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1972–73 Memphis Tams season

The 1972–73 Memphis Tams season was the 1st season of the Tams and 3rd overall season of American Basketball Association basketball in Memphis. After two seasons as the Memphis Pros with middling profits, Charles O. Finley bought the team on June 13, 1972. He proceeded to rebrand the team like his other teams that he had owned (the Oakland Athletics and the Oakland Seals), changing the colors of the team to Kelly Green, California Gold, and Polar Bear White. The team's name was picked from an array of 20,000 postcards sent by fans, with the winner being given a $2,500 prize, which turned out to be Tams. Tams was meant to stand for the fans that resided in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi, with a tam-o-shanter hat being the main logo. In fact during the first ever game on October 12, 1972, the entire team came out wearing the hats. Finley also had a hand in the combinations of uniform colors worn, in part due to there every top and trunk being either green, gold, or white, with one notable combo being yellow tops with white trunks. For all of the flair the team had with uniforms, it did not translate into success on the court nor for attendance. By December, Finley tried to have negotiations to move the team to St. Paul, Minnesota, and Ron Franz was cut before Christmas. The Tams were 6th in points scored at 111.5 per game but were dead last in points allowed at 118.1 per game. They had two instances of 10 game losing streaks, with the Tams going a month between wins, losing 15 straight games from February 25 to March 24. By the time the streak ended, they had been eliminated from making the playoffs. They were the first team to lose 60 games since the Miami Floridians in 1969.[1]

Roster

1972–73 Memphis Tams roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
SG Darel Carrier 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) October 26, 1940 Western Kentucky
PF 40 Sam Cash 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 230 lb (104 kg) November 13, 1950 UC Riverside
SF Bill Chamberlain 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 188 lb (85 kg) December 16, 1949 North Carolina
PF 34 Lee Davis 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) October 11, 1945 North Carolina Central
SG 20 Mike Davis 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 183 lb (83 kg) July 26, 1946 Virginia Union
PF 35 Warren Davis 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 212 lb (96 kg) 1943-06-30 North Carolina A&T
C 32 Randy Denton 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) February 18, 1949 Duke
SF 30 Bob Ford 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 228 lb (103 kg) January 26, 1950 Purdue
SF 15 Ron Franz 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 205 lb (93 kg) October 20, 1945 Kansas
PF 30 Les Hunter 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) August 16, 1942 Loyola Chicago
PG 24 Mervin Jackson 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) August 15, 1946 Utah
PF 11 Wil Jones 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) February 27, 1947 Albany State
SG 20 Loyd King 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) May 29, 1949 Virginia Tech
SF 33 Wendell Ladner 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1948-10-06 Southern Miss
PF 22 Dave Lattin 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 225 lb (102 kg) December 23, 1943 UTEP
SG George Lehmann 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) May 1, 1941 Campbell
SG 14 Johnny Neumann 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) September 11, 1951 Mississippi
C 12 Luther Rackley 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 228 lb (103 kg) June 11, 1946 Xavier
PG 23 George Thompson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) November 29, 1947 Marquette
PG 10 Charlie Williams 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 165 lb (75 kg) September 5, 1943 Seattle
SG 10 Isaiah Wilson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) May 31, 1948 Baltimore
Head coach
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster

Final standings

Eastern Division

Team W L % GB
Carolina Cougars 57 27 .679 -
Kentucky Colonels 56 28 .667 1
Virginia Squires 42 42 .500 15
New York Nets 30 54 .357 27
Memphis Tams 24 60 .286 33

Awards and honors

1973 ABA All-Star Game selection (game played on February 6, 1973)

References

  1. ^ "1972-73 Memphis Tams Roster and Stats".