from Providence, Rhode Island
but no sale was forthcoming. For much of the summer, the Tams' status was up in the air. Bass had resigned to take a position with the league, and the team offices had been closed since mid-June. It wasn't until late August that Finley sent word that the Tams would play. In the process, he'd held up almost all of the league's radio and TV contracts. Even then, the team had no coach and virtually no front office when training camp opened in September. Finally, two days before the team's first preseason game, Butch van Breda Kolff was hired as general manager and head coach.
The Tams signed Charlie Edge, traded Larry Kenon to the New York Nets for Jim Ard
and John Baum
and traded Johnny Neumann
to the Utah Stars
for Glen Combs
, Ronnie Robinson
, Mike Jackson
and cash. George Thompson
played in the ABA All Star game but the team had another poor season, finishing with 21 wins and 63 losses—the worst record in all of pro basketball.
With their poor play the team's home attendance dropped by about one third from the prior season as the Tams averaged 2,331 fans per home game. This was largely because Finley seemed to lose whatever interest he had in the Tams. He went weeks without communicating with van Breda Kolff about team business or roster moves. He also stopped putting out programs, replacing them with free typed mimeographed lineup sheets. Van Breda Kolff was visibly frustrated with the situation, telling Basketball News that the Tams would be a solid franchise if they had solid backing.
resigned his position with the league to take over the operation and run the team in Memphis.
Storen lined up several notable local figures as co-owners of the new team including musician Isaac Hayes
and Holiday Inn
figure Kemmons Wilson
. Storen named the new team the Memphis Sounds and developed a new red and white color scheme and logo.
Storen cleared out the former Tams roster and brought in veteran players such as Mel Daniels
, Freddie Lewis
, Roger Brown
, Chuck Williams
, Collis Jones
, George Carter, Rick Mount
and Julius Keye
. The only player who had played for the Tams who appeared in uniform for the Sounds was Larry Finch
, a local favorite because he had played college basketball at Memphis State University.
The Sounds, coached by Joe Mullaney, finished the 1974-75 season with a record of 27-57, which was good for fourth place in the Eastern Division and a spot in the 1975 ABA Playoffs
. Unfortunately for the Sounds, their first round opponent was the Kentucky Colonels
, who had won the Eastern Division and defeated the Sounds 4 games to 1 en route to winning the 1975 ABA Championship.
. However, the team had serious financial problems and collapsed before the season started, playing only three exhibition games in its brief history.
Not long after the Claws folded, the San Diego Sails
and then the Utah Stars
folded early in the 1975-76 regular season, abruptly shrinking the league from ten teams to seven. The failure of those franchises was a factor behind the ABA-NBA merger
in the summer after the 1975-76 season ended.
When the ABA became defunct and the copyright
s on its properties were allowed to lapse, a minor league baseball
team in Nashville
— the Nashville Sounds
— adopted the Memphis Sounds' color scheme and logo. As of the 2007 season, the name is still in use, but the use of the color scheme and styled logo was discontinued after the 1998 season.
In 2001 professional basketball returned to Memphis with the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies
, itself a relocated franchise (they were originally in Vancouver
). The Grizzlies played their home games at The Pyramid
from 2001 until 2004, before moving to FedEx Forum for the 2004-05 season, and have called it home since then.
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
. The team had begun as the New Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers was a charter member of the American Basketball Association. After three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana the franchise moved to Memphis, Tennessee where it became the Pros, Tams and Sounds for four years before an abortive move to Baltimore in 1975.-Origins:With the...
, and after three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
moved to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, where it had occasionally played some home games in the past to reasonable crowds. Known during their time in Memphis as the Memphis Pros, Memphis Tams and, finally, Sounds, they played their home games at the Mid-South Coliseum
Mid-South Coliseum
The Mid-South Coliseum, also known as "The Entertainment Capital of the Mid-South", was a multi-purpose arena, that seated 10,085 people, in Memphis, Tennessee...
.
New Orleans Buccaneers 1967–1970
The New Orleans BuccaneersNew Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers was a charter member of the American Basketball Association. After three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana the franchise moved to Memphis, Tennessee where it became the Pros, Tams and Sounds for four years before an abortive move to Baltimore in 1975.-Origins:With the...
were a charter member of the ABA. The Buccaneers were coached by Babe McCarthy
Babe McCarthy
James Harrison "Babe" McCarthy , sometimes called "Ol' Magnolia Mouth" or just "Magnolia Mouth", was an American professional and collegiate basketball coach. McCarthy was originally from Baldwyn, Mississippi...
, who was famous for two reasons. One was that he had coached Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
to a Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
championship in an era when that league's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
was dominated by the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. The other was when the then all-white Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
state legislature forbade the team to participate in the racially integrated NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Tournament. McCarthy took the team out-of-state in the dead of night and had them participate anyway, which gave him a near-legend status in the eyes of some (and the undying hatred of others).
Memphis Pros 1970–1972
On August 21, 1970, the team was sold to Memphis businessman P. W. Blake. Ten days later, he moved the team to Memphis and changed its name to the Memphis Pros, reportedly because the already purchased 'Bucs' uniforms could easily be converted to 'Pros' uniforms at little expense.1970–1971 season
The Pros immediately ran into problems due to the timing of the move. The Mid-South ColiseumMid-South Coliseum
The Mid-South Coliseum, also known as "The Entertainment Capital of the Mid-South", was a multi-purpose arena, that seated 10,085 people, in Memphis, Tennessee...
was nearly booked solid through the winter, and the Pros were only able to secure one Friday home game. They were forced to play the balance of their home schedule in several other arenas in Tennessee and Mississippi. Not surprisingly, ticket sales slowed to a trickle; by the start of the season they'd only sold 180 season tickets.
Bob Warren
Bob Warren
Robert G. Warren is former American professional basketball player. He was born in Murray, Kentucky.Warren played forward at the Vanderbilt University from 1965 to 1968. His listed height was 6'5" and his weight was 190 lbs. He wore jersey number 21. He was named to multiple All-SEC teams and won...
of the 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...
joined the team, and Ron Franz
Ron Franz
Ronald Stephen Franz is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'7" forward, Franz played at the University of Kansas from 1965 to 1967. During the 1966-67 season, he served as team captain under coach Ted Owens.Franz was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 33rd pick of the 1967...
and Dave Nash were traded to The Floridians
Miami Floridians
The Miami Floridians, later in their history known simply as The Floridians, were a professional basketball franchise in the original, now-defunct American Basketball Association. The Miami Floridians played in the ABA from 1968 through 1970 when they became simply The Floridians...
for Wilbert Jones, Al Cueto
Al Cueto
Alfonso Angel Cueto is a Cuban-born former professional basketball player.A 6'7" center, Cueto attended Coral Gables High School in Florida and the University of Tulsa. He was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the tenth round of the 1969 NBA Draft, but he never joined the team...
and Erv Staggs; later, Red Robbins
Red Robbins
Austin "Red" Robbins was an American basketball player....
was traded to the Utah Stars
Utah Stars
The Utah Stars was an American Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.-History:...
for Craig Raymond
Craig Raymond
Craig Raymond is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'11" center from Brigham Young University, Raymond was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the twelfth pick of the 1967 NBA Draft...
and Skeeter Swift
Skeeter Swift
Harley E. "Skeeter" Swift is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'3" guard from East Tennessee State University, Swift played five seasons in the American Basketball Association as a member of the New Orleans Buccaneers, Memphis Pros, Pittsburgh Condors, Dallas Chaparrals, and San...
was traded to the Pittsburgh Pipers for Charlie Williams
Charlie Williams (basketball)
Charles E. "Charlie" Williams is a former professional basketball player. A 6’0” guard from Stadium High School and Seattle University, he played in the American Basketball Association in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
. Jimmy Jones
Jimmy Jones (basketball)
James "Jimmy" Jones is an American former professional basketball player who was a six-time All-Star in the American Basketball Association .A 6'4" guard/forward, Jones attended Grambling State University....
, Steve Jones
Steve Jones (basketball)
Stephen Howard "Snapper" Jones is one of the most esteemed and watched National Basketball Association television analysts.-Basketball career:...
and Wendell Ladner
Wendell Ladner
Wendell Ladner was an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at The University of Southern Mississippi where he became a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity....
played in the 1971 ABA All-Star Game
1971 ABA All-Star Game
GAME 4: at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina, January 23, 1971MVP: Mel Daniels, Indiana PacersCoaches:* East: Al Bianchi, Virginia Squires* West: Bill Sharman, Utah Stars-Western Conference: -Eastern Conference: -Score by Periods:...
; Ladner, a pick in the last ABA draft, also made the ABA All-Rookie team. An average of 3,199 fans attended Pros home games during the season. The Pros finished with 41 wins and 43 losses, which put them in third place in the Eastern Division. The Pros advanced to the playoffs but lost in the Eastern Division semifinals to the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, 4 games to none.
The Pros almost didn't survive that season. In December 1970, Blake simply walked away from the team, claiming to have lost $200,000. The league desperately tried to find a new owner, but there were no takers. Finally in February, a community group, Memphis Area Sports Inc., bought the team for $700,000. It was composed of 4,600 Tennessee residents who bought the team's stock at $5, $10 and $50 a share and elected a 24-person board to run the team. Memphis stockbroker A. W. Hart was installed as team president.
1971–1972 season
The team signed Johnny NeumannJohnny Neumann
Carl John Neumann is an American former professional basketball player and coach. At 6'6" and 200 pounds, he played the guard and forward positions.-High school and college:...
, an underclassman All American from the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, and added Larry Cannon
Larry Cannon (basketball)
Lawrence T. "Larry" Cannon is a retired American basketball player, a former 6'4" guard .-La Salle:...
, but lost Steve Jones to the Dallas Chaparrals
Dallas Chaparrals
The Dallas Chaparrals were a charter member of the American Basketball Association, later becoming the San Antonio Spurs and joining the NBA.The team suffered from poor attendance and general disinterest in Dallas...
through free agency; Jimmy Jones also departed, ending up with the Utah Stars
Utah Stars
The Utah Stars was an American Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.-History:...
.
On October 6, 1971 the Pros hosted the NBA's 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...
for a preseason exhibition game. The Celtics won, 115-94. This was the only time a Memphis team played an NBA team until the Vancouver Grizzlies
Vancouver Grizzlies
The Vancouver Grizzlies were a professional basketball team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They were part of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Toronto Raptors, as part of the NBA's...
moved to Memphis in 2001, thirty years later.
The Pros traded Larry Cannon to the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in mid-season for Don Sidle
Don Sidle
Donald Roy Sidle was an American professional basketball player.A 6'8" forward/center, Sidle played at the University of Oklahoma from 1965 to 1968...
, and executed another midseason trade which sent Wendell Ladner, Tom Owens and Bobby Warren to the Carolina Cougars
Carolina Cougars
Carolina Cougars was a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association that existed from late 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Carolina in late 1969 after two unsuccessful...
for Randy Denton
Randy Denton
Randall Drew Denton is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'10" center from Duke University, Denton played six seasons in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association as a member of the Carolina Cougars, Memphis Pros, Memphis Tams, Utah Stars, Spirits...
, Warren Davis
Warren Davis (basketball)
Warren Lee Davis was a Forward/Center for the Anaheim Amigos , Los Angeles Stars , Pittsburgh Pipers , The Floridians , Carolina Cougars and Memphis Pros/Memphis Tams of the American Basketball Association.He was named to the 1968-69 ABA West All-Star Team.In 6 seasons he played in...
and George Lehmann
George Lehmann
George Lehmann is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'0" guard from Campbell University, Lehmann played in the NBA and ABA from 1967 to 1974 as a member of the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Stars, New York Nets, Miami Floridians, Carolina Cougars, Memphis Pros, and Memphis...
. The latter trade was initiated by Hart without consulting McCarthy.
The Pros had one player, Wil Jones, play in the 1972 ABA All-Star Game
1972 ABA All-Star Game
GAME 5: at Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, January 29, 1972MVP: Dan Issel, Kentucky ColonelsCoaches:* East: Joe Mullaney, Kentucky Colonels* West: LaDell Andersen, Utah Stars-Western Conference: -Eastern Conference: -Score by Periods:...
.
Despite (or perhaps because of) all the personnel moves, the team finished with only 26 wins against 58 losses, which put them in fifth (last) place in the Western Division, 34 games behind the Utah Stars, and kept them out of the playoffs.
Although they averaged 4,441 fans per home game, the team's financial problems cropped up again, and forcing the league to take control of the team for a second time.
On April 27, 1972 Babe McCarthy resigned as the Pros' coach.
Memphis Tams 1972–1975
On June 13, 1972, the team was purchased by Charles O. FinleyCharles O. Finley
Charles Oscar Finley , nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American businessman who is best remembered for his tenure as the owner of the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas City, moving it to Oakland in 1968...
, who also owned Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's Oakland A's and the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's California Golden Seals
California Golden Seals
The California Golden Seals were a team in the National Hockey League from 1967–76. Initially named California Seals, the team was renamed Oakland Seals part-way through the 1967–68 season, and then to California Golden Seals in 1970. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of...
. Finley also took over the team's debts. Legendary former University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
head coach Adolph Rupp
Adolph Rupp
Adolph Frederick Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is fourth in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching...
became team president. The winning entry in a "Rename the Team" contest was the Memphis Tams, perhaps one of the few entries that could be said to have been even less likely than "Pros." The nickname was an acronym for Tennessee - Arkansas - Mississippi, and the logo was a tam o'shanter
Tam o'shanter (hat)
A Tam o' Shanter is a Scottish style hat originally worn by men. The hat is named after a character in a poem written by Robert Burns in 1790...
-style hat in white, green and gold, which were also the new team colors, shared with the Athletics and Golden Seals.
1972–1973 season
McCarthy was succeeded by Bob BassBob Bass
Bob Bass is a former basketball coach and executive who worked in the NCAA, American Basketball Association, and the National Basketball Association....
. The Tams landed George Thompson
George Thompson (basketball)
George "Tip" Thompson is a former professional basketball player. A 6'2" guard, he attended Erasmus Hall High School from which he graduated in 1965...
in a dispersal draft of Pittsburgh Condors
Pittsburgh Condors
The Pittsburgh Condors were a professional basketball team in the original American Basketball Association. Originally called the Pittsburgh Pipers, they were a charter franchise of the ABA...
players. Gerald Govan
Gerald Govan
Gerald Govan is a retired American professional basketball player.Govan played high school basketball at Henry Snyder High School in Jersey City.A 6'10" forward/center from St...
was traded to the Utah Stars
Utah Stars
The Utah Stars was an American Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.-History:...
for Merv Jackson. George Thompson played in the ABA All Star game but the Tams finished the season with only 20 wins compared to 64 losses. It was the worst record in the ABA and put them in fifth (last) place in the Eastern Division, 33 games behind the Carolina Cougars
Carolina Cougars
Carolina Cougars was a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association that existed from late 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Carolina in late 1969 after two unsuccessful...
. The Tams did not make the playoffs, in part due to heavy roster turnover (they made 28 roster moves in the first two months of the season alone). Despite their poor play they averaged 3,476 fans per home game.
Finley had the team wear all possible combinations of green, white and gold tops and trunks. However, he had little to no involvement with franchise operations. Despite his earlier promises, he was already in negotiations with officials in St. Paul, Minnesota to move the team there. When word got out of this, Finley went from savior to pariah almost overnight. He didn't help his own cause by instituting several cost-cutting moves. For instance, he cut one veteran player before Christmas, and another on New Year's Day.
1973–1974 season
The Tams picked up draft picks Larry KenonLarry Kenon
Larry Joe Kenon is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'9" forward who had a productive career in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association , Kenon played for the New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors and...
and Larry Finch
Larry Finch
Larry Finch was a player and coach for the University of Memphis men's basketball team. He is perhaps most famous for leading the Memphis State Tigers to the NCAA men's basketball championship game in 1973 in a heroic loss to the UCLA Bruins, led by Bill Walton.- Playing career :Finch was born in...
. The Tams also used a draft pick to select underclassman David Thompson
David Thompson (basketball)
David O'Neil Thompson is a former American professional basketball star with the Denver Nuggets of both the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association , as well as the Seattle SuperSonics...
but Thompson stayed in college. Finley had asked the ABA to look into his claims that ABA president Bill Daniels had a conflict of interest due to asking Finley to pay him a finder's fee for helping Finley find potential buyers for his team. The ABA declined to investigate Finley's charges.
Finley tried to sell the team to a group of investors from Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
but no sale was forthcoming. For much of the summer, the Tams' status was up in the air. Bass had resigned to take a position with the league, and the team offices had been closed since mid-June. It wasn't until late August that Finley sent word that the Tams would play. In the process, he'd held up almost all of the league's radio and TV contracts. Even then, the team had no coach and virtually no front office when training camp opened in September. Finally, two days before the team's first preseason game, Butch van Breda Kolff was hired as general manager and head coach.
The Tams signed Charlie Edge, traded Larry Kenon to the New York Nets for Jim Ard
Jim Ard
Jimmie Lee Ard is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'8" forward/center from the University of Cincinnati, Ard began his professional career in 1970 with the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association...
and John Baum
Johnny Baum
John "Jumpin' Johnny" Baum is a retired American basketball player. He played collegiately for the Temple University....
and traded Johnny Neumann
Johnny Neumann
Carl John Neumann is an American former professional basketball player and coach. At 6'6" and 200 pounds, he played the guard and forward positions.-High school and college:...
to the Utah Stars
Utah Stars
The Utah Stars was an American Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.-History:...
for Glen Combs
Glen Combs
Glen Courtney Combs is a retired American basketball player.A 6'2" guard from Virginia Tech, Combs was nicknamed "The Kentucky Rifle" for his long-range shooting...
, Ronnie Robinson
Ronnie Robinson (basketball)
Ronnie Robinson was an American basketball player.Robinson played high school basketball at Memphis Melrose High School, where one of his teammates was his future college and professional teammate, Larry Finch....
, Mike Jackson
Mike Jackson
General Sir Michael David "Mike" Jackson, is a retired British Army officer and one of its most high-profile generals since the Second World War. Originally commissioned into the Intelligence Corps in 1963, he transferred to the Parachute Regiment, with whom he served two of his three tours of...
and cash. George Thompson
George Thompson (basketball)
George "Tip" Thompson is a former professional basketball player. A 6'2" guard, he attended Erasmus Hall High School from which he graduated in 1965...
played in the ABA All Star game but the team had another poor season, finishing with 21 wins and 63 losses—the worst record in all of pro basketball.
With their poor play the team's home attendance dropped by about one third from the prior season as the Tams averaged 2,331 fans per home game. This was largely because Finley seemed to lose whatever interest he had in the Tams. He went weeks without communicating with van Breda Kolff about team business or roster moves. He also stopped putting out programs, replacing them with free typed mimeographed lineup sheets. Van Breda Kolff was visibly frustrated with the situation, telling Basketball News that the Tams would be a solid franchise if they had solid backing.
Memphis Sounds 1974–1975
It soon became apparent that the Tams were not high on the list of Finley's priorities. Amenities like programs began to disappear, and morale suffered as players began to wonder if they would receive paychecks and if they would clear the bank when they did. After two seasons of this, the ABA stepped in and took control of the team. ABA Commissioner Mike StorenMike Storen
Mike Storen is an American sports executive, perhaps best known for his tenure as commissioner of the American Basketball Association.Storen started in professional sports management in 1963, after serving in the United States Marine Corps, as promotions director for the Baltimore Bullets of the...
resigned his position with the league to take over the operation and run the team in Memphis.
Storen lined up several notable local figures as co-owners of the new team including musician Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
and Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
figure Kemmons Wilson
Kemmons Wilson
Charles Kemmons Wilson was the founder of the Holiday Inn chain of hotels.-Personal life:He was born in Osceola, Arkansas, the only child of Kemmons and Ruby "Doll" Wilson. His father was an insurance salesman who died when Kemmons was nine months old...
. Storen named the new team the Memphis Sounds and developed a new red and white color scheme and logo.
Storen cleared out the former Tams roster and brought in veteran players such as Mel Daniels
Mel Daniels
Melvin Joe Daniels is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6' 9" center, he played for the University of New Mexico Lobo men's basketball team from 1964-67...
, Freddie Lewis
Freddie Lewis
Frederick L. Lewis is a retired American basketball player. He played professionally in the National Basketball Association and now defunct American Basketball Association from 1966 to 1977....
, Roger Brown
Roger Brown
Roger William Brown , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American professional basketball player.-Career:A 6'5" forward/guard, Brown starred at Brooklyn's George W...
, Chuck Williams
Chuck Williams (basketball)
Edward "Chuck" Williams is a retired American basketball player who competed in both the National Basketball Association and the rival American Basketball Association...
, Collis Jones
Collis Jones
J. Collis Jones is a former college and professional basketball player. He attended the University of Notre Dame. He currently ranks 17th on the Notre Dame all-time scoring list with 1,367 points. Throughout his career, he has averaged 16.1 points per game, which ranks 19th in school history...
, George Carter, Rick Mount
Rick Mount
Richard Carl Mount is a former American basketball player in the American Basketball Association . He was the first high school athlete to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.-Early life:...
and Julius Keye
Julius Keye
Julius Keye was an American professional basketball player.A 6'10" forward/center from South Carolina State University and Alcorn State University, Keye played six seasons in the American Basketball Association as a member of the Denver Rockets and the Memphis Sounds...
. The only player who had played for the Tams who appeared in uniform for the Sounds was Larry Finch
Larry Finch
Larry Finch was a player and coach for the University of Memphis men's basketball team. He is perhaps most famous for leading the Memphis State Tigers to the NCAA men's basketball championship game in 1973 in a heroic loss to the UCLA Bruins, led by Bill Walton.- Playing career :Finch was born in...
, a local favorite because he had played college basketball at Memphis State University.
The Sounds, coached by Joe Mullaney, finished the 1974-75 season with a record of 27-57, which was good for fourth place in the Eastern Division and a spot in the 1975 ABA Playoffs
1975 ABA Playoffs
The 1975 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1974-1975 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Kentucky Colonels defeating the Western Division champion Indiana Pacers, four games to one in the ABA Finals.The Kentucky...
. Unfortunately for the Sounds, their first round opponent was the Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
, who had won the Eastern Division and defeated the Sounds 4 games to 1 en route to winning the 1975 ABA Championship.
Aftermath
The team's elimination by the Colonels would be the last meaningful game that the franchise would play. Although the 1974-75 season saw the highest attendance figures during the team's stay in Memphis, both Wilson and Hayes were having financial troubles that required them to sell their shares. After the 1974-75 season the ABA franchise was sold to a group of businessmen in Baltimore, Maryland who used it to create a team that was first briefly known as the Baltimore Hustlers and then the Baltimore ClawsBaltimore Claws
The Baltimore Claws was an American basketball team which was supposed to appear in the 1975-76 season in the American Basketball Association. The team collapsed before the season started, playing only three exhibition games in its brief history.-Background:...
. However, the team had serious financial problems and collapsed before the season started, playing only three exhibition games in its brief history.
Not long after the Claws folded, the San Diego Sails
San Diego Sails
The San Diego Sails were an American Basketball Association team based in San Diego, California; the team played an incomplete season only, beginning the 1975-1976 ABA season but folding before its completion.-San Diego Conquistadors:...
and then the Utah Stars
Utah Stars
The Utah Stars was an American Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.-History:...
folded early in the 1975-76 regular season, abruptly shrinking the league from ten teams to seven. The failure of those franchises was a factor behind the ABA-NBA merger
ABA-NBA merger
The ABA–NBA merger was the merger of the American Basketball Association with the National Basketball Association, which after multiple attempts over several years finally occurred in 1976.- Origins of ABA-NBA competition :...
in the summer after the 1975-76 season ended.
When the ABA became defunct and the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
s on its properties were allowed to lapse, a minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
— the Nashville Sounds
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
— adopted the Memphis Sounds' color scheme and logo. As of the 2007 season, the name is still in use, but the use of the color scheme and styled logo was discontinued after the 1998 season.
In 2001 professional basketball returned to Memphis with the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
, itself a relocated franchise (they were originally in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
). The Grizzlies played their home games at The Pyramid
Pyramid Arena
The Pyramid Arena is a 20,142-seat arena located in downtown Memphis at the banks of the Mississippi River. The facility was built in 1991 and was originally owned and operated jointly by the city of Memphis and Shelby County. Its unique structure plays on the city's namesake in Egypt, known for...
from 2001 until 2004, before moving to FedEx Forum for the 2004-05 season, and have called it home since then.