All-American Basketball Alliance (1978)
Tombstone
Born: 1977 – AABA founding franchise
Folded: February 1978
First Game: January 11, 1978 (W 109-107 vs. Kentucky Stallions)
Last Game: January 31, 1978 (W 119-113 @ Carolina Lightning)
AABA Championships: None
Arena
Wheeling Civic Center
Opened: 1977
Marketing
Team Colors:
Ownership
Owner: David Segal
Background
The West Virginia Wheels are a forgotten minor league entry in the All-American Basketball Alliance, a penniless organization that last only four weeks in the winter of 1978. The Wheels were one of eight founding AABA clubs, stretching from Rochester, New York in the north to Georgia in the south and west to Indianapolis.
27-year old former Duquesne star Mike Barr, who spent time with the Virginia Squires and Spirits of St. Louis of the ABA and the Kansas City Kings of the NBA, was the team’s player-coach. David Segal, a Philadelphia-based attorney, was the nominal owner of the Wheels and also the President of the fledgling league.
The Wheels made their debut on January 11, 1978 by defeating the Kentucky Stallions 109-107 at the Wheeling Civic Center. It quickly became apparent that the AABA organizers had no money and no clue what they were doing. Only one owner – Dick Hill of the Rochester Zeniths – actually put up the $25,000 franchise fee. Hill reportedly had to buy uniforms for all eight teams in the league as well. Players – who were supposed to earn $100 per game – went unpaid throughout the league.
Demise
The Wheels managed to play 11 games during January 1978, including four home dates in Wheeling. Three consecutive late January home game were cancelled when the Wheels’ scheduled opponents couldn’t afford to travel to Wheeling. On January 31, 1978 the Wheels played what would be their final game, a 119-113 road victory over the Carolina Lightning in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The AABA folded the following week after less than a month of operation. The West Virginia Wheels’ final record was 3-8.
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