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In February of 1969, (above) the Houston Mavericks' "official" average home attendance, as reported to the press, was 378 people per game. During March and April of 1969, the official figure dipped to 333 fans per contest. On April 2, 1969, the Mavericks played their last game in Houston. The opponent was the New York Nets, and the announced attendance was -- incredibly -- only 89 people.

Eight years later, on May 1, 1976, the Denver Nuggets hosted Julius Erving and the Nets in Game 1 of the 1976 ABA Championship Series (below). At the time, McNichols Sports Arena had a capacity of 18,200 for basketball. But Nuggets GM Carl Scheer crammed 19,034 fans into McNichols, adding temporary bleachers and selling standing-room-only tickets until the Fire Marshal cracked down. Dr. J won this game for the Nets almost single-handedly, scoring 45 points (including the game-winning bucket at the buzzer).

Houston Mavericks History Page

Denver Nuggets History Page