The Floridians
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Miami Floridians, later in their history known simply as The Floridians, were a professional basketball franchise in the original, now-defunct American Basketball Association. The Floridians played in the ABA from 1968 through 1972. The team had two color schemes: their original red, blue, and white, and their later black, magenta, and orange.
The Miami Floridians were the new name of the charter ABA franchise formerly known as the Minnesota Muskies, who played in Bloomington, Minnesota at the Met Center and wore blue and gold. The Floridians never did attract a large following, but the team did manage to make the playoffs three out of the four years of their existence. The 1968-69 season was the most successful for the Miami Floridians by far, finishing their first season in Florida with a 43-35 record and defeating the Minnesota Pipers in the Eastern Division semifinals 4 games to 3 before losing in the divisional finals to the Indiana Pacers 4 games to 1.
The 1969-1970 season was largely forgettable for the Miami Floridians. The team missed the playoffs and, just as unfortunate, the team was force to play its "home" games in several cities: Miami, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, and even in West Palm Beach. The team's original owner sold the Miami Floridians at the end of the season and from that point on, the team was simply known as "The Floridians."
The Floridians' 1970-71 season was better than that of the previous year, but it was obvious that even a slight name change, new colors and uniforms, and oddball promotions such as bikini-clad ballgirls wasn't going to make South Florida a pro basketball hotbed. The team finished the season with a losing 37-47 record, yet still qualified for the playoffs. The Floridians, predictably, lost their series to the Kentucky Colonels, 4 games to 2. In The Floridians' final ABA season, the 1971-72 team again managed a losing record (36-48) but again managed to make the playoffs. The Floridians, once again, lost in the opening round by virtue of a sweep to the stronger, Julius Erving-led Virginia Squires, 4 games to none.
Declining fortunes both on and off the basketball court sealed the demise of the Floridians franchise. At the end of the 1971-1972 season, owner Ned Doyle disbanded the franchise, and another professional basketball team would not emerge in Florida until the 1988 expansion Miami Heat played their first NBA season. The Orlando Magic followed a year later.
External link
- Remembering the ABA: The Floridians (http://www.remembertheaba.com/Floridians.html)