NBA: Basketball Cities

Basketball Cities

Introduction

Professional basketball began in 1946 with eleven teams:

* Boston Celtics,
* Chicago Stags,
* Cleveland Rebels,
* Detroit Falcons,
* New York Knickerbockers,
* Philadelphia Warriors,
* Pittsburgh Ironmen,
* Providence Steamrollers,
* St. Louis Bombers,
* Toronto Huskies, and the
* Washington Capitols.

Three of the original teams are still in existence:
* Boston Celtics,
* New York Knicks, and the
* Golden State Warriors.

The Boston Celtics and the New York Knickerbockers are the only to original NBA teams that still play in their original cities.

The other teams have either gone out of business or moved to different cities and changed names.

Philadelphia to San Francisco to Oakland

The Warriors were one of the original NBA teams. They began their career in Philadelphia.

* 1946, Philadelphia Warriors
* 1962, San Francisco Warriors
* 1971, Golden State Warriors (Oakland)

Ft. Wayne, Minneapolis, and Rochester

In 1948, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Rochester, New York became home to basketball teams. They were the Ft. Wayne Pistons, the Minneapolis Lakers, and the Rochester Royals.

Pistons

The Pistons began their legacy in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The team was started by an automobile executive named Fred Zollner. The name reflects the team's automobile heritage.

* 1948, Ft. Wayne Pistons
* 1957, Detroit Pistons

Lakers

When you think of Los Angeles, lakes are not the first thing that come to mind. However, Minnesota is known as the "land of lakes". The Lakers organization began in Minneapolis. They were the NBA's first dynasty.

* 1948, Minneapolis Lakers
* 1960, Los Angeles Lakers

Rochester to Cincinnati to Kansas City/Omaha to Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings have a multi-city history that began in Rochester, New York as the Rochester Royals. The cities have changed but the theme of royalty remains constant from Royals to Kings.

* 1948, Rochester Royals
* 1957, Cincinnati Royals
* 1972, Kansas City/Omaha Kings
* 1975, Kansas City Kings
* 1985, Sacramento Kings

Moline to Milwaukee to St. Louis to Atlanta
Hawks

This team that would eventually become the Atlanta Hawks began in 1949 with three home cities. They started as the Tri-City Blackhawks playing home games in Moline Illinois, Rock Island Illinois, and Davenport Iowa.

* 1949, Tri-City Blackhawks
* 1951, Milwaukee Hawks
* 1955, St. Louis Hawks
* 1968, Atlanta Hawks

Syracuse to Philadelphia
76ers

The 76ers began playing basketball in 1949. The city was Syracuse, New York. The team's name always reflected a patriotic theme.

* 1949, Syracuse Nationals
* 1963, Philadelphia 76ers

Chicago to Baltimore to Washington D.C.
Wizards

The Bulls were not Chicago's first basketball team. The Chicago Packers were. They are now the Washington Wizards. This franchise had a variety of home cities and names.

The Washington Bullets changed their name to the Wizards in 1997. There was criticism that in an age of gangs and violence the name of the basketball team should not reflect an instrument of violence.

* 1961, Chicago Packers
* 1962, Chicago Zephyrs
* 1963, Baltimore Bullets
* 1973, Capitol Bullets
* 1974, Washington Bullets
* 1997, Washington Wizards

Dallas to San Antonio
Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs were the first ABA team to win a NBA championship. This team began in Dallas as the Chaparrals and eventually became the San Antonio Spurs.

* 1967, Dallas Chaparrals
* 1970, Texas Chaparrals (still played in Dallas)
* 1971, Dallas Chaparrals
* 1973, San Antonio Spurs

San Diego to Houston
Rockets

The Rockets began playing basketball in 1967.

* 1967, San Diego Rockets
* 1971, Houston Rockets

Buffalo to San Diego to Los Angeles
Clippers

The Clippers organization began in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves. When they moved to San Diego, the took the name Clippers to reflect the "water lifestyle" that is so popular in San Diego.

* 1970, Buffalo Braves
* 1978, San Diego Clippers
* 1984, Los Angeles Clippers

New Orleans to Salt Lake City
Jazz

New Orleans is the home of jazz, where this basketball organization began.

* 1974, New Orleans Jazz
* 1979, Utah Jazz (Salt Lake City)

New York to East Rutherford
Nets

The Nets were one of the teams that came from the ABA (American Basketball Association) when that league folded.

* 1976 New York Nets
* 1977 New Jersey Nets (East Rutherford)

Vancouver to Memphis
Grizzlies

The Grizzlies began operation in 1995.

* 1995, Vancouver Grizzlies
* 2001, Memphis Grizzlies

Charlotte to New Orleans
Hornets

The Hornets first home was Charlotte, North Carolina. Their home is now New Orleans.

* 1988, Charlotte
* 2002, New Orleans

The Remaining NBA Teams

* 2004, Charlotte Bobcats
* 1966, Chicago Bulls
* 1970, Cleveland Cavaliers
* 1979, Dallas Mavericks

* Denver Nuggets
* 1967, Denver Rockets
* 1974, Denver Nuggets

* 1967, Indiana Pacers
* 1986, Miami Heat
* 1968, Milwaukee Bucks
* 1995, Minnesota Timberwolves
* 1997, Orlando Magic
* 1968, Phoenix Suns
* 1970, Portland Trail Blazers
* 1967, Seattle Supersonics
* 1995, Toronto Raptors