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Oakland OaksYears of existence: 1967-68 through 1968-69
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The Oakland Oaks only existed during the ABA's first two seasons. Despite their short life, the Oaks remain one of the ABA's most memorable teams. The majority owner of the Oaks was singer Pat Boone, a self-avowed basketball nut. Before Boone owned the Oaks, he had a team in the Hollywood Studio League called the "Cooga Moogas" that included Bill Cosby, Rafer Johnson, Gardner McKay, Don Murray, and Denny "Tarzan" Miller. Boone poured a lot of money and effort into the Oaks franchise during its two years, most of which paid off during its second year.
In the early years of the ABA, the Oaks were the only ABA franchise in "direct" geographic competition with an NBA team: the San Francisco Warriors. In the summer of 1967, the Oaks made national headlines by signing 23 year old Warriors superstar Rick Barry to a multi year contract. Barry was willing to jump to the Oaks from the Warriors because the Oaks offered him an impressive six-figure salary, plus 15 percent ownership of the franchise. The Warriors refused to match the Oaks' offer. In addition, Bruce Hale, Barry's father-in-law and former college coach at the University of Miami (FL), was hired as the Oaks' coach. Barry thought it would be fun to play for his friend and mentor. However, after Barry signed with the Oaks, the Warriors filed suit to prevent Barry from jumping leagues. A California court upheld the Warriors' contention that Barry belonged to them, at least through the 1967-68 season, and issued an injunction which prevented Barry from playing in the ABA's first season.
As a result, the Oaks' first year was dismal. Hale's 67-68 roster included several AAU and Eastern League "veterans" (Steve Jones, Levern Tart, and Jim Hadnot) with a few real rookies (Ron Franz, Andy Anderson, Wes Bialosuknia) thrown in. For the first half of the 1967-68 season, guard/forward Levern "Jelly" Tart was the club's anchor and high scorer. Tart had been a late cut of the Boston Celtics a few seasons earlier. Tart had absolutely no conscience shooting-wise. While he was with the Oaks, he averaged a league-best 26.7 points per game. However, he had a personality conflict with Coach Hale and was traded to the New Jersey Americans in January 1968 for Barry Leibowitz, cash, and a high 1968 draft choice.
Steve "Snapper" Jones played well with Oakland, averaging 10.1 points per game that first year. Andy Anderson from Canisius was a strong double figure scorer for the team. Wes Bialosuknia out of Connecticut (also known as "Mr. B") was the Oaks "mad bomber." At one point during the 1967-68 season, Bialosuknia hit nine straight three-pointers over the course of five games. Despite the presence of these players, the Oaks were one of the ABA's worst teams, and lost approximately $750,000 during the 1967-68 season.
The Oaks' second year was a complete turnaround success for several reasons. Alex Hannum left the Philadelphia 76ers and became the Oaks' new coach. Hannum engineered a significant off-season trade with the New Orleans Buccaneers. The Oaks gave up Steve Jones and Ron Franz and got Larry Brown and Doug Moe in return. Former NBA All-Star Rick Barry was finally eligible to play for the team. Finally, the Oaks drafted and signed talented rookies like Warren Armstrong, Jim Eakins, Mike Barrett, and Henry Logan.
This combination of players proved to be deadly to the rest of the ABA. The young Oaks dominated their competition, prompting some basketball writers to speculate that the Oaks were building an "ABA dynasty." During the first few months of the season, Barry was spectacular and averaged 35.1 points per game. On December 27, during the final stages of a 131-116 win over the New York Nets, Barry collided with Nets' forward Kenny Wilburn and tore knee ligaments. Barry attempted a comeback in late January, but he re-injured the knee and was lost for the season. In only 35 games with the Oaks, he averaged 34 points per game.
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When he actually played during the 1968-69 campaign, Rick Barry (#24, above left) was devastating. When Barry was out (which was most of the season), the Oaks still dominated their opponents with pesky defense and an outstanding fast break. Guard Larry Brown (#11, above right) was the ringleader most nights. Photos copyright John Oznick and used with permission. |
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During the times that Barry was injured, the Oaks continued to steamroll through the ABA. Through December and January, the Oaks won 16 games in a row. The streak was broken in a memorable game against Bill Sharman's Los Angeles Stars on January 22. The Stars won the game on a last second jumper by George Stone. But what people really remembered was the Oaks' Warren Armstrong clubbing Stars center Jim Jarvis on the back, and then intentionally stepping on Jarvis's head while Jarvis was prone on the floor. The incident occurred in the second quarter and was caught on tape. Armstrong was suspended for several games and gained the reputation as a thug.
Barry, Brown and Moe were elected to the ABA All-Star team. Hannum was the coach of the West squad, and became the first man to coach All-Star teams in both leagues. The year before, while with the 76ers, he had coached the NBA's East All-Star team. The Oaks finished at 60-18, 14 games ahead of New Orleans in the Western Division. After surviving a first round scare with the pesky Denver Rockets (the series went the full seven games), the Oaks cruised past New Orleans into the ABA Championship. Without Barry, the Oaks bested the Indiana Pacers in 5 games for the ABA Championship.
While the Oaks were successful on the court in the second season, they never drew well. During the 1968-69 season, they averaged only about 2,800 fans per game. This meant that owner Pat Boone was losing hundreds of thousands of dollars. During the summer of 1969, a frustrated Boone sold his championship team to businessman Earl Foreman, who moved the team 2,500 miles to the east, to Washington D.C.
MEMORIES OF JOHN BUDKE: "I saw the playoff games on TV that were played in Oakland against the Pacers in 68-69. The Oaks were the runningest team I have ever seen. If you made a basket, the Oaks saw that as a fast-break opportunity. If you hesitated or were a little slow they beat you down the floor. Ira Harge was a great role player. He would score a few points but his forte was rebounding and blocking shots. He was very strong and good leaper who really went after the rebounds. When anyone came down the lane, he was there and I saw him block away many shots."
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The Oaks had plenty of potent scorers, but they also had significant role players, like Ira Harge (above). Harge's priority on the court was not to score, but to block shots, rebound, and dive for loose balls on the floor. Many Oakland fast breaks (and easy baskets) were ignited by Harge's defense. Photos copyright John Oznick and used with permission. |
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MEMORIES OF KIRK MANAHAN: "I remember Game Two of the 1968-69 ABA Championship Series between the Oakland Oaks and Indiana Pacers. The Oakland Coliseum was nearly empty for the game. There might have been a couple thousand people there, tops. We bought the cheapest seats and ended up taking open seats behind the Pacers' bench. I can tell you that Bob Netolicky taught me a few swear words. All he did was swear. At halftime Rick Barry (injured Oaks player) was broadcasting courtside. I waited a few minutes, until a commercial kicked in. When I asked for an autograph, he said "Take a hike, kid, can't you see I'm busy?" The Oaks won. The Oaks had Larry Brown, Doug Moe and the injured Barry. The Pacers had Roger Brown and Netolicky. Good memories."
MEMORIES OF MICHAEL CUSORTELLI: "I currently live in Amarillo, Texas, but I was born and raised in Oakland. My favorite ABA memory is scoring a basket at halftime of a game between the Oakland Oaks and New Orleans Buccaneers at the Oakland Coliseum Arena. I was a member of the "Junior Oaks Club," and there was a short five-minute game between members of the club. I remember the Junior Oaks Club well -- membership cost one dollar, and members received admission to selected games for 50 cents, as well as lots of great souvenirs, including a red, white and blue ABA basketball. I have several other ABA memories. I remember sitting with my cousin behind the Houston Mavericks bench at the Oakland Auditorium and getting autographs from Willie Somerset and Leary Lentz. I remember listening to the radio voice of the Oaks -- Chuck Hinkle -- call the games with his gravely voice. I remember visiting "Jumbo" Jim Hadnot at his liquor store in Oakland, and getting his autograph. Ah, those were the days."
MEMORIES OF FRED SCHWARTZ: "I was a young sportswriter on the Modesto (CA) Bee newspaper when the Oakland Oaks came to town to play the Denver Rockets on Saturday, Sept. 31, 1967 -- about two weeks before the opening of the ABA's first regular season. About 500 curious spectators showed up to watch the exhibition. I'm not sure how much preparation went into the game. But when I arrived about a half an hour before the game, there was no official scorer. Johnny Rodrigues, the Oaks publicity director (and himself a former sportswriter) asked if I'd do the duties. I respectfully declined, since I wasn't too sure of all the rules (the three-point shot, the 30-second clock and the 12-foot lane to limit the big men around the basket were all new to me). Rodrigues finally ended up doing double duty as the scorer and team publicist. He was also the guy who handed out nicknames way before they were an ESPN staple. Guard Levern Tart was called "Jelly", 7-foot center Mike Dablich was called "Frankie" (short for Frankenstein), and forward Willie Porter was dubbed "Fang" because he had lost all of his front teeth in a scrimmage. The game itself was pretty well received by the fans who paid up to $3 for the top seats. Students got in for $1. It was a see-saw affair with the Oaks finally coming out on top, 129-119, thanks to a 68-point second half. Tart led all scorers with 31 points and his violent collision with Tom Hoover sent Denver's 6-10 center out of the game with a lacerated scalp and a big headache. The Oaks did not have a particularly good team during the 1967-68 season, but they had the distinction of playing the ABA's first game. On October 13, 1967, they beat the Anaheim Amigos, 134-129 in the Oakland Coliseum Arena. Their fortunes changed the next year when they won the ABA title. But their lack of fan support prompted the eventual exodus to Washington, D.C. It was a fun time in my life."
MEMORIES OF STEVE SCHAER: "Here's some little-known history behind the Oaks logo. It was designed by a local cartoonist named Lee Susman, who did sports-commentary cartoons for the Oakland Tribune. Susman designed the cartoon mule - "Charlie O" - used for the Oakland A's Booster Club back in the 70s. If the A's won, there would be a cartoon in the paper of the mule in a pleasant situation, such as riding a skyrocket. Or he'd be in a sad condition when they lost. If they split a doubleheader, it might be something like the mule standing on a drawbridge that was opening, so that the mule was being forced to do the splits. Susman also did some cartoons about the start of the USFL Oakland Invaders franchise (another defunct team/league). The Oaks logo is actually an adaptation of the acorn character logo that Susman originally designed for the old Pacific Coast League baseball Oakland Oaks, who left Oakland in 1955. I met Susman at a PCL old-timers reunion, and got his signature on an Oaks basketball pin that I still have."
1967-68 Season
Record: 22-56, Sixth Place in Western Division
Missed Playoffs
Record: 60-18, First Place in Western Division
1969 Playoff Results:Western Division Semifinals vs. Denver Rockets (44-34)
Oaks won series, 4-3Western Division Finals vs. New Orleans Buccaneers (46-32)
Oaks won series, 4-0ABA Finals vs. Indiana Pacers (44-34)
Oaks won ABA Championship, 4-1
Oakland Coliseum (13,500)