Minnesota Muskies
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota Muskies
were a charter member of the American Basketball Association
, born with the league's creation on February 2, 1967. L.P. Shields and Fred Jefferson bought in to create the franchise for $30,000. They played one season in Minnesota and then moved to become The Floridians.
The Muskies wore blue and gold and played in the Metropolitan Sports Center
.
The ABA first located its league office in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. The future looked bright for the Muskies, who shared the same home city as the league. The Muskies began with a solid roster. Their first draft pick was talented center Mel Daniels
, who would go on to become one of the ABA's most celebrated players. Daniels was also drafted by the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA in the first round of that draft but he decided to cast his lot with the upstart league. Daniels, Donnie Freeman
and Les Hunter
all represented the Muskies in the first ABA All Star Game. The Muskies' roster also included Ron Perry. The head coach was Jim Pollard, a former teammate of ABA Commissioner George Mikan
for the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBA.
Early in the league's first season the Muskies and the Indiana Pacers
dueled for first place in the Eastern Division. The Muskies pulled away from the Pacers but the Pittsburgh Pipers rallied to catch them The Pipers eventually won the Eastern Division title and the Muskies finished four games behind in second place with a record of 50 wins and 28 losses. The Muskies averaged 2,473 fans per home game but that figure may have been exaggerated as it was also reported that the Muskies had only 100 season ticket holders.
In the 1968 Eastern Division 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 with 4 wins to the Muskie's 1 the Pipers won the series (and eventually the league championship).
For their success on the court, the Muskies were a complete bust off the court. They lost an estimated $400,000 in their first season. They only averaged 2,800 people per game, but some ABA experts think they actually lured far less, given that they only sold 100 season tickets. Muskies' management sought to make changes for the upcoming 1968-69 season. The Muskies made plans to play nine of their home games at other locations in Minnesota and the Muskies reached a favorable television contract. In spite of this, the Muskies later decided to relocate the franchise to Miami, Florida
, for the 1968-1969 ABA season. Prior to the start of that season the team made what many consider to be the worst personnel move in ABA history: they sold Mel Daniels, the league's Rookie of the Year, to the Indiana Pacers for cash to use to pay off debts accumulated in Minnesota. On May 24, 1968 the Muskies relocated to Miami where they continued play as The Floridians through the 1971-1972 ABA season.
Minnesota was not left without an ABA team, however, as the league champion Pittsburgh Pipers relocated to Minneapolis as the Minnesota Pipers for the 1968-1969 ABA season.
Muskellunge
A muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...
were a charter member of the 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:...
, born with the league's creation on February 2, 1967. L.P. Shields and Fred Jefferson bought in to create the franchise for $30,000. They played one season in Minnesota and then moved to become The Floridians.
The Muskies wore blue and gold and played in the Metropolitan Sports Center
Metropolitan Sports Center
The Met Center was an indoor arena that stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The arena, which was completed in 1967 just to the north of Metropolitan Stadium, seated 15,000. It was best known as the home of the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL from 1967-1993...
.
The ABA first located its league office in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. The future looked bright for the Muskies, who shared the same home city as the league. The Muskies began with a solid roster. Their first draft pick was talented center 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...
, who would go on to become one of the ABA's most celebrated players. Daniels was also drafted by the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA in the first round of that draft but he decided to cast his lot with the upstart league. Daniels, Donnie Freeman
Donnie Freeman
Donald E. Freeman is an American former professional basketball player. He spent eight seasons in the American Basketball Association and, after the ABA-NBA merger, one season in the National Basketball Association...
and Les Hunter
Les Hunter
For the Hollyoaks character, see Les HunterLeslie "Big Game" Hunter is a former professional basketball player. A 6'7" forward/center, Hunter attended Loyola University Chicago, who won the 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship...
all represented the Muskies in the first ABA All Star Game. The Muskies' roster also included Ron Perry. The head coach was Jim Pollard, a former teammate of ABA Commissioner George Mikan
George Mikan
George Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association...
for the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBA.
Early in the league's first season the Muskies and 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...
dueled for first place in the Eastern Division. The Muskies pulled away from the Pacers but the Pittsburgh Pipers rallied to catch them The Pipers eventually won the Eastern Division title and the Muskies finished four games behind in second place with a record of 50 wins and 28 losses. The Muskies averaged 2,473 fans per home game but that figure may have been exaggerated as it was also reported that the Muskies had only 100 season ticket holders.
In the 1968 Eastern Division semifinals the Muskies split the first four of five games with 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...
and then won the decisive Game Five, 114-108, at home. The Muskies then met the Pipers for the Eastern Division Championship and with 4 wins to the Muskie's 1 the Pipers won the series (and eventually the league championship).
For their success on the court, the Muskies were a complete bust off the court. They lost an estimated $400,000 in their first season. They only averaged 2,800 people per game, but some ABA experts think they actually lured far less, given that they only sold 100 season tickets. Muskies' management sought to make changes for the upcoming 1968-69 season. The Muskies made plans to play nine of their home games at other locations in Minnesota and the Muskies reached a favorable television contract. In spite of this, the Muskies later decided to relocate the franchise to Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, for the 1968-1969 ABA season. Prior to the start of that season the team made what many consider to be the worst personnel move in ABA history: they sold Mel Daniels, the league's Rookie of the Year, to the Indiana Pacers for cash to use to pay off debts accumulated in Minnesota. On May 24, 1968 the Muskies relocated to Miami where they continued play as The Floridians through the 1971-1972 ABA season.
Minnesota was not left without an ABA team, however, as the league champion Pittsburgh Pipers relocated to Minneapolis as the Minnesota Pipers for the 1968-1969 ABA season.