When pro basketball came to Fayette County
Submitted photo
Mike Lewis was a member of the Pittsburgh Condors鈥� ABA team which played two games in Fayette County in 1972.
Submitted photo
George Thompson was a member of the Pittsburgh Condors鈥� ABA team which played two games in Fayette County in 1972.
It is a little known footnote in Fayette County sports history, but back in the day in 1972 the American Basketball Association鈥檚 Pittsburgh Condors played two regular season games in Fayette County high school gymnasiums.
Pittsburgh was a charter member of the old ABA during the 1966-67 campaign. The Pittsburgh Pipers captured the first ABA championship led by Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins. The Pipers, despite having a very good team, did not fill the stands with fans, and that prompted owner Gabe Rubin to move the team after just one year in Pittsburgh to Minneapolis, Minnesota (where another inaugural ABA team, the Minnesota Muskies, had already failed due to lack of fan support).
The Pipers鈥� move to Minnesota was a disaster. After spending only one season in Minnesota, team owner Rubin made another strange decision 鈥� he moved the team back to Pittsburgh and they were a box office failure. Hawkins had departed to the NBA. That left the Pipers with little talent.
It seemed almost certain that the Pipers would move once again, but the ABA decided to remain in Pittsburgh. Rubin sold the team to a new corporate owner, Haven Industries, Inc. 鈥� the owner of the 鈥淛ack Frost鈥� brand of sugar products. While Haven Industries was headquartered in New York City, it still decided to keep the team in Pittsburgh.
Haven Industries got rid of the Pipers nickname. The team held a 鈥渘ame the team鈥� contest, open to the general public. The name 鈥淧ioneers鈥� was selected as the winning entry, and the man who submitted the name won a $500 cash prize.
But that went off the rails quickly. Point Park College was already using the 鈥淧ioneers鈥� nickname. The school threatened immediate legal action against the ABA club if the 鈥淧ioneers鈥� name was not dropped. At the same time, a female contestant sued the team, claiming that the winning 鈥淧ioneers鈥� entry did not stay within the designated 25-word contest limit.
As the story goes, GM Marty Blake decided to select a nickname that nobody could have possibly selected and the team became the Pittsburgh Condors. To jump start interest, Blake decided to give away all available tickets to Pittsburgh鈥檚 Nov. 17, 1970, home game against the Floridians. With every seat in the 13,000 seat Civic Arena given away for free (only 8,074 fans actually showed up to watch the game) the Condors lost the game, 122-116.
Haven Industries trustee Donald J. Bezahler condemned the free ticket night as 鈥渁n act of desperation鈥� and relieved Blake of his GM position. Mark Binstein took over as GM after Blake鈥檚 departure from the team but the Condors continued to flounder. During the 1971-72 season GM Binstein suddenly fired coach Jack McMahon. Binstein named himself as McMahon鈥檚 replacement. Binstein had no previous pro coaching experience, although he had played some college basketball at West Point.
Attendance was almost non-existent and that鈥檚 when the team decided to play some games at local high school gyms and in places like Birmingham, Alabama, and Tucson, Arizona.
John Brisker was the big gun on those Condor teams, but they had some other talent like former Marquette All-American George Thompson and former Duke All-American Mike Lewis.
鈥淚t was a different situation,鈥� Thompson recalled. 鈥淢ark Binstein took over running things and he thought he could coach, so he took over coaching duties at one point, and he didn鈥檛 have one clue about coaching. Binstein had an ego that was big as all outdoors. He thought he knew the pro basketball game as well as anybody and in the end he should have just stayed at in the front office and got a professional coach to run the thing, but I guess the budget was tight.
鈥淲e had talent, but everything about the organization at that time screamed loser. Had we had different circumstances I鈥檓 sure we would have had a better team.鈥�
鈥淭hey were on a shoestring budget to say the least,鈥� Lewis remembered. 鈥淲e were all pretty sure that we weren鈥檛 going to be playing in Pittsburgh the following year and probably not for that franchise. We knew what was going to happen, it was in bad shape for a lot of reasons, they mismanaged it and plus they they wouldn鈥檛 put any money into it.
鈥淣ow there was some talent, but when you don鈥檛 have any leadership at the coaching position and you can鈥檛 encourage people to play together because that鈥檚 when you are going to be successful it doesn鈥檛 matter how much talent you have. Everybody started going for themselves at the end and you are not going to be successful in basketball if you do that.鈥�
On Feb. 9, 1972, the Condors faced the Utah Stars at Uniontown High School鈥檚 gym. They drew a sellout crowd of 1,790 fans, which was one of the better crowds the Condors drew all season. The Stars beat the Condors 154-131. Thompson paced the Condors with 33 points and Lewis had 11. The Stars were led by Willie Wise with 36 points.
鈥淚t is amazing that we played games in high school gyms,鈥� Thompson marveled. 鈥淭hat should tell you something and as long as the checks didn鈥檛 bounce I鈥檇 play where ever they wanted me to play.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 pathetic isn鈥檛 it,鈥� Lewis laughed. 鈥淥bviously we played our usual great defense giving up 154. That鈥檚 a bunch even in a pro game. Utah was a really good team and well coached and they were a strong franchise.鈥�
On March 14, 1972, the Condors played the Virginia Squires at Connellsville High School. Virginia, led by rookie Julius Erving with 33 points, downed the Condors 156-133. Lewis had 23 points for Pittsburgh and Thompson added 17. The game only drew 500 fans.
鈥淭hat was still a good crowd for us,鈥� Lewis stated. 鈥淰irginia didn鈥檛 want to be outdone by Utah. We helped everybody from that standpoint, everybody padded their scoring average when the played against us.鈥�
The Condors limped to a 25-59 record in 1971-72. They had seen enough and folded the franchise and held a special dispersal draft for those Condors players who were still under contract. George Thompson went to the Memphis Tams (another 鈥渄ifficult鈥� location), Mike Lewis went to the Carolina Cougars, Skeeter Swift went to the Dallas Chaparrals, and Walt Szczerbiak went to the Kentucky Colonels. John Brisker finally decided to test the NBA. He signed a new contract with the Seattle SuperSonics.
鈥淚 did not enjoy playing in Pittsburgh,鈥� Thompson offered. 鈥淧ittsburgh is a great city, but as far as basketball was concerned there was very little interest in the team and I believe that affected the whole organization and I just didn鈥檛 enjoy it and I was happy when they folded. They took me first in the draft of eligible players after they folded and I ended up in Memphis.
鈥淭hat team was owned by Charlie Finley and that guy was certifiably crazy.鈥�
Thompson eventually played with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1974-75.
鈥淚 played with Milwaukee,鈥� Thompson said. 鈥淭he difference between the Bucks and the teams I had played for was like night and day.鈥�
It鈥檚 only a fleeting memory when the ABA came to Fayette County. The Pittsburgh Condors faded into history.
George Von Benko鈥檚 鈥淢emory Lane鈥� column appears in the Sunday editions of the 缅北禁地. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.