1967–68 Pittsburgh Pipers season

June 2015 August 2023 Pittsburgh Pipers ABA 1968 yes yes 54 24 1st Vince Cazzetta Pittsburgh Civic Arena WEEP Won ABA Championship 1 Minnesota Pipers The 1967–68 Pittsburgh Pipers season was the very first season of the ABA and the team alike. The Pipers finished first in the Eastern Division and won their first and only ABA title.http://www.remembertheaba.com/Pittsburgh-Condors.html Remember the ABA: Pittsburgh Condors 2013-01-02 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20130428061104/http://www.remembertheaba.com/Pittsburgh-Condors.html 2013-04-28 In the Eastern Division semifinals, the Pipers swept the Indiana Pacers in three games. In the Eastern Division Finals, the Pipers eliminated the Minnesota Muskies, in five games. The Western Division champion New Orleans Buccaneers appeared in the ABA Championships for the first time and were defeated by the Pipers in seven games. The Pipers would soon move to Minnesota for the next season, only to return a year later. Plaguing injuries nagged the team and bad ownership problems following a future rebranding into the Pittsburgh Condors for the rest of their brief tenure in Pittsburgh, as they would disband in 1972, only four years after winning the title. The Pipers hold a legacy as the first ABA champion along with Pittsburgh's only professional basketball champion. Roster Pittsburgh Pipers 1967–68 #0047AB #FFFFFF #F87217 #FFFFFF 13 Craig Dill C 6 11 215 December 17, 1944 Michigan 20 Cal Graham G 6 2 195 June 7, 1944 Gannon University 30 Ira Harge C 6 9 225 March 14, 1941 New Mexico 42 Connie Hawkins C 6 8 210 July 17, 1942 Iowa 12 Art Heyman SF 6 5 205 June 24, 1941 Duke 12 Bob Hogsett F 6 7 230 January 29, 1941 Tennessee 20 Jim Jarvis PG 6 1 175 March 3, 1943 Oregon State 14 Arvesta Kelly G 6 2 175 November 20, 1945 Lincoln University (Missouri) 40 Tom Kerwin F 6 7 210 July 19, 1944 Centenary College of Louisiana 25 Barry Leibowitz SG 6 2 180 September 10, 1945 Long Island University 22 Bill Meyer basketball G 6 3 195 August 30, 1943 Hiram College 45, 50 Rich Parks SF 6 7 235 October 28, 1943 Saint Louis 30 Willie Porter basketball PF 6 7 205 July 3, 1941 Tennessee State John Postley F 6 5 220 May 30, 1940 Bethune-Cookman College 45 Herschell Turner PG 6 2 195 March 29, 1938 Nebraska 22 Steve Vacendak PG 6 1 185 August 15, 1944 Duke 10 Chico Vaughn SG 6 2 190 February 19, 1940 Southern Illinois 32 Trooper Washington PF 6 7 215 April 21, 1944 Cheyney (PA) 14 Dexter Westbrook F 6 8 190 1943 Providence 44 Charlie Williams basketball PG 6 0 165 September 5, 1943 Seattle University 24 Leroy Wright PF 6 9 215 May 6, 1938 University of the Pacific Vince Cazzetta https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PTP/1968.html<noinclude> Season standings + Team W L PCT. GB Pittsburgh Pipers * 54 24 .692 — Minnesota Muskies * 50 28 .641 4 Indiana Pacers * 38 40 .487 16 Kentucky Colonels * 36 42 .462 18 New Jersey Americans 36 42 .462 18 ABA Playoffs ABA Eastern Division Semifinalshttp://www.remembertheaba.com/PlayoffPages/1968Playoffs.html 1967-68 ABA Regular Season Standings Remembertheaba.com 2015-06-18 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20101129164930/http://remembertheaba.com/PlayoffPages/1968Playoffs.html 2010-11-29 Game Date Location Score Record Attendance 1 March 25 Pittsburgh 146–127 1–0 2,189 2 March 26 Indiana 121–108 2–03,684 3 March 27 Pittsburgh 133–114 3–03,141 Pipers win series, 3–0 ABA Division Finals Game Date Location Score Record Attendance 1 April 4 Pittsburgh 125–117 1–0 3,159 2 April 6 Pittsburgh 123–137 1–1 2,123 3 April 10 Minnesota 107–99 2–1 8,357 4 April 13 Minnesota 117–108 3–1 3,787 5 April 14 Pittsburgh 114–105 4–1 3,350 Pipers win series, 4–1 ABA Finals Game Date Location Score Record Attendance 1 April 18 Pittsburgh 120–112 1–0 2,665 2 April 20 Pittsburgh 100–109 1–1 3,877 3 April 24 New Orleans 101–109 1–2 6,300 4 April 25 New Orleans 106–105 (OT) 2–2 7,000 5 April 27 Pittsburgh 108–111 2–3 3,347 6 May 1 New Orleans 118–112 3–3 7,200 7 May 4 Pittsburgh 122–113 4–3 11,457 Pipers win championship series, 4–3 In six out of the 15 playoff games he played, Connie Hawkins was the lead scorer. As such, he was named Playoffs MVP. Hawkins would be elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. As it turned out, this would be his only championship. Awards, records, and honors 1968 ABA All-Star Game Connie Hawkins Chico Vaughn Most Valuable Player Connie Hawkins References Pittsburgh Category:Pittsburgh Condors seasons Category:American Basketball Association championship seasons Pittsburgh Pipers Pittsburgh Pipers