Utah Rockies
Encyclopedia
Utah Rockies was the name under which the Spirits of St. Louis
were to play during the ultimately aborted 1976–77 American Basketball Association
season.
The Spirits of St. Louis had some earlier connections to Utah. On November 29, 1975, the Spirits of St. Louis and the Utah Stars
had discussed a merger of the two franchises. On December 1, 1975, the Spirits announced that they would remain in St. Louis after word leaked out that they were contemplating a merger with the Stars, with the resulting team playing in Utah. The Stars folded and on December 2, 1975 the Spirits of St. Louis obtained some of Utah's best players: Moses Malone
, Ron Boone
, Randy Denton
and Steve Green
.
At the end of the 1975–76 ABA season, the Virginia Squires
folded after being unable to make a league-mandated financial payment. Because the Baltimore Claws
had folded in the preseason and the San Diego Sails
and Utah Stars
folded during the regular season, the ABA went from ten teams in the preseason to only six at the end of the season. The six remaining teams were the Indiana Pacers
, San Antonio Spurs
, Denver Nuggets
, New York Nets, Kentucky Colonels
and the Spirits of St. Louis.
On May 19, 1976, the Spirits of St. Louis announced that they planned to relocate to Salt Lake City, Utah
as the Utah Rockies for the 1976–77 season, and that negotiations were underway for the team to play at the Salt Palace
. Meanwhile, discussions that eventually resulted in the ABA-NBA merger
were nearing completion.
As part of the franchise shift, Spirits owners Daniel and Ozzie Silna proposed that they would sell the team to a group in Utah, and then purchase the Kentucky Colonels with the intention of moving the franchise to Buffalo, New York
, home of the Buffalo Braves
, an NBA team that was contemplating moving to Florida
. Colonels owner John Y. Brown, Jr.
ultimately took a cash payout when the ABA-NBA merger
occurred, and used the money to purchase a 50% interest in the Braves himself, which, after a complex transaction, were moved to San Diego in 1978 as the San Diego Clippers, who in turn became the Los Angeles Clippers
in 1984.
On June 17, 1976, the ABA and NBA announced the ABA-NBA merger
that brought the Spurs, Pacers, Nets and Nuggets into the NBA but left out the Colonels and the Spirits/Rockies clubs. Brown received a flat $3 million in cash for the Colonels. The owners of the Spirits/Rockies received $2.2 million in cash and a one-seventh share of the four remaining ABA teams' television revenues in perpetuity. That deal has been reported as worth approximately $170 million* in the years since; the Utah Rockies' owners were made multimillionaires through NBA television revenue even though the team never played a single NBA game.
The Spirits/Rockies players were released to a dispersal draft, as were the Colonels' players. Marvin Barnes
went to the Detroit Pistons
. Moses Malone went to the Portland Trail Blazers
. Randy Denton
went to the New York Knicks
. Ron Boone
and Mike Barr
went to the Kansas City Kings.
Professional basketball returned to Salt Lake City when the New Orleans Jazz relocated in 1979 to become the Utah Jazz
.
Spirits of St. Louis
The Spirits of St. Louis were one of two teams still in existence at the end of the American Basketball Association that did not survive the ABA-NBA merger. They were a member of the ABA in its last two seasons, 1974–75 and 1975–76, while playing their home games at the St...
were to play during the ultimately aborted 1976–77 American Basketball Association
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:...
season.
The Spirits of St. Louis had some earlier connections to Utah. On November 29, 1975, the Spirits of St. Louis and 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:...
had discussed a merger of the two franchises. On December 1, 1975, the Spirits announced that they would remain in St. Louis after word leaked out that they were contemplating a merger with the Stars, with the resulting team playing in Utah. The Stars folded and on December 2, 1975 the Spirits of St. Louis obtained some of Utah's best players: Moses Malone
Moses Malone
Moses Eugene Malone is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who starred in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association...
, Ron Boone
Ron Boone
Ronald Bruce Boone is a retired American Basketball Association player.During his years at Tech High in North Omaha, Nebraska, Boone stood 6'2" and weighed 175 pounds....
, 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...
and Steve Green
Steve Green
Steve Green is a Contemporary Christian music singer notable for his vocal range and flexible solo style. Over his 35 year career, Green has been honored as a four-time Grammy Award nominee, seven-time Dove Award winner. He has had 13 No...
.
At the end of the 1975–76 ABA season, the Virginia Squires
Virginia Squires
The Virginia Squires were a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association from 1970 until just before the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.-In Oakland :...
folded after being unable to make a league-mandated financial payment. Because the Baltimore Claws
Baltimore 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:...
had folded in the preseason and 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 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 during the regular season, the ABA went from ten teams in the preseason to only six at the end of the season. The six remaining teams were 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...
, San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
, New York Nets, 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...
and the Spirits of St. Louis.
On May 19, 1976, the Spirits of St. Louis announced that they planned to relocate to Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
as the Utah Rockies for the 1976–77 season, and that negotiations were underway for the team to play at the Salt Palace
Salt Palace
This article describes a large building in Utah. A one-story building made of locally mined salt blocks in Grand Saline, Texas is also called the "Salt Palace"....
. Meanwhile, discussions that eventually resulted in 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 :...
were nearing completion.
As part of the franchise shift, Spirits owners Daniel and Ozzie Silna proposed that they would sell the team to a group in Utah, and then purchase the Kentucky Colonels with the intention of moving the franchise to Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, home of the Buffalo Braves
Buffalo Braves
The Buffalo Braves were a team in the National Basketball Association. They later moved to San Diego, California to become the San Diego Clippers then subsequently the Los Angeles Clippers....
, an NBA team that was contemplating moving to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Colonels owner John Y. Brown, Jr.
John Y. Brown, Jr.
This article is about one of four John Young Browns, from Kentucky, that have served political office. For others see: John Young Brown ...
ultimately took a cash payout when 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 :...
occurred, and used the money to purchase a 50% interest in the Braves himself, which, after a complex transaction, were moved to San Diego in 1978 as the San Diego Clippers, who in turn became the Los Angeles Clippers
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...
in 1984.
On June 17, 1976, the ABA and NBA announced 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 :...
that brought the Spurs, Pacers, Nets and Nuggets into the NBA but left out the Colonels and the Spirits/Rockies clubs. Brown received a flat $3 million in cash for the Colonels. The owners of the Spirits/Rockies received $2.2 million in cash and a one-seventh share of the four remaining ABA teams' television revenues in perpetuity. That deal has been reported as worth approximately $170 million* in the years since; the Utah Rockies' owners were made multimillionaires through NBA television revenue even though the team never played a single NBA game.
The Spirits/Rockies players were released to a dispersal draft, as were the Colonels' players. Marvin Barnes
Marvin Barnes
Marvin Jerome Barnes is a former professional American basketball player.As a 6'8" forward for Providence College, Barnes led the nation in rebounding in 1973-74. On December 15, 1973, Barnes scored 52 points against Austin Peay, breaking the single-game school record...
went to the 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...
. Moses Malone went to the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
. 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...
went to the 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...
. Ron Boone
Ron Boone
Ronald Bruce Boone is a retired American Basketball Association player.During his years at Tech High in North Omaha, Nebraska, Boone stood 6'2" and weighed 175 pounds....
and Mike Barr
Mike Barr (basketball)
Michael J. "Mike" Barr is a retired American basketball player.He played collegiately for the Duquesne University Dukes....
went to the Kansas City Kings.
Professional basketball returned to Salt Lake City when the New Orleans Jazz relocated in 1979 to become the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.