May 18, 1971: The Utah Stars beat the Kentucky Colonels, 131-121 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, to win Game 7 and the Championship of the American Basketball Association.
As the Anaheim Amigos, the Stars lost the 1st ABA game to the Oakland Oaks in 1967, then moved up the Freeway to become the Los Angeles Stars. They lost the 1970 ABA Finals to the Indiana Pacers, then moved to Utah and won them. They would reach the ABA Finals again in 1974, losing to the New York Nets. But they kept losing money, and folded after 1 more season.
Bill Sharman, who won 4 NBA Championships playing for the Boston Celtics, coached them to the 1971 title, then took the Los Angeles Lakers to the next season's NBA Championship. He and Alex Hannum are the only coaches to win NBA and ABA titles.
The '71 Stars were led by center Zelmo Beaty, forwards Austin "Red" Robbins and Willie Wise, and guards Ron Boone and Glen Combs. All but Wise were named to that season's ABA All-Star Game.
Sharman and Beaty are in the Basketball Hall of Fame. So are Moses Malone and Roger Brown, who played for the Stars in their last season, 1974-75.
In 1979, the New Orleans Jazz moved to Utah. They reached the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, but have never won a title. The only Utah-based team to win a North American professional sports championship since is Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake, winners of the 2009 MLS Cup.
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May 18, 1971 was a Tuesday. American soccer goalkeeper Brad Friedel was born.
This was also the day the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Chicago Black Hawks, 3-2, in Game 7 of the Finals to win the Stanley Cup. I have a separate entry for that event.
The NBA title had been won by the Milwaukee Bucks 18 days earlier. Football was out of season. These games were played in Major League Baseball:
* The Montreal Expos lost the the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, in front of 10,226 fans. I wonder if any of them were from Montreal. I wonder if anyone back in Montreal noticed. Dave Cash, who later played for the Expos, singled Gene Alley home to win the game in the bottom of the 9th inning. Roberto Clemente went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Willie Stargell did not play.
* The New York Yankees lost to the Baltimore Orioles, 6-2 at Yankee Stadium. Mike Cuellar outpitched Fritz Peterson. Bobby Murcer went 3-for-4 with a home run. Brooks Robinson and Paul Blair homered for the O's, while Frank Robinson went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
* The New York Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves, 8-6 at Atlanta Stadium (later renamed Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium). Hank Aaron hit his 605th career home run. The Mets got a home run from Tommie Agee, and 2 from Bob Aspromonte, who, that season, retired as the last active former Brooklyn Dodger.
* The Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers, 5-3 at Fenway Park in Boston. Carl Yastrzemski went 2-for-4. Al Kaline went 1-for-3 with a walk and 2 RBIs.
* The Cleveland Indians beat the Washington Senators, 7-3 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington.
* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Pete Rose and Johnny Bench each went 1-for-4, with Rose's hit being a solo home run.
* The San Francisco Giants beat the Chicago Cubs, 7-3 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Willie Mays went 2-for-4 with a walk. Ernie Banks, in his final season, struck out as a pinch-hitter.
* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-5 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Lou Brock went 2-for-4 with a walk.
* The Houston Astros beat the San Diego Padres, 3-2 at the Astrodome in Houston.
* The California Angels beat the Minnesota Twins, 3-1 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim). Harmon Killebrew went 2-for-4. Rod Carew went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
* And the Oakland Athletics beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-2 at the Oakland Coliseum. Reggie Jackson went 0-for-4, but the A's got home runs from Rick Monday, Joe Rudi and Sal Bando.
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