Anaheim Amigos facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anaheim Amigos Los Angeles Stars Utah Stars
Conference	None
Division	Western Division
Founded	1967
History	Anaheim Amigos 1967–1968 Los Angeles Stars 1968–1970 Utah Stars 1970–1976
Arena	Anaheim Convention Center L.A. Memorial Sports Arena
Location	Anaheim, California Los Angeles, California
Team colors	Black and orange (1967–68)           Scarlet, white and blue (1968–70)
Head coach	Al Brightman (1967) Harry Dinnel (1967–68)
Ownership	Art Kim (1967–68) James Ackerman (1967–68) James J. Kirst (1968–70)

The Anaheim Amigos, later known as the Los Angeles Stars and then the Utah Stars, was a professional basketball team. They were one of the first teams in the American Basketball Association (ABA). The team started in 1967 in Anaheim, California. They moved to Los Angeles in 1968. In 1970, the team moved again, this time to Utah. The team played until 1976.

The Amigos were the first pro sports team to represent Anaheim. They were the only team to do so until 1993. That's when the National Hockey League's Mighty Ducks of Anaheim started playing. The California Angels baseball team played in Anaheim. But they did not use "Anaheim" in their name until 1997.

Team History

How the Team Started

The ABA was created on February 2, 1967. A new team was given to Anaheim, California. The owners were Art Kim and James Ackerman. They paid $30,000 for the team. A contest was held to name the team. The winning name was "Amigos."

The team played most of its home games at the Anaheim Convention Center. Some games were played in other parts of California. Three home games were even played in Honolulu, Hawaii. Al Brightman was the team's first head coach.

First Season: The Anaheim Amigos (1967-68)

The Amigos had some key players. These included guards Les Selvage, Jeff Congdon, and Steve Chubin. Former NBA player Ben Warley and tall center Larry Bunce were also on the team. Chubin was a fan favorite. He led the team in scoring and assists. Selvage tried many three-point shots. Warley was good at rebounding and shooting from far away.

The Amigos did not do well in their first season. They lost their first five games. This included the very first ABA game ever. They lost 134–129 to the Oakland Oaks. After losing many games, Coach Brightman was replaced. Harry Dinnel became the new head coach. The team lost eight games in a row at one point. They also had two other losing streaks of six games. The Amigos finished with 25 wins and 53 losses. This was fifth place in their division. It was not enough to make the playoffs.

The Amigos also struggled with fans. They only had about 1,293 fans per home game. Their games were on radio and sometimes TV. But the team lost about $500,000 that season.

Moving to Los Angeles: The Stars Shine (1968-70)

Because of their money problems, the Amigos were sold. James J. Kirst bought the team for $450,000. He moved the team to the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. The team was renamed the Los Angeles Stars.

Kirst also hired Bill Sharman as the new head coach. Sharman had coached in the NBA before. With Sharman, the Stars signed many top draft picks. These included All-Americans Larry Miller and Merv Jackson. The team had 8 rookies. They finished in fifth place in 1968-69 and missed the playoffs.

The 1969-70 season started a bit better. New experienced players joined the team. But the Stars were still not in a playoff spot by March 5. Then, Bill Daniels bought the team. After this sale, the team played much better. They made the playoffs on the very last day of the season.

Even though they finished fourth, the Stars played great in the playoffs. Coach Sharman, George Stone, and Mack Calvin led them. They won the Western Conference Championship. In the 1970 ABA Finals, they were not expected to win. But they pushed the Indiana Pacers to six games before losing.

Final Move: Becoming the Utah Stars

After the 1969–70 season, the team moved again. This time, they went to Salt Lake City. They became the Utah Stars.

Season-by-season

Note: W = wins, L = losses, % = win–loss %

See Also

• Utah Stars

de:Los Angeles Stars ja:ロサンゼルス・スターズ