Decades ago, the following teams graced the courts of the NBA. Though their stardom is not much of a topic these days, their players would have been among the best baskeeters in the world. Which among these decommissioned NBA teams would you declare as the most appealing?
Anderson Packers
Formed and owned by brothers Ike W. and John B. Duffey, founders of meat packing company Duffey's Incorporated, this team did in fact, pack some basketball athletes that could have been the superstars of their generation. This team played in four leagues during its existence which didn’t last very long. In their first year, the packers played in the National League, a small rival to the NBL. They showed some great promise as they made it to the finals of 1949-50 season of the NBA.
Baltimore Bullets
As their code name suggests, this team has pierced for itself a reputation that’s hard to ignore among the inactive teams of NBA. During its active decade, it has garnered a set of winnings that both newbie and veteran teams would be very envious of. Out of all the defunct NBA teams, the Bullets were members of the association for the longest time and the only defunct team to win a championship.
Chicago Stags
Of course, everyone knows about the Bulls. But what most of today’s fanatics didn’t know about, is that during the very early days of NBA, there were the Stags – the 1st great basketball team from Chicago. During their short history, they were able to acquire the draft rights to a young Bob Cousy – one of the most talented players then. Despite their short existence in the BAA and NBA, the Stags made their way to the BAA finals in 1947, where they lost to the Philadelphia Warriors.
Cleveland Rebels
Before the Cavs of today attained their global notoriety, they had a group of predecessors who were rebels in their own right, and with a cause, of course. When The BAA (NBA’s former name) had its inauguration, the Rebels were among its first teams, showing the nation and the rest of the world the great glory that only basketball can bring. Cleveland would not have another team in what would become the NBA until the Cavaliers joined the league in 1970.
Indianapolis Olympians
This team was led by University of Kentucky alumni Alex Groza and Ralph Beard, both of whom were the greatest contributors of the gold-medal victory of the US Olympic basketball team circa 1948. Although this team was conceived as a replacement of the Jets, they compiled a set of records for themselves most notably the distinction of being the winning team in the longest game in NBA history. On January 6, 1951, they were the winners in a six-overtime game against the Rochester Royals.
Providence Steamrollers
Everyone that’s been through a great undertaking, physical or otherwise would need to have some divine providence in what they do so they can keep on doing what they do best. Coach Nat Hickey, did make himself as some sort of providence for his team - he activated himself as a player for one game just two days before his 46th birthday. His act still holds for him a still-standing record as the oldest player in NBA history.
Sheybogan Red Skins
The team has origins way back in 1933 within informal clubs sponsored by local businesses. By 1938, they joined the NBL, under a proper syndication and with a new name Red Skins. After winning their only NBL title, the Red Skins continued as one of the strongest teams in pro basketball and appeared in some championship series. Unfortunately, they were unable to meet the harsh business realities of professional basketball. They got dissolved and just vanished during the merger of the NBL into the NBA.
Toronto Huskies
It was 1948, and the NBA has just started to garner great fame across the world. One of the reasons why the league attained such fame is due to the existence of the Huskies. Today we have the Raptors, but it is a known fact that they are just the offspring of the first popular team from Toronto. As one of the pioneers of the NBA, the exploits of the Huskies were highly publicized and were often scrutinized by today’s younger teams as some sort of precious history material.
Washington Capitols
DC is known as the capital of the US, and they once tried to prove that the basketball team they assembled is the best in the country, if not the best in the world. Their hometown is where the most powerful official in the country resides, and they had no plans of disappointing the guy.True enough, they carved a great record in NBA. The Capitols achieved two long win streaks during their short history. In 1946, they won 17 successive games — a single season streak that remained the NBA's longest until 1969.
Detroit Falcons
The team played only in the inaugural season of the BAA and finished 4th in the Western Division with a 20–40 record. The team was decommissioned after just one season, leaving the Motor City without a professional basketball team until a decade later, when the Pistons moved there. But before the Pistons powered their engines and drove their way into the annals of basketball, there were the Falcons – their ancestors that soared to greatness within the NBA league many decades earlier.
Which among these teams would you like to come back into the league?
Nice one keep it up I love it