I would love for the Kentucky Colonels to come back...but should I be careful what I'm wishing for?

[Estil]

I'm sure most of all of you are familiar with the Kentucky Colonels (1968-76) from the old ABA...the only major league club of any sport Kentucky has ever had since 1900. Even now the NBA is by far our best chance of bringing a big-league team back to KY, seeing as how in baseball/football, both LOU and LEX are very much in Reds/Bengals territory. In fact we were I believe one of the four finalists to get the Grizzlies from Vancouver in 2001 but they ultimately chose Memphis.

So to cut to the chase, I think it would be fantastic for us to get the Colonels back as an expansion/relocated NBA team...but maybe I should be careful what I'm wishing for? What I mean by that is Kentucky Wildcats basketball has very much ruled the roost in the Commonwealth for many decades...do you think the Colonels might cut into that fanbase some, or vice versa? Maybe it would be better to ask those of you who were around during the Colonels era what it was like in Kentucky to have both the Wildcats and Colonels side-by-side?

And perhaps to play a little alternate history timeline, what if somehow the Colonels had made the cut in the partial ABA buy out (New Jersey, Indiana, San Antonio, Denver made it...Kentucky and St. Louis just missed out)? How would things be different you think? One thing's for sure, the Pacers/Colonels would've made a GREAT rivalry!

 

[BengalWACO]

As someone who has only heard stories of the Kentucky Colonels, I would enjoy that we finally has a pro team here.. As long as they don't play when the Cats play I will be watching.. Especially if they throw some Kentucky guys on the team!! Great post and alternate timelines. I was 1 when the Colonels cut.

 

[jrm693]

I would love to see the Colonels come back too, I used to go watch them play once in a while 3.5 hour drive to Louisville. I don't see how it would take anything away from UK might pull some of the Louisville fans but that doesn't affect us. Really be good to have some of our former Cats playing pro ball here, I remember being sick when the Colonels traded Dan Issel and I went and watched him in his first return trip to Freedom Hall with the Denver Nuggets and they also had high flying David Thompson as a rookie that year Colonels and Artis Gilmore won 132-129.

 

[Nuke99m]

3 to make 2.

 

[stenchymouse]

It was cool because they always tried to sign players from the local schools.

I loved the Colonels!!

 

[FtWorthCat]

Colonels were awesome. I still love the red, white and blue basketball. They were the first league to have a 3-point shot as well. I think UofL and UK both did quite well when the Colonels were in Louisville. The Colonels won the ABA Championship in 1975, the same year UK and UofL both made the Final Four.

 

[Kybluedude]

Not gonna happen in Lou as long as UL rules the Yum Center.

 

[bigbluedon]

I'm sure most of all of you are familiar with the Kentucky Colonels (1968-76) from the old ABA...the only major league club of any sport Kentucky has ever had since 1900. Even now the NBA is by far our best chance of bringing a big-league team back to KY, seeing as how in baseball/football, both LOU and LEX are very much in Reds/Bengals territory. In fact we were I believe one of the four finalists to get the Grizzlies from Vancouver in 2001 but they ultimately chose Memphis.

So to cut to the chase, I think it would be fantastic for us to get the Colonels back as an expansion/relocated NBA team...but maybe I should be careful what I'm wishing for? What I mean by that is Kentucky Wildcats basketball has very much ruled the roost in the Commonwealth for many decades...do you think the Colonels might cut into that fanbase some, or vice versa? Maybe it would be better to ask those of you who were around during the Colonels era what it was like in Kentucky to have both the Wildcats and Colonels side-by-side?

And perhaps to play a little alternate history timeline, what if somehow the Colonels had made the cut in the partial ABA buy out (New Jersey, Indiana, San Antonio, Denver made it...Kentucky and St. Louis just missed out)? How would things be different you think? One thing's for sure, the Pacers/Colonels would've made a GREAT rivalry!

You are pondering something that is never going to happen. Wont see an NBA team here. It would not hurt UK if one did arrive..Ticket prices would be outrageous and I dont think they would draw all that well. The Colonels were great and I rarely missed a game in the time they were here.

 

[KingOfBBN]

You ABA fans, read this book and you'll laugh your butt off and enjoy every minute of it.

Kentucky Colonels owner's dog used to sit at the table with the meeting of the owners.

 

[MychalG]

The book Loose Balls is one of the best sports books of all time. There are stories in there that will make you laugh until tears come into your eyes. Marvin Barnes showing up in the locker room before a game, wearing a full length mink coat and eating a sack of McDonald's. He takes his coat off and he is already dressed to play. The Colonels were fun to watch. I remember watching Dr. J., George Gervin, Moses Malone, Rick Barry, Mel Daniels and may other greats of the game. Good memories from the past..

 

[Skutt]

You ABA fans, read this book and you'll laugh your butt off and enjoy every minute of it.

Kentucky Colonels owner's dog used to sit at the table with the meeting of the owners.

My dads a big colonels fan from back in the day. I don't think he's read this I'll have to make it a gift.

 

[UKBrassowTipIN]

Lol they wouldn't cut into UK. However just as we are fans of reds/bengals.....who do you think those in Cincy would cheer for for NBA...the colonels

 

[UKBrassowTipIN]

You are pondering something that is never going to happen. Wont see an NBA team here. It would not hurt UK if one did arrive..Ticket prices would be outrageous and I dont think they would draw all that well. The Colonels were great and I rarely missed a game in the time they were here.

If memphis, Oklahoma city, and sacramento can have a nba team, louisville can. Plus as I said above louisville also has the cincy market to draw fans from.

 

[Skutt]

For the record, or off the record, the Grizzlies have hurt Memphis tiger basketball terribly.

Or no wait that was Josh Pastner never mind.

 

[CatEye2010]

Well, there is a new pro team in Owensboro called the Kentucky Mavericks. They actually play in a league called the American Basketball Association. These guys are pretty good. They have a winning streak approaching 100 straight games going back to when they were in Shreveport, LA. Most of their roster in former mid-major players who've played overseas. Their oldest player is a former UL player, 1996-99 named Alex Sanders. I haven't gone to see them, but they've been bringing in 4500 people a game in the Sportscenter, and apparently are pretty good.

https://www.mavup.com/

 

[KMKAT]

If I recall this correctly, but Louisville was in the Final 2 to get the Charlotte franchise that was being moved by George Shinn. Shinn decided that New Orleans was a better situation and along with UL/Pitino's influence putting the kabash on a pro team at that arena, we probably never get to revisit the pro game returning to Lexington.

When the New Orleans Hornets started out, they had a formidable team with Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler. Flash forward to today and you easily could have seen AD and Nerlens playing in front of the local fan base.

The Colonels were terrific to follow, and John Y Brown did not have the vision to continue the legacy. He started dumping good players to save money, took a $3M payoff to fold the Colonels. Only had they worked out the deal that the NBA the St Louis Spirit owners worked out, it would have been transformational for the Brown family.

FWIW, the Spirit owners who were brothers (the Silnas), received a portion of the NBA’s television rights fees which added up to an estimated $300 million up until 2014. It was a perpetuity deal that paid off handsomely into a final single payment of $500 million. You talk about winning the lottery!

 

[shadowman4]

I attended many of the Ky. Colonel games and have so many fond memories of the young great talent on display such as Artus Gilmore, Dr. J ( Julius Irving) Charlie Scott, The Iceman George Gervin and many,many more. I was heart broken when we were not one of the ABA teams to go on to the NBA. The year that we won the ABA in 1976 was the year that the Rick Barry led Golden State Warriors won the NBA. John Brown, Jimmy The Greek ( Vegas Book Maker) and CBS Sports offered to put up a total of $2,000,000 winner take all in a best of seven game playoff. Red Auerback of the Celtics, nixed the idea, as he knew the Colonels would kick Golden States ass, so the playoff never happened. He was afraid of the ABA showing up the NBA and showing everyone the ABA was very competitive with the more established NBA. The Colonels were able to play GS, as an exhibition game the beginning of the following season and the Colonel's won by 22 points.

 

[BoulderCat]

I'm old enough to have watched them play. No, I don't think they would hurt UK. Way to engrained. It really is a way of life, or religion in Kentucky. In fact I think a franchise would rely in part on UK basketball fans. Would, all other things roughly equal draft our guys. The Nuggets don't do that, there's rarely a talent coming out of CU or CSU, but the Bronco's do in football. Smart business I think.

 

[KingOfBBN]

There's so many characters from the ABA. The NBA stole the personality and swag and the gimmicky stuff from the ABA.

I remember a character named "Toothpick" Jones or something like that and he'd refuse to go into a game unless he had a toothpick hanging out of his mouth.

The favorite story is the Marvin Barnes one.

"There’s the one about the Spirits getting set to depart on a flight from Louisville at 8 a.m. that would get into St. Louis at 7:56. After one look at his ticket, Barnes exclaimed “I ain’t getting on no time machine,” and promptly rented a car for the trip home."

 

[jimlowe7]

I would like to see the NBA restructure their "D-League" to compete with overseas pro leagues as follows: (1) Sign 2-yr guaranteed contracts to players drafted in 2nd round or not drafted to play in D-League; (2) Assign players to play on teams (like in Louisville at Freedom Hall) near where they did in college regardless of which teams drafted them so that attendance is up and ticket prices can be low; (3) When actual NBA players are injured and need rehab assignment (as in AAA Baseball) let them play some D-League games on the teams with players from their colleges. I can imagine great attendance at Freedom Hall for a D-League "KY Colonels" with former UL / UK players who are not quite ready for the NBA as well as the occasionally rehab stint for NBA players from here.