How The Buffalo Braves Were SCREWED From The Get-Go
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- In 1970, the NBA’s inexorable expansion efforts brought a franchise to Buffalo, the chilly, industrial city spitting distance from Canada. Even though NBA basketball had already flopped twice elsewhere in upstate New York, the league was undeterred.
In hindsight, though, it might’ve been a miscalculation.
The Buffalo Braves were beset by problems from the get-go, including a massive scheduling quagmire involving the city’s other beloved sports teams: the NHL’s Sabres and the Canisius College Golden Griffins basketball program. And despite the best efforts of future Hall-of-Famers like Bob McAdoo and Adrian Dantley, the Braves’ run in the NBA was ultimately a brief one, with the franchise up-and-leaving for California after only eight seasons in the Queen City.
Written & Narrated by: Jonah Birenbaum (@Birenball | X)
Produced & Edited by: James Balutan (@jamesbalutan | Instagram)
Filmed by: Zack Underhill (@ZackUnderhill | Instagram)
Thumbnail Design by: Justin Shipley (@shipleysportstudio | Instagram)
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#nba #buffalobraves
The Buffalo Braves are still falling apart. Just look at those Clippers!
It's like a curse that's never went away!🤦🏽♂🏀
They actually moved first to san diego and were the conquiatdors
Here's hoping the curse remains until they return to buffalo
@@mrbob8618 no, the Conquistadors were an ABA expansion team that played in San Diego after the Rockets moved to Houston and before the Braves moved to San Diego.
Doomed to having terrible ownership, forever.
Imagine they had Moses Malone, Bob McAdoo and Dantley on one roster. Such a shame that owner didn't let this team play.
They still had that ultimatum from the league anyway. They had to figure out their schedule better and they never could
Had Tiny Archibald too.
And Ernie DiGregorio eventually from Providence College. This Team definitely could've done much better with the Talent present in western New York. Very Cool Logo too.🤔😉🌬❄⛄🏀B.W.
The greatest athlete on the team was Randy Smith by far!
That still didn't relieve the big issue...they were behind Canisius College in scheduling priority (the Buffalo Sabres were first, inheriting that position from the AHL Bisons) and Canisius wanted key prime time slots.
Had a very difficult childhood. Found joy and serenity listening to Braves on the radio. Van Miller called basketball even better than he called football. Leaving broke my heart.
Wow didnt know he called the braves toi. He lived on Bathurst when i was a kid in tonawanda. Used to shovel his driveway lol
When Van called a Braves game on the radio, You could picture the game in your head! He was Professionally Descriptive! Mc Adoo with a 23 footer GOOD! Heard with an 17 footer at the Foul Line, Off the rim And In! Van told you the Distance of EVERY SHOT and you could Picture it in your head! Ernie D over the Time line Right Bounce pass to McMillian to McAdoo in the Corner 19 footer GOOD! Before the Braves, Van Called UB Football, Niagara University Basketball with Calvin Murphy. Buffalo Bisons Baseball, those games were interesting as some games that he could not travel, he did the Games Via TICKER TAPE from the Studio if the Games were in EX COLUMBUS, he would Complete the game in time for his WBEN TV 11 pm Sports Reports!! VAN WAS THE MAN❤️
My Auntie lives in Buffalo we loved the braved
@@mikeb5067 Channel 17 used to have auctions.
Once, one of the items to be auctioned was you could set next to Van Miller courtside and watch the game and be interviewed at half time ... my dad got it for me when I was 13!!!! I loved it.
The Braves killed the hapless Sixers and Van asked me who my favorite player was and I said "Bob McAdoo!"
As a 60 yr old lifelong WNY resident, always within 10/15 miles of Buffalo this video brings back memories of my late father and I constantly getting free tickets for Braves game . Even a Braves v Celtics playoff game . Thanks for the video.
David thompson
Did you ever sit in the Oranges?
@BillMorganChannel A guy I worked with for 33 years.Tried out for buffalo braves robert reece
Two things that were missed. Eddie Donovan was an alumnus of St. Bonaventure and coached there from 1953 until 1961. Star guard Randy Smith was an alumnus of Buffalo State, a rare lower division player making it in the NBA. So from the start, the Braves had hometown connections. Also, Smith was for a time the NBA's ironman.
Randy Smith was a tough player. I remember that Team well Bob McAdoo and Bob Kaufman. ABC carried the NBA at that time.
@tygrkhat4087: Weird connection to Buffalo State in Pop Culture as well. That was said to be the Alma Mater of "Public Defender Christine Sullivan" Played by the lovely and dearly departed Miss Markie Post on "Night Court!" And intriguingly enough Buffalo State's Teams are known as "The Bengals."🤔😉🎤👩⚖🐅💃🏈🏀🎭📺B.W.
Well Bob McAdoo and Randy Smith is a hell of a start...
I was in Buffalo for a Bills - Seahawks game shortly after the Sonics had left Seattle. The Buffalo fans were making fun of the Seattle fans for losing their NBA team! Those young people didn't know their own history!
Same thing at Cards game. And there were a couple of fans wearing Spirit of St.Louis jerseys too, as this was the year after Durant rookie year 🙄 misguided youth
😂 today’s young is are freakin clueless. I think phones are makin ‘em dumber !
@@spursdynasty7378 the irony here.
Bob MacAdo In A Word #Iconic
I had no idea, the Braves had Moses Malone, Adrian Dantley.
Their scouting Department was good, with Bob Mcadoo. If the Braves had proper ownership and management and with that coach, Buffalo might have a CHAMPIONSHIP BANER.
I saw the very last Braves game on the NBA on CBS. They played the Celtics in John "Hondo" Havlichek's last game.
Saw that game and the playoff game where McAdoo scored 44pts
Ernie D was on that Celtics team and fed Honda that whole game!
Bob McAdoo went on to be a key contributor to the Showtime Lakers
The "Doo" helped the Lakers win titles in 1982 and 1985, namely as a backup to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
There’s a schoolteacher in the Buffalo area named John Boutet
He has got a boatload of Braves memorabilia in his collection and ESPN even interviewed him few years ago with an article titled…
“Why a Buffalo teacher won't let go of long-departed Braves”
My pal John isn't the only one!
Dave Zinkoff was the lengendary PA announcer of the 76ers. When Garfield Heard scored he would say, “Heard of Buffalo”.
“33 year old entrepreneur” who looked like he was in his mid 50s.
Different times my friend. The 20s look like 30s, the mid 30s like 50s 😂
@@Gierapwhy is that you think ? Diet ?
@@pb3 I think it's cuz back then people mattured much younger. The fashion is also a factor.
And smoking too...
@@HHSGDFootballJPD Yeah, start smoking at 10yo gotta take some effect at 30s 😁
Two Rookie of the Years, a MVP of the league, a 3 time scoring champion, all while with the team, and 11 All Stars. Not bad for a team destined to fail.
Three ROY (McAdoo, DiGregorio, and Dantley..)
And one of the greatest coaches of all time
As a Laker/Clipper fan who born on the early 2000s, I always love the old school basketball especially in the 1970s. When you talk about the 1970s, you talk about the Tom Heinsohn’s Celtics, the Red Holzman’s Knicks, or Larry Costello’s Bucks. But, there’s a one team that I actually love for, and it was the Braves. For those Clipper fans out there who didn’t know about the history of the franchise, it was actually originated in Buffalo and the first superstar of the franchise was Bob McAdoo and I always love his playing style especially his jump shot. He considered as the greatest player in the history of the Brave/Clipper franchise and until now he’s still the greatest of the franchise despite they have Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and DeAndre Jordan during the 2010s. I feel sorry on what happened to Buffalo when they moved the team to San Diego, then in Los Angeles. I wished that they still have the NBA team in Buffalo but it is just a business. I think there is a now chance to have an NBA team in Buffalo again. At least, they have the Bills and the Sabres.
@@carljustinenuestro8771 And the Bisons of The International League. At least for awhile near as I know.🤔B.W.
We're not getting another NBA team in Buffalo anytime soon.
My Braves had good teams but usually seemed to play the evil Celtics in round one and lost 4 games to 2.
@@madbrowniac7871 Farm team of the putrid Senators!
I was born in 1989 in Buffalo, and have followed/played sports here my entire life and it's sad the braves are completely forgotten. With how bad the Sabres have been it would've been great if we still had a NBA team during the Bills off-season. I only learned about the Braves because I played football with Snyders Grandson growing up.
If the Braves could have lasted a couple more seasons, we would have had a team during the Magic-Bird era. When the Braves left town, the NBA was in a malaise itself; drug problems were rampant, and TV ratings were so bad, championship games were shown on tape delay after the local 11PM news.
You were born in 89 10 years after the team left
Best series on UA-cam right now.
HAH! 😮
Portland bypassed Bob McAdoo, Michael Jordan & Kevin Durant in the draft... my goodness.
Sam Bowie Lives!
Destined for mediocrity.
Plus, Larry Bird and the 78 draft no one talks about.
Charles Barkley as well.
Jack was. An awesome
I remember listening to the Braves games on the radio in 1970-1. That first season was really tough, thank gosh for the Cavs that year.
My dad used to go to those Braves games at Maple Leaf Garden! He had fond memories of watching McAdoo!
Sad that Buffalo's NBA team was never given a fair chance to succeed.
Buffalo sports fans have demonstrated their dedication by giving enough support to
an NHL team, an NFL team and a Triple-A baseball team.
Very impressive for a city with a population of under 1.2 million people in the greater metroplitan area.
Would be nice if Buffalo could get at least some NBA games but both the Raptors and the Cavaliers have excellent attendance in their home arenas and aren't going to want to move any of their home games to Buffalo.
In fact every NBA team has at least good attendance at their home arenas and won't want to play any home games away from their home arenas.
I wish that the NBA would be back in Buffalo, NY one day
Living in the Buffalo area, that would be very cool, indeed. Unfortunately, the NBA is a corporatocracy and money, stadium luxury boxes/suites, and media ratings drives the game.
Buffalo is a 1980s Ross ten-speed in an era of EV bikes.
Heck, I wouldn't mind getting the Raptors to play a game against the Clippers in Buffalo, with the Clips wearing Braves throwbacks. They could raise a banner remembering the team.
@@tygrkhat4087 You’re right! Maybe the Raptors relocate to Buffalo, NY
@@tygrkhat4087 Now THAT would be sweet!
Bringing an NBA team back to Buffalo would be great
They became the clippers 😂
Please do a video on the Hartford Whalers!
That team needs to come back! One of the Best Jerseys in all of sports history!!
How about the cleaveland barons/ Colorado Rockies. Who are now in New Jersey
Hmmmmm, I hear that city Hartford is a cesspool of crime & unemployment
Dont think the NHL would ever go back there
@@daveyboy_I think it has to do with the fact that CT can't support a fifth hockey team with all of the Rangers, Bruins, and Devils fans in the state.
@@daveyboy_Sounds a lot like the Islanders out in Long Island.
I remember watching Buffalo as a kid with Bob McAdoo, Randy Smith, Ernie D, & John Shumate them and the Celtics use to go at it in the playoffs.
@@joemagwood9130 Forgot about John Shumate! He was practically All World at Notre Dame. Adrian Dantley's Alma Mater as well.🤔👨🎓☘🏀B.W.
@@madbrowniac7871John Shumate beat Lewis Alcindor and broke the Bruins winning streak at 88 games
@@joemagwood9130 It was a Dick Enberg TVS Classic! John Shumate IIRC had two Teammates named Austin Carr and Gary Brokaw who both ended up as Cleveland Cavs in The NBA. As did Garfield Heard.☘🏀🐻B.W.
Walton not Alcindor
They had Ernie D’s college teammate, Marvin Barnes, as well.
I remember when the clippers dropped the braves throwback it was lit
I love the historical restrospectives. So much material for beloved and historic teams of now midsized cities. Hartford Whalers/ Quebec Nordiques (NHL) and the Rochester Royals, now the Sacramento Kings of the NBA.
I wish they’d bring my city team back 😢
I was too young to have enjoyed the Braves in Buffalo. I did see the Lakers play the New Jersey Nets at the Aud in Buffalo for an exhibition game in 1988. The Braves management certainly had a good eye for talent. Buffalo is a small market whose fanbase punches above its weight. It's great to see the Bills live now that they are winning again.
And that why the Clippers are cursed
Yep, they are still cursed. The only way to get rid of the curse would be to play some games in Buffalo.
@@jameslaubacker3467 Nobody would care in Buffalo, just like nobody goes to Sabres games. Buffalo is strictly Bills Country.
Let’s get this channel to 200k 🏆
Jonah, you've got the nerdy geeky baseball commentator voice down perfectly. Pursue what you're meant for!
Loving the topics of choice guys. Continuation of one helluva run
I hope Buffalo back someday
The Houston Rockets was not an expansion team, the San Diego Rockets relocated. Only 3 teams were part of the expansion that year.
No it was supposed to be four. Mentions at 3:25 Houston's expansion team folded operations due to financial fees.
That opened the door for San Diego to come there in 1971 instead
Braves broke my heart as a 12 year boy when they moved West. Man...Bob McAdoo and Randy Smith. Having to share the Aud with the Sabres was a big problem for their NBA schedule.
I know the Clippers just redesigned their logo and such and this won’t happen, but this Buffalonian would love it if they came back home. Adam Silver, I know you’re thinking about league expansion, don’t let me down!
Have you seen their new $2B arena? They're not going anywhere.
@@darryljorden9177 Oh yeah that got made too. Yep they ain't leaving anytime soon
Its hard to believe Canisius had bidding rights over an NBA team. I really wish that Buffalo had an NBA team today. My kids would live going to games.
They were really good back in the day. They had multiple NCAA and NIT tourney appearances and a few NBA players. Wild to think about considering they play in a 2,000-seat arena nowadays that doesn't even have a video board and one cheap concession stand - think of a high school gym.
College could have played at the kessler
THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE WAS THE BEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE AND PRO FOOTBALL IN GENERAL.
Great video!
Our only consolation is that the Clippers remain under a franchise curse that can only be voided by a Super Bowl or Stanley Cup victory
I had no idea the Buffalo Braves had scheduling issues. The Sabres and Canisius men's hoops wouldn't move off their preferred weekend dates, so that left the Braves in a tough spot. I had no idea that was why the Braves had to play some games in Toronto.
I didn’t know that either. Total BS they couldn’t get their schedule better!
Maybe that's the reasons the Sabres are jinxed. You would think a college team would give up their night in the Aud and just play at home. Losers.
@@ronintsukebin9163 The Aud was much bigger than Canisus' arena, so maybe the program outgrew it and had to use the Aud due to ticket demand. This is why the Seattle Redhawks' men's hoops team plays some games at Climate Pledge Arena instead of their tiny on-campus arena.
And notice how sweet those uniforms were. Switching from their original orange and black to those sweet Columbia blue and white ones.
I honestly never knew this team existed 😂. I love these type videos on defunct teams, keep it up!
Living in the Buffalo area, I remember the Braves very well. They left when I was in third grade. I remember being pretty bummed out about it. I started following the Cavaliers afterwards.
It’s a great sports city! And they support their teams. Paul Synder was bad. But, it was more Canisius College AD not helping. Now Canisius does not even use the arena. They don’t have the draw of fans anymore. And UB is the big time basketball program in the area.
This was excellent! Brought back a lot of memories as a kid growing up watching Bob McAdoo, Randy Smith and Ernie D running and gunning. They were an explosive team, just couldn’t get over the more established teams, but boy were they fun to watch.😊
When people say that sports fans are really just cheering for logos, they're just objectively wrong. Teams accumulate personalities over the passage of time. The Clippers have been consistently hapless, sad-sack types from the start. Through two location changes, ownership changes, etc, it's remarkable how they're always these hapless, unlucky types.
Those are things casuals say man. They def carry distinct ambiance, energy, and traditions/superstitions. Generally the best franchises have a distinct playstyle too (e.g. Steelers, Barcelona)
@@Sticktothemodels Yep. Two championship eras of Pistons were distinctly defensive specialists with four scoring options on the court and one all-defense super specialist. Golden State, whether in Philly or the Bay, had all their glory based around generational game changing scorers (Wilt/Barry/Run TMC/Death Lineup). Multiple generations of Buffalo Bills had unfathomable and eerily similar losses, multiple generations of Trail Blazer GMs took a center over a transcendent player in the draft, the Spurs are always the workhorse franchise. The Celtics have traditionally succeeded when they have position players who play like they're something else. Russell ran the fast break, Bird as the first small forward that the offense ran through, Pierce's total command of the half-court, and now Tatum, the forward with a guard's command of the game. Uncanny!
There are exceptions. The Chicago Bulls are probably the team that had the most success without any real team identity, unless you consider their uncanny injury bad luck to be the team's culture. Hapless, directionless team where every potential superstar is struck down by an injury, JORDAN HAPPENS, hapless, directionless team where every potential superstar is struck down by an injury.
Just found your channel. I knew very little of the Braves but really enjoyed your story telling. Can't wait to watch more of your shows. Bob McAdoo was such an amazing player and a class act still today.
Early childhood memory was seeing the Braves at MLG with my hoops crazy, late Pops. Salute to all involved with this and the other pieces. OUTSTANDING WORK Y'ALL !
True. The NBA actually only had three expansion teams in 1970. Not 4. Today's Houston franchise was an existing franchise that moved from San Diego the next year. 1971
The demise of the braves was caused by bad owners.
The only way around this was really a new arena. However, Buffalo is not big enough to support two major arenas (it's currently the smallest NHL and NFL market and the only NHL market in the USA not a top 50 media market---and one of 2 in the NFL), meaning the Braves would have had to build the arena themselves to replace the Aud. Arenas built around that time ended up aging badly, and you'd likely still need to have built the KeyBank Arena.
title should be the franchise buffalo braves/la clippers were screwed from the get-go. there were signs of contention with mcadoo cp3 and pg/kawhi yet they are still failing. bad ownership with brown, sterling.
Keep these series going!
0:45. That is the voice of the legendary Van Miller, who would be the play by play man for the Buffalo Bills during the Kelly, Reed, Thomas, Smith years.
He was the Braves PxP guy. WBEN had the Braves. WKBW had the Bills and WGR had the Sabres
I was so mad when they did the Braves dirty. I still miss them.
The Braves simply were the third team on the "totem pole" when it came to playing at the old Buffalo Memorial Auditorium (The "Aud"). The NHL Sabres had the first choice of playing dates, followed by Canisius College Basketball, and whatever was left over went to the Braves. The Braves did well during their earlier years and sold out many games but then new ownership was bound and determined to move the team and once the number of season ticket holders fell they had the green light to move and did
13:40: I think the league shares some responsibility for this in not foreseeing the venue situation before they decided to expand to Buffalo. Things were different back then all leagues expanded into cities and took on owners without doing sufficient due diligence, setting teams and owners up to fail. There were NUMEROUS expansion failures all over the sports landscape in the 1970s, 80s and even going into the 2000s.
I remember them.Great battles against the Celtics
I loved t he color of their uniforms.
As a Canisius student, never knew we had such an impact on a pro basketball team in Buffalo. We're a small school so it never seemed like it could be an issue
I see BTV (Basketball TV) . A popular channel in the Philippines with pure basketball content .
Kumusta!! From the US👊🏾🏀
Wow... imagine Moses, Mac, and Dantley as your front court. That would have been one for the ages!!
Mannnn they got rid of McAdoo & Mosses down near at the sametime!!!!…they took a huge L on that!!!
As a lifelong, diehard Celtic fan I can say I feared the Braves, They were tough in the two playoff series they lost to the Celts.
FINALLY! I’ve been writing about this in any Buffalo Braves upload there has been on UA-cam. How badly Buffalo got screwed and scammed. You can up and move a team in the NBA - that’s fine, but to literally trade franchises in some loophole to do so was the messed up part. I’m glad this is being told 🙏🏻
Was a single digit kid when Buffalo was competing. At that age I had NO idea about the arena problems and that an owner would intentionally screw up his team.
To this day… it still hurts this Buffalo ‘kid’ how this was all allowed to happen to the Braves…
John F’in Gianelli…😢
Still despise the Clippers to this day…
I remember going to Braves games as a kid. Thanks so much for this comprehensive explanation of what happened to them. I learned some new things from this video. Thanks!
John Y. Brown didn't care about basketball or the fans. He cared only about his horses, politics, money, and the bright lights of big cities. Buffalo? A podunk town as far as Brown was concerned.
The trailblazers have a long history of missing in the draft, they passed on Michael Jordan, and they wanted Greg Oden.
They at least have 1977
Oden was a monster at OSU, most fun I ever had watching Buckeyes basketball.
Shame his knees ended up being made out of eggshells.
How The Buffalo Braves Were Cursed From The Get-Go
Good job on this video. In the near future, I hope you can make similar videos for these past NBA teams: San Diego Rockets, St. Louis Hawks, Rochester Royals, Syracuse Nationals.
The Houston Rockets were not an expansion team in 1970. They were originally the San Diego Rockets, an expansion team formed 1967 that moved to Houston in 1971.
So San Diego had 2 chances at NBA team: Rockets, then Clippers. I am doubftul that the city will get a 3rd chance.
I loved watching this team play. So many of my favorite players. Back then I would get Street and Smiths magazines and follow these guys from high school. Great memories
I remember routing for the Buffalo Braves growing up as a young child.Bob MacAdoo was my favoeite player.It's unfortunate that they left for San Diego.
My dad always said Buffalo Braves was tragic because they were the best team Buffalo Ever had.
I was just visiting San Diego this past week, & what stood out was the sheer amount of Padres support & fans. It’s a shame that The Chargers & Clippers are just sitting there as secondary teams in a “larger” market, when just a couple hours Southeast in SD these teams would worshiped!
If that was the case, then a move would never have happened.
@@russellguercio3904 have you ever read about why Clippers moved to LA? (PS it has everything to do with Donald Sterling).
Your guys' basketball videos are awesome
This was good stuff. Lively commentary, without hype. Accurate? You'd better believe it. I'm going to subscribe on the basis of this video alone, then see what else the channel has to offer. Thanks!
Loved the Braves as a kid. Went to Ernie D basketball camp one summer. Randy Smith local legend lived in my neighborhood. Cried as a kid when they left. They had a good run just before leaving town.
Great video
How the LA Clippers became the Bizzaro Toronto Raptors. Started just south of Toronto. “Not Like Us” Clippers New Theme song
John Y Brown.....greedy man .....who ruined the franchise
John Y almost drove the Celtics into the ground until Red Auerbach threatened to leave and join the Knicks.
Mr. Phyllis George.
Tells you how far down the totem pole the NBA was, when a small college team has arena priority over an NBA franchise.
You could watch the Braves on a Tuesday night for $2.50 in the orange seats of the Aud.
Hard to believe that Larry Bird almost became one had that trade not happened.
I can remember going to a few of the braves playoff games when I was a kid with my father and some of his friend's
During the time when both the Sabres and Braves were co-tenants of the Buffalo Auditorium, it would have been absolutely IMPOSSIBLE for the Sabres to play at home EVERY Sunday during the NHL season. There had to have been some Sundays when the Sabres were either on the road, or had a night off. Therefore, it is most likely that the owner of the Auditorium loathed the Braves.
Bob macadoo was their best player loved when he came to the Knicks scoring machine
Capacity 16,430 hockey 18,000 for basketball. I was a season ticket holder for 7 years for hockey and if you add in standing room tickets adds about 600 more. far cry from 10,000. it was renovated in 1970-71 completed by 73-74. In 1940 12,280 hockey and apx 15,000 for basketball. The Roof was raised to add a upper section.
And New Orleans would lose the Jazz to Salt Lake City, the next year. New Orleans had attendance records due to playing in the Superdome, but the Dome was horrible for basketball.
I know nothing about them. I'm a Buffalonian, tho so I greatly appreciate content
I’ve been lucky with my MLB and NFL teams (Chicago Cubs & New England Patriots), but I was unlucky with my NBA and NHL teams (the Buffalo Braves & Hartford Whalers).
Imagine this lineup, Bob McAdoo, Ernie DiGregorio, Randy Smith, Moses Malone, Bob Kauffman, Adrian Dantley, Gar Heard, Jim McMillian, John Shumate and Elmore Smith.
McAdoo played college ball at North Carolina, not USC‽
"UNC," my guy
It was cold AF in Buffalo but I remember Bob Macadoo lightin it up. 😂 He was a baller........
I still miss the Buffalo braves sad
We were in 6th grade and did a halftime show for the Braves/Celtics game in 1976. Have to pics to prove it.
I still remember watching the last walls of The Aud fall in like 2009.
“Get the funk outta ma face. Get..the..funk..out of ma face.”
Eddie Donovan helped build the New York Knicks into a championship caliber team before heading off to Buffalo. When Donovan became the GM for the Braves, Knick coach Red Holzman doubled as GM. The Knicks had some pretty bad draft choices during that time.
Just a small detail in the historical context of Buffalo getting an NBA team. Comparatively Buffalo was actually a pretty large metro in 1970 with a population of 1.3 million. Compared against the other teams in that same expansion it was similarly sized: Cleveland 2.4M, Houston 1.9M, and Portland 1M