May 4, 1968: The 1st ABA Championship

May 4, 1968: The 1st American Basketball Association Finals goes to a Game 7 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Pipers, coached by Vince Cazzetta, and led by Connie Hawkins -- unfairly banned from the NBA, although this will be rescinded while he can still play at a star level -- defeat the New Orleans Buccaneers 122-113, and take the title.

A modern replica of Connie Hawkins' Pipers jersey

Up until the Steeler dynasty of the 1970s, titles were few and far between for Pittsburgh sports teams. So, even though few people considered the ABA "major league" at this point, for the Steel City, it was a very big deal.

And basketball has not been a priority for Pittsburgh. In the 1st season of the league that became the NBA, 1946-47, they had the Pittsburgh Ironmen, playing at the Duquesne Gardens. They did not do well, and folded after the season. Neither the University of Pittsburgh nor Duquesne University has done well.

And the Pipers? They moved after 1 season, too, becoming the Minnesota Pipers for 1968-69. The President of the ABA was former Minneapolis Lakers star George Mikan, who was hired solely for the value of his name. The Minnesota Muskies had failed after that 1st season, and Mikan wanted a team in the Twin Cities. (Both the Muskies and the Pipers played at the Metropolitan Sports Center in suburban Bloomington.)

But attendance went down, as Minneapolis and environs weren't interested in pro basketball at the time. The Pipers went back to Pittsburgh -- according to Terry Pluto, in the definitive book about the ABA, Loose Balls, because team co-owner Gabe Rubin couldn't think of anywhere else to go.

Throw in the fact that the NBA reinstated Hawkins so that he would drop his lawsuit against him, and he signed with the Phoenix Suns, and the Pipers were doomed. The team was sold in 1970, and the new owners changed the name to the Pittsburgh Condors. It didn't work, and they flat-out folded in 1972.

No one has made a serious attempt to bring the NBA back to Pittsburgh since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976. The closest they've come is the 1979 film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.

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May 4, 1968 was a Sunday. Football was out of season. The NBA season had ended 2 days earlier, when the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games. And these baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Chicago White Sox, 4-1 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Cisco Carlos outpitched Fred Talbot, allowing just 2 hits, a single to Mickey Mantle and a double to Steve Whitaker.

* The New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs, 7-3 at Shea Stadium. Ernie Banks went 1-for-4 with an RBI. For the Mets, Ed Charles hit a home run. Dick Selma got the win. The next season, he would be a key figure in the Cubs' bid to win the National League Eastern Division, which fell apart in a "September Swoon" as the Mets made their "Miracle" run.

* The Oakland Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox, 4-2 at Fenway Park in Boston. Rookie Reggie Jackson went 1-for-4 with a walk. Carl Yastrzemski went 0-for-2 with 3 walks.

* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2 at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. Roberto Clemente went 1-for-4.

* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Washington Senators, 5-3 at District of Columbia Stadium (later Robert F. Kennedy Stadium) in Washington. Frank Robinson did not play. Brooks Robinson went 2-for-4 with a walk and 2 RBIs. Frank Howard went 3-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBIs.

* The Cleveland Indians beat the Minnesota Twins, 2-0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Steve Hargan pitched a 3-hit shutout. Harmon Killebrew went 1-for-4. Rod Carew did not play.

* The California Angels beat the Detroit Tigers, 7-2 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Al Kaline went 0-for-3 with a walk.

* The Atlanta Braves beat the Houston Astros, 5-2 at the Astrodome in Houston. Hank Aaron went 1-for-4.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-0 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Gerry Arrigo pitched a 2-hit shutout, outpitching Bill Singer. Pete Rose went 3-for-4 with an RBI, and rookie Johnny Bench went 0-for-4.

* And the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Francisco Giants, 11-6 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Dick Schofield, playing shortstop in place of Dal Maxville, went 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs. Roger Maris walked as a pinch-hitter, moved to right field, and flew out. Willie Mays and Willie McCovey hit home runs for the Giants.

And in English soccer, North London team Arsenal went to South Yorkshire, and beat Sheffield Wednesday, 2-1 at Hillsborough Stadium.