50: Kentucky Colonels-ABA

Sports' Forgotten Heroes

The Kentucky Colonels were one of the original franchises of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and one of just three teams to play all nine years of the ABA’s existence. However, when the ABA folded, the Colonels were not one of the teams to merge with the NBA. Owner John Y. Brown did not want to pay the NBA’s entry fee and instead took a payment from the NBA to disband the team; and only the New York (now Brooklyn) Nets, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs survived and still exist today. What a shame, because the Colonels were one the ABA’s best. They won the ABA Championship in 1975, set the ABA record for most wins in a season (1971-72) with 68, and featured such Hall of Fame talent as Dan Issel, Artis Gillmore and Louie Dampier … and they were the first team that Hubie Brown ever coached. The Colonels, however, also had a revolving door of coaches and owners throughout their short existence, and that did affect their performance on the court, a performance of which should have led to several more championships. Nonetheless, the fans loved the team. And even though, according to Gary P. West author of the book, “Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association, The Real Story of a Team Left Behind,” that the ABA was created to eventually merge with the NBA, the league still had great success … and a large part of their success was due in part to the terrific teams that played in Kentucky and Gary is our guest for this look back at the Kentucky Colonels on this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes.

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