The Pitt News The independent student newspaper of the University of | PIttnews.com | november 8, 2017 | Volume 108 | Issue 64

Courtesy of Heinz History

THE FORGOTTEN CHAMPIONS

The Pittsburgh Pipers were the ABA champions in 1968. Now, 50 years later, the players reflect on their time on the team — a footnote in Steel City sports history.

Grant Burgman Th ey won the league’s fi rst title in a seven-game series against the Th e summer of ‘68 would be the only one in Pittsburgh for the Staff Writer Buccaneers. Pipers before they moved to Minnesota when Minnesota-based Pittsburgh is oft en considered one of the premier sports cities For , one of the guards on the team, the seventh lawyer Bill Erickson purchased a majority share of the team. Th e in America — laden with a prosperous history of baseball, football and fi nal game against New Orleans stands out as a moment of Pipers replaced the , another one of the ABA’s and hockey championships. But the city was once home to a cham- hope and accomplishment. founding teams that failed because of lack of fan support. pionship team, too — a small blip in the timeline of Steel “I think the fi nal game in Pittsburgh was such a wonderful con- Th e team returned to Pittsburgh in 1969, but never found the City sports. clusion to the season to have the fans turn out like that and for us to same support or success. While they are oft en overlooked today, the Th e Pittsburgh Pipers were the inaugural champions of the win in such a dominant manner,” Vacendak said. “Th at last game ‘67-’68 Pipers were a seminal team in a league that would eventually American Basketball Association in 1967 — 50 years ago this year. stands out because it’s what we had been working for all season.” See Pipers on page 9

Artist’s Name POSITION Sports

with us. We just loved to play basketball.” Pipers, pg. 1 The first Dr. J Fans who did attend were treated to help change the way basketball is played. a show from one of the best teams in the During its first season in 1967, the league. The Pipers started the season ABA had 11 teams in several markets strong with a 24-12 record by the end of the NBA hadn’t reached yet. The teams December, thanks in large part to star included New Orleans, Houston, Denver player and head coach and in the Western Division, . and Minnesota, Indiana, New Jersey and Cazzetta only coached the Pipers in — of course — Pittsburgh in the Eastern that first season and was forced to leave Division. after a contract dispute led to his resig- The league was a new brand of bas- nation. He passed away in 2005 on the ketball in comparison to its counterpart 37th anniversary of the Pipers’ ABA in the NBA — which was established in title win. His players respected him and 1946 — defined by an exciting style of praised his ability as a coach. play. , who played center for “I don’t think Vince played the game, the Pipers during their championship but he understood the game,” Jarvis said. season, recalls the innovations the ABA “He had to have the ability to get across introduced — including its iconic red, what he wanted to have done and have white and blue colored ball. the players do it even though there was “It was easier to track [the ball],” a difference in personality on the team.” Harge said. “You didn’t have that big Two guards from that ‘67-’68 Pipers brown thing floating in the air. We had team, Arvesta Kelly and Steve Vacendak, more of a running game, a fun game. also remember Cazzetta as a great leader Our teams were running up and down and coach. the floor with this red, white and blue “He was a tremendous communica- ball and shooting the three pointer.” tor, and he knew the game,” Kelly said. The 3- shot was first introduced “He knew the Xs and Os of the game.” in the less successful American Basket- Vacendak said the coach’s experience ball League in 1961, and was forsaken in raising children “kind of helped him when the league dissolved in 1963. The in dealing with [the players].” ABA reintroduced the idea in 1967, “He was a great father, and I think along with the first dunk contest — two he had wonderful relationships with his ideas the NBA would eventually adopt. children and his entire family,” Vacendak In its inaugural season, the ABA said. “He had the gift of being able to drew a respectable total attendance communicate ... in a way that made you of 1,200,439 compared to the NBA’s accept it and want to execute it.” 2,935,879 the same year. Some ABA Just as the season was reaching its franchises, like the , aver- halfway point, the Pipers made sweeping aged had impressive turnouts. The Pip- changes to the roster, ending the season ers, though, weren’t exactly packing the with just four of the players who began with fans. it. But Hawkins, one of the best players , who played point guard for in the league, led the team through the the Pipers, remembers the unimpressive personnel mix-up. crowds the Pipers drew in the first sea- Hawkins led the ABA in scoring that son, but he says it never bothered him. first season, and is enshrined in the Bas- Connie Hawkins led the Pipers to their ABA championship in 1967. Courtesy “The crowds were not that big, but ketball Hall of Fame for his accomplish- of Wikimedia Commons we had a lot of good guys on that team,” ments in the ABA and later the NBA. He Jarvis said. “The crowd situation was not something I remember being a big issue See Pipers on page 10 pittnews.com November 8, 2017 9 against the Pipers. Pipers, pg. 9 “He gave me a little fake and he passed away this year on Oct. 6, but his went by me and he teammates have clear memories of his said something to game. the effect of ‘Well, “He was really the predecessor to to- I’m glad you didn’t day’s game with his physical abilities,” stay with us in Jarvis said. “He could run the floor, he Pittsburgh ‘cause could . He wasn’t a deep shooter, here I am on one but he could turn and face the basket.” leg and I went by Jarvis, Harge, Vacendak and Kelly all you,’” Harge said. remembered Hawkins the same way — “Did you see me as the best player they ever shared the that shot?” court with. The Pipers beat “He’s the top of the list,” Jarvis said. the Indiana Pac- “I always thought Connie was the ers and Minnesota best thing that happened, not to [dispar- Muskies in the age] or or any- Eastern Division body,” Harge said. playoffs to reach “Connie Hawkins was the first real the finals against Dr. J,” Vacendak said. the New Orleans “He’s definitely the best ball player Buccaneers. In the that I’ve ever played with,” Kelly said. finals, Pittsbur- The Heinz History Center has a display case dedicated to the championship Pipers squad. Kelly also remembers Hawkins’ ghers jumped on Aaron Schoen STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER struggles with a leg injury during the the bandwagon. second half of the ‘67-’68 season. “I remember “Connie was the one that really kind that we did have a of spearheaded everything. And I think pretty good crowd he was hurt, there was something wrong for that series,” I live. Art was always doing something.” Even with Heyman’s antics and with his leg, but he played and he said, Jarvis said. “I don’t know if they gave Heyman was famous for his eccen- Hawkins’ leg injury, the Pipers pulled ‘Come on, we got to win this,’” Kelly said. away tickets or what.” tricity. Jarvis, who roomed with him on through to win in game seven against If Hawkins was bothered by injuries, “Those last games that we played, the the road, recalled a habit Heyman had the Buccaneers, beating New Orleans it didn’t show. In the second half of the arena was packed,” Kelly added. after games. 122-113. Hawkins was the MVP of the season, the Pipers found momentum, According to Kelly, the final series “Art was the guy that constantly series. finishing with a 54-24 record. Hawkins against the Buccaneers was tension filled needed praise. After a game he’d come Forgotten legends averaged 30.9 points per game over the and — on one occasion — that tension back in the motel room late and wake me Pittsburgh hardly had a chance to last 30 games and won the first ever ABA led to a fight with a fan. up and say, ‘Gosh, what did you think celebrate the new champions — there MVP award. “We were going into the locker of that pass I made, wasn’t that a great were no parades, no rallies. The players Harge was one of the players who was room and one of the fans was heckling pass? Did you see me block that shot?’” left after game seven and most never re- traded during the midway point, end- ,” Kelly said. “Art Heyman Jarvis said. turned to the Steel City. ing up at the Oakland Oaks. That trade punched him and we had to get the po- “He’d call you up at two or three in “I think most of us left Pittsburgh meant he was forced to match-up against lice to give us an escort out of the sta- the morning, I’m saying ‘dude go to during the summer months and weren’t the 6-foot-8 star when the Oaks faced off dium. I will never forget that as long as bed,’” Kelly said. See Pipers on page 11

pittnews.com November 8, 2017 10 Pipers said. SGB whether it be positive or negative, the more , pg. 10 Vacendak agrees with Kelly. He thinks , pg. 3 we know how to do our jobs better.” back there, so soon as the season was the franchise even had potential to join “And we will continue to lobby for this Board member Ami Fall said she is over you loaded up your car and went the NBA through the eventual NBA/ cause in all of our meetings that we have up working on a proposal to make additions to across the country,” Jarvis said. ABA merger in 1976 if they had stayed in Harrisburg and with our local, federal and the student syllabus. Th is would include ex- By the start of the next season, the in Pittsburgh. state lawmakers,” Kneis said. tended information on sexual assault, men- Pittsburgh Pipers were the Minnesota “I don’t think there’s any question At the University level, Vice President tal health resources on and off campus and Pipers. The franchise never capitalized about it,” Vacendak said. and Chief of Finance Maddie Guido also a possible section on protocol for a death in on the success of its first year in Pitts- Instead, the Condors never even announced plans to bring back “SGB Up- the family. She also wanted to inform stu- burgh. made it to 1976. The ABA shut the team dates” — a UPTV segment fi lmed weekly or dents that professors are mandated reporters The Pipers weren’t able to draw any down in 1972 due to the lack of fan sup- biweekly where members of SGB can speak — people who have to report a crime. bigger crowds in Minnesota, and Erick- port. about projects or initiatives from the past “It’s a part of removing the stigma, talk- son and co-owner Gabe Rubin lost more It’s been 50 years now since the Pipers week, which was last aired during the 2015- ing about these issues and assuring that ev- than $250,000 on the team. Rubin decid- won that title, and all the City of Pitts- 2016 school year. ery student is given the opportunity to fi nd ed to move the team back to Pittsburgh burgh has to show for it is a small display “We represent the undergraduate student these resources and to reach out to them,” at the end of the ‘68-’69 season. By that at the Heinz History Center. Even the body of Pitt so I think it’s extremely impor- Fall said. “Assuring that students know that time, Hawkins was in the NBA and sup- Basketball Hall of Fame makes no men- tant that they understand what’s going on,” they’re not alone, in whatever they’re going port for the team had further died down. tion of the Pipers, Kelly noticed. Guido said. “If they have a problem with it, through and there are people here that really The team changed its name in an at- “The last time that I was at the Bas- if they have a suggestion ... we get their feed- care about them and are able to help them.” Allocations tempt to create a buzz around the team. ketball Hall of Fame, they didn’t even back and people get to stay informed of what By 1971 they were the Pittsburgh Con- have a picture or nothing about the Pip- we are doing as SGB.” Pitt Ballroom Club requested $836 for a dors, but the name change failed to at- ers and us winning the first champion- Guido said it’s important to get student competition expense. Th e board approved tract more interest. According to Kelly, ship of the ABA,” Kelly said. feedback from these updates, especially as in full. the move in 1968 may have been the Now, Kelly feels like the team he spent SGB makes an eff ort to be more transparent Pitt Archery requested $1,494 for their death knell for professional basketball in so long playing for has been left behind with the Pitt community this year. Indoor Nationals Event’s registration and Pittsburgh. by history. “I think the worst thing you can have is a lodging. Th e board approved in full. “We left and then we came back with- “It’s like we were the forgotten team,” he said, governing body, even just for undergraduate Pitt Racquetball Club requested $1,200 out Connie, and that was a big reason “I don’t understand that, when we were the fi rst students, that kind of keeps to themselves,” for a competition expense. Th e board ap- why the team did not succeed,” Kelly team to win the ABA championship.” Guido said. “Th e more feedback we can get, proved in full.

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