In 1966-67, the eventual NBA champion Philadelphia 76ers, featuring Wilt Chamberlain, played six games at the Civic Arena. Pittsburgh responded well, averaging 8,140 fans. The games were promoted by the Shapiro family, which owned National Record Mart. They tried to get an NBA expansion team, but the league was rather slippery about setting a price for them. So they joined forces with Downtown theater owner Gabe Rubin and acquired a franchise in the new American Basketball Association, with Rubin as the face of the club.
The new team was called the Pipers. They were able to sign New York schoolyard legend Connie Hawkins, who had become a Pittsburgh resident when he played for the Rens of the short-lived American Basketball League in 1961 and '62.
The ABA's two biggest innovations were a red, white and blue ball, which remains a signature of the league, and a three-point field goal line, which had originally been seen in the ABL. (The NBA didn't adopt the three-pointer until 1979, three years after they merged with the ABA.) The league also used a 30-second shot clock.
Hawkins was, by far, the best player in the ABA's first year. The league wasn't fully prepared to compete with the NBA. The only veteran star who signed with an ABA club was Rick Barry, who sat out the season for legal reasons before he could suit up with the Oakland Oaks. The only NBA first-round draft pick to sign with an ABA team was Mel Daniels, who spent the year with the Minnesota Muskies; he did go on to have a good career with the Indiana Pacers. There were a handful of good players who, like Hawkins, had been barred by the NBA for peripheral involvement with gambling. The rest of the league was bottom-of-the-roster NBA guys, minor leaguers and even lesser players.
The Pipers had the best record in the league at 54-24. For the playoffs, their starting lineup included Hawkins at center, although he wasn't a natural center. Tom Washington, a 6-7 rookie from Cheyney State, was the power forward. Art Heyman, who had spent three years in the NBA seeing less and less playing time, was the 6-5 small forward. Chico Vaughn, a 6-2 guard who had spent five years with the Hawks and Pistons, took advantage of the three-point field goal. And Charlie Williams, who had also been banned from the NBA, was the point guard.
Their coach was Vince Cazzetta, who had been the head coach at Seattle University from 1959-63, and then an assistant at Rhode Island until the Pipers hired him.
They opened the playoffs with a best-of-five series against Indiana. The Pacers featured Roger Brown, a rival of Hawkins from their New York schoolyard days, Bob Netolicky, and McKeesport's Freddie Lewis. (The three of them would, along with Daniels, form the core of the Pacers for years.)
The other Eastern series featured the Minnesota Muskies and Kentucky Colonels. The Colonels and New Jersey Americans tied for fourth in the five-team division, and were scheduled for a play-in game on the Americans' home court. But, because the Teaneck Armory was occupied by a circus, the game was moved to the arena in Commack, N.Y. The court was declared unsuitable, though, and the Colonels were awarded the last playoff spot by forfeit.
The series opened March 25 at the Civic Arena. Tickets were $2, 3, and 4, with youths under 16 admitted for half-price. Those prices were enough to draw 2,189 for Game 1, which the Pipers won, 146-127. Indiana scored the first seven points of the game, but Pittsburgh took a 10-9 lead with 8:13 left in the first quarter and never looked back. Hawkins scored 24 of his 38 points in the first half; he was 14-16 from the free throw line. Williams added 29, Washington 23, Heyman 19 and Vaughn 17. Brown led the Pacers with 32. Washington pulled down 20 rebounds, and Hawkins added 19.
The next night, the two teams met at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The game was delayed 15 minutes when it was discovered that one basket was three inches higher than the other. Once the game finally started, the Pipers again jumped out to an early lead and held it the rest of the way to win, 121-108. Heyman led Pittsburgh with 33 points. Vaughn had 24 and Hawkins added 21 before fouling out. Lewis scored 21 for the Pacers, and Oliver Darden collected 16 rebounds. Washington grabbed 15 boards for the Pipers, and Hawkins had ten. Attendance was 3,684.
The two teams went right back to Pittsburgh to play a third consecutive night. In front of 3,141 fans, the Pipers rode a 48-27 third quarter to a 133-114 triumph and a three-game sweep. Williams' 34 points led Pittsburgh, followed by Hawkins' 29 and Heyman's 23. Lewis put in 32 for the Pacers, while George Peeples grabbed 20 rebounds. Hawkins had 15 boards and Washington 14. In the Post-Gazette, Jimmy Miller noted that the crowd was "boisterous," which was a departure for Pipers fans.
The team would now have to wait a week before the next series started on April 4. Kentucky and Minnesota went five games in the other Eastern series. The Muskies won Game 5 at home, 114-108, before hundreds of fans.
The Pipers took advantage of the opportunity to rest and recuperate after some physical games with the Pacers. Practice resumed April 1.
Game 1 of the Minnesota series was scheduled for Thursday, April 4. By going to the Downtown National Record Mart, purchasing two $3 or $4 adult reserved seats and a child's half-price ticket, fans could get a red, white and blue ABA ball.
The Muskies featured Mel Daniels in the middle, with Les (Big Game) Hunter and Sam Smith at forward, and Don Freeman and Erv Inninger at guard.
Hawkins sprained an ankle in the April 3 practice, but was told that he could play if the ankle was properly taped. He did, and helped the Pipers put together another big third quarter on the way to a 125-117 Game 1 victory. Ball Night, such as it was, wasn't enough to draw more than 3,159.
After trailing, 61-52, at halftime, Pittsburgh outscored Minnesota, 42-17, in the third. The Muskies' 71-49 rebouding edge wasn't enough to win the game. Heyman led the Pipers again with 34 points. Hawkins had 26 and 15 rebounds, Vaughn added 25 points and Williams 23. Daniels scored 28 points to go with 18 boards and a finger in his eye late in the fourth quarter, while Inninger chipped in 25.
Fans leaving the Arena had to contend with the unrest that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. that night. Reaction also delayed Games 3 and 4 at the Met Center, which were pushed from Sunday and Tuesday to Wednesday and Saturday.
But first, the Muskies won Game 2 on April 6, 137-123. Daniels and Hunter each scored 38 for the Muskies, who broke open a tight game in the fourth quarter. Hawkins and Williams each had 27 for the Pipers, while Washington added 26 and Vaughn 24. Despite taking a shot to the face, Washington had 35 rebounds, while Daniels pulled down 28. Attendance was 2,123, and according to The Pittsburgh Press, "Police ordered everyone out of the building minutes after the game ended because of a nearby disturbance."
It turned out that what was originally diagnosed as a cut lip for Washington was actually a broken jaw, and he had it wired shut. The club fitted him with a mask, but he ended up playing without it. Also, reserve guard Steve Vacendak had another reserve obligation; he was called up to the National Guard to help with the ongoing racial disturbances.
Expectations were high for Game 3 in Bloomington, Minn. The Post-Gazette claimed that, "A crowd of 10,000, which is about 9,400 more than the Muskies have been drawing, is expected to see the game." The attendance was actually 8,357, and they saw the Pipers take a 2-1 series lead with a 107-99 victory.
Pittsburgh took the lead late in the first half and was never caught, although Minnesota kept it close in the second half. Hawkins' 32 points were the game high, while Vaughn scored 28 and Williams 23. Hunter put up 27 points and Daniels 23. Washington only scored 5 points before fouling out, but LeRoy Wright came off the bench to help defend the Muskies' big men.
In Game 4, the Pipers came back in the fourth quarter to beat the Muskies, 117-108. Hawkins scored 38, Williams 34 and Heyman 23. Skip Thoren came off the bench to lead Minnesota with 22 points, while Daniels added 20. Attendance was 3,717.
The next night, they played Game 5 at the Civic Arena. A crowd of 3,350 saw the Pipers win the East, 114-105, for a 4-1 series victory. Hawkins led all scorers with 24 points before fouling out. Vaughn included two three-pointers in his 22, while Heyman scored 21, including six in a late 10-point Pittsburgh run that put the game away. Freeman put in 23 for the Muskies. Wright grabbed 17 rebounds, Washington 16 and Hawkins 13, while four Muskies were in double-digits, led by Thoren's 13.
Minnesota coach Jim Pollard liked what he saw, saying "I'm convinced the two best teams in the league played in this series."
He added, "Pittsburgh has the speed, the shooting and the defense. I think they can beat New Orleans."
The Buccaneers won the West, beating Dallas, 4-1, in their series; they also won the regular season championship. Coach Babe McCarthy's starting lineup was center Red Robbins, forwards Jackie Moreland and Doug Moe, and guards Jimmy Jones and Larry Brown. (Yes, Moe and Brown went on to coaching careers.) Moe had scored the most points in the league during the season, although Hawkins had a higher points per game average (26.8 to 24.3) since he'd missed eight games. The Bucs also had a forward on the bench named Ron Widby. After the basketball season ended, he went on to the Dallas Cowboys, where he punted for six years.
The series would start in Pittsburgh with Game 1 scheduled for Thursday, April 18, and Game 2 slated for the 20th. Games 3 and 4 were scheduled for April 24 and 25 at the Loyola Field House in New Orleans. If necessary, Game 5 would be in Pittsburgh April 27, Game 6 in New Orleans May 1, and Game 7 back in Pittsburgh May 4.
"It wouldn't shock me to see the series go the route," Cazzetta said. "The Bucs are going to be tough to handle, especially on their home court which is Loyola. But we do get a break. The first two games will be played at the Civic Arena. It's almost a must that we win on Thursday and again on Saturday night."
Cazzetta also pointed out that, "New Orleans is a different club than Minnesota. They are quicker and have the shooters. Minnesota is rough under the boards."
The Press pointed out that only five of the twelve players on the Pipers roster started the season with the club: Hawkins, Vaughn, Williams, Waskington and Vacendak, who had returned from the National Guard for the finals. The fifth starter, Heyman, had come over from New Jersey in a trade for Barry Leibowitz.
Ticket prices went up a dollar, to $5, 4 and 3, for the finals. Once again, the Pipers tried their Ball Night promotion for Game 1. And, once again, it didn't entice many fans. The Press' headline after Game 1 was, "Lonely Pipers Take Title Series Opener," with a subhead of, "Only 2665 Fans Watch ABA Battle."
Pittsburgh won, 120-112. Williams scored two of his 22 first-half points at the end of the first quarter to give the Pipers a 25-24 lead, and the Buccaneers never led after that. It was 60-50 at halftime.
Hawkins went to the bench with 11 points and four fouls three minutes into the second quarter. "It's been that way all season," said Hawkins. "The officiating has been bad." When he returned to the floor in the second half, he went to work, scoring another 28 points. His 39 led the Pipers, while Williams and Heyman each scored 26. Washington and Wright each grabbed 11 rebounds. Robbins had a monster game for New Orleans, with 41 points and 23 rebounds. Moe added 30 points and 12 boards for the Bucs, who outrebounded Pittsburgh, 67-49.
"Our defense should get a lot of credit," said Cazzetta. "Hawkins had to stay away from Robbins because he was in foul trouble and you can't give Robbins room because he can shoot."
Chico Vaughn was moved to make a prediction. "We are going to win this thing in five games. We beat them the other night even though our front five didn't play all of the game because of fouls."
McCarthy thought his club wouldn't turn the ball over so much. "I look for our team to play a better game tonight. I'm not taking anything away from Pittsburgh as they played good ball in the first game, but I'm confident we won't be making 30 errors tonight."
The Bucs won Game 2, 109-100. Hawkins fouled out in the third quarter, having scored 18 points. Brown scored 28 and Jones 24 for New Orleans. Vaughn led the Pipers with 27, despite missing some time with a cut over his left eye. Heyman, who only scored two, was playing on a bad left arch that required an injection to get him on the floor. Attendance was 3,877, and many were angry enough at the officials to throw garbage at them.
"I don't have anything to say about the officiating," grumbled Cazzetta. "I plan on keeping my players in the game longer next time."
When asked if Hawkins fouling out made the difference, the coach replied, "We'd probably have won the game. We weren't out of the game until the last minute. We played almost all of the game with our second team and we almost won without our starters. My boys never quit."
The Pipers practiced at the Pitt Field House before heading down to New Orleans. Heyman sat out to let his foot heal, but also was diagnosed with tonsillitis before Game 3.
Pittsburgh had a 94-83 lead with 8:21 left in the game, but the Buccaneers came storming back. Jones' 8-foot jumper gave the Bucs a 102-101 lead with 1:33 left, and they went on to win, 109-101. Hawkins was only called for one foul, but he was also held to 19 points. Vaughn led the team with 27, including three three-pointers. Robbins had 30 for New Orleans, along with 22 rebounds. New Orleans out-rebounded the Pipers to delight a near-sellout of 6,310. Pittsburgh committed 28 turnovers.
The good news for Heyman was that he played, scored 16 points, and grabbed 11 boards. The bad news was that he was arrested afterward for pushing a fan, who cut his head on a step. Heyman was charged with assault and battery and released, pending a hearing. It turned out that the 22-year-old fan had myasthenia gravis and hadn't taken his medication before the game. Before Game 4 the next night, Heyman said, "This man made a grab at me and spit at me as I was moving toward the dressing room. All I did was take his hands off me and brush him aside. He fell, but he got back up. Then he fell again, but this time I did not touch him. That was when he hit his head.
"I don't go around hurting people and I certainly would not try to harm anyone afflicted. I'm very sorry it happened -- but believe me, it wasn't my fault."
By game time, everything had been cleared up. The fan dropped the charges, shook Heyman's hand at midcourt, and threw out the game ball. "It was an unfortunate incident, but it is all closed," declared ABA Commissioner George Mikan.
After all that, Heyman only scored one point in Game 4. But Hawkins scored 47, and Charlie Williams hit the winning free throw in a 106-105 overtime victory for the Pipers. The Bucs jumped out to an early lead, and hung onto it until the fourth quarter. The Pipers had a three-point lead late, but Brown's 26-foot set shot with one second left tied the game. In overtime, Hawkins and reserve Willie Porter scored to give Pittsburgh a 102-98 lead. Brown responded with two baskets of his own before Williams made it 104-102. Jones tied it with two free throws. Williams made one of two foul shots to take the lead, and Moe made one of two to tie it. The Pipers had the ball with 26 seconds left. It was down to 10 seconds when Hawkins missed a shot, but Williams got the rebound and was fouled by Moe with one second left. With the capacity crowd, listed as 7,000, booing, Williams made the first free throw and missed the second, and that was enough for the win.
The Pipers had an edge in rebounds for the first time in the series, 76-52, led by Washington's 25, to go with 18 points. Jones led the Buccaneers with 23 points, and Moe had 22 before fouling out at the end of overtime. Hawkins added 12 boards.
A beat-up Pipers team returned home. Hawkins had injured his right knee late, and the other starters were nursing injuries old and new.
Game 5 was Saturday, April 27. Hawkins missed the game with a slightly-torn MCL, and despite a valiant effort by his teammates, New Orleans won, 111-108, to take a 3-2 lead in the series. 3,347 watched as the Pipers led most of the way before the Bucs came back and took the lead for good on a Brown free throw with 2:09 to go; it was part of 13 points in the last eight minutes for the Buccaneer guard. Moe led all scorers with 31 points, including 17 for 20 from the free throw line, and Jones contibuted 24. Williams scored 29, Vaughn 28 and Heyman 24 for Pittsburgh. Washington pulled down 17 rebounds, but the Bucs dominated on the boards, 61-39. They were also 41-51 from the foul line, while the Pipers were a mere 26-41.
"When the boys heard Hawkins was not playing, they seemed to let down," McCarthy said. "They took the attitude that they could beat Pittsburgh easily and they found out differently."
Cazzetta felt that, "Everybody played a good game. Everybody took up the slack. That's why it should have been a win."
"It's just a little tear," team physician Dr. Fred Burkey said of Hawkins' knee. "It isn't bad."
As Game 6 approached on May 1, optimism increased that Hawkins would play, although he said, "I'm not satisfied with the way I feel. I don't know how I'll make it like this." In the Post-Gazette, Jimmy Miller noted that, "Word from New Orleans has the game a sellout. That means a second straight crowd of more than 7,000 or a total of 20,310 rabid fans for three games there, which sure puts Pittsburgh to shame."
In fact, the crowd was listed at 7,200, and they watched Hawkins score 41 to lead the Pipers to a 118-112 triumph and a Game 7 back in Pittsburgh on Saturday, May 4. The Bucs led, 72-59, at halftime, but the Pipers pulled even by the end of the third quarter. Then, down the stretch, not only did Hawkins sink five of six free throws in the last 1:16, but he blocked Jesse Branson's layup attempt with 31 seconds left and the Pipers up three.
"That's the best game I've ever seen him play," said McCarthy.
Heyman's praise was more effusive. "You can take down this quote. I'm 25. I've played with the best ballplayers in the world and I've seen the best ballplayers. He's the greatest I've seen and I'm not just saying that."
Heyman added, "He would give you his heart."
Williams added 23 points and Heyman 20, while Moe led the Buccaneers with 25 points. Jim Jarvis came off the Pittsburgh bench to score 18 while replacing a banged-up Chico Vaughn. Washington had 16 rebounds and Hawkins pulled down 12.
"I was confident we were going to win even when they had us down by 13 points at the half," Cazzetta said. "It was a terrific comeback the club made. I feel we will win the title Saturday night."
Looking at Game 7, Cazzetta explained, "We must do a job slowing down their backcourt pair — Larry Brown and Jimmy Jones. Whenever we stop Brown and Jones we usually win or make it real close. Of course, we will also have to keep Doug Moe and Red Robbins away from getting those easy shots."
Everybody expected to play. Hawkins was dealing with the consequences of a Branson elbow to the face as well as his knee, but treatment continued satisfactorily. For New Orleans, Moe was playing with a sore groin.
While the May 3 Post-Gazette concentrated on the upcoming game, the headline on the story in The Press was "Pipers Eye Finale, Lament Poor Gate." Rubin said he wasn't surprised at averaging between 2,800 and 3,000 during the regular season, but he was disappointed in his playoff average of 3,500. Alert readers will have noticed that only one announced playoff attendance, Game 2 of the finals, was above 3,500, and that the average to that point was actually 2,981.
"I just hope that somehow the people of Pittsburgh will say, 'Let's just go out and back them all the way in the last game,'" Cazzetta said. "The two teams are deserving of a full house."
And they got it. Long lines at the box office delayed the beginning of the game, but 11,547 made their way into the Igloo to watch the Pipers jump out to a lead and ride it to the first ABA title, 122-113. Williams' 21 first-half points led Pittsburgh to a 67-55 halftime lead; he finished with 35 points. The Pipers got the lead as high as 21 in the third quarter before the Buccaneers made their run. Brown led them as they closed to within five points with 3:12 left, but Pittsburgh made free throws down the stretch. As Hawkins dribbled out the clock, fans stormed the court.
Moe, who led New Orleans with 28 points, picked up a couple of technical fouls for arguing with 1:38 left. Robbins added 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Brown ended up with 18 points. Hawkins scored 20, along with 13 rebounds and nine assists. Washington pulled down 14 boards.
While the champagne poured in an emotional locker room, Cazzetta talked to the media in his office. "For three quarters, this was as good a team as you'll find anywhere. The passing was sharp, the dribbling, the shooting, the rebounding. Defensively, they were blocking out and everything was perfect.
"No team in the world can be great in all four periods. You're going to have a lapse. ... But give a lot of credit to New Orleans for never quitting."
The coach sang the praises of Charlie Williams. "I've said he's the best guard in the ABA. In a few years from now, he'll be the best small guard in pro basketball."
And the crowd: "Tonight the city of Pittsburgh supported us." Rubin's reaction was, "Wasn't this something?"
The celebration didn't last all that long. By Monday, the ABA draft had taken place and the players were in the process of returning home. The Pipers' first choice, Bill Hosket, ended up signing with the Knicks, and there were no other recognizable names on the list. And by Tuesday, there were no Pipers stories on the sports pages.
In the May 5 Press, Roy McHugh, who had talked to Rubin before Game 7, said that the owner had no offers to move. "If any develop," Rubin said, "I will give them consideration."
He added, "I've always heard that if you give Pittsburgh a winner they'll support you. I did that and ..."
Rubin tried unsuccessfully to find someone to buy the team's radio rights, let alone television. Eventually, he sold controlling interest to a Minnesota attorney, who moved the Pipers to Minnesota. (The Muskies had moved to Miami; they apparently couldn't leave the Twin Cities fast enough.) Cazzetta wanted a raise and moving expenses to go along with the team. Management refused, and so many bridges were burned that Cazzetta never coached again. He moved back to Connecticut and represented Converse, then Puma. He remained proud of his ABA championship until he died in 2005.
After a tumultous year in Minnesota, Rubin regained control of the Pipers and moved them back to Pittsburgh. Hawkins didn't come with them, though; the NBA settled his lawsuit and assigned him to the Phoenix Suns. The Hawkins-less team wasn't very good, and the Civic Arena was once again a sea of empty seats. The ABA improved as its teams signed NBA veterans and top rookies out of college, but Pittsburgh wasn't competitive. The league survived until four teams entered the NBA in 1976. The Pipers were sold and changed their name, but the Condors remained irrelevant until they were mercifully folded in 1972.
But, for at least one night in 1968, Pittsburgh was excited to have a basketball champion.
A 30-minute highlight video of the finals that someone recorded from the NBA Network is here.
(All quotes are from the original newspaper coverage.)
