1970–71 Virginia Squires season
| 1970–71 Virginia Squires season | |
|---|---|
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Al Bianchi |
| Arena | Old Dominion University Fieldhouse Hampton Coliseum Richmond Coliseum Richmond Arena Norfolk Scope Salem Civic Center Roanoke Civic Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 55–29 (.655) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Lost in Division Finals |
| Local media | |
| Television | WAVY 10 |
| Radio | WTAR |
The 1970–71 Virginia Squires season was the fourth season of the franchise and the first season for the state of Virginia in the American Basketball Association. After two seasons played as the Oakland Oaks (the second of which resulted in them winning the ABA Finals Championship) and one season played as the Washington Caps, owner Earl Foreman was convinced by the ABA to move his team from Washington, D.C. to the nearby state of Virginia. Like the Carolina Cougars before them and both "The Floridians" and Texas Chaparrals alongside them at the time, the Squires played their games as a regional franchise, primarily playing games in the cities of Norfolk, Hampton and Richmond, with Salem and Roanoke having occasional games as well. The Squires started play there on October 17, 1970, in the city of Norfolk, winning 133–116 over the Pittsburgh Condors. They then proceeded to win their next five games while having a 30–12 first half of the season, which was highlighted by a seven-game winning streak along the way. However, they then went 25–17 in the second half of the season, though they never lost more than two games in a row throughout the regular season. They finished the season first in points scored at 123.3 per game and 7th in points allowed at 119.7 per game. In the 1971 ABA Playoffs, they beat their new stateside rivals in the Kentucky Colonels in six games to advance to the Eastern Division Finals, but they were beaten in six games themselves by the New York Nets, who would lose the championship series to the Utah Stars that year.
Before the season began for the Squires, on September 1, the Squires traded an unhappy Rick Barry to the New York Nets for $200,000 cash (with Barry claiming to have offered up more money for the Squires to leave the team himself instead). His unhappiness to the idea of playing in Virginia related to the notion of folksy life not appealing to him, with his ideal locations to play in at the time being in either California (which involved the risk of him returning to the Golden State Warriors of the rivaling NBA) or New York. Offsetting this loss for them, however, was rookie guard Charlie Scott from the University of North Carolina. Scott averaged 27.1 points per game during his rookie season in Virginia and was co-named the ABA's Rookie of the Year alongside Dan Issel of the Kentucky Colonels.
Roster
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Head coach
Legend
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Final standings
Eastern Division
| Eastern Division | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Squires * | 55 | 29 | .655 | – |
| Kentucky Colonels * | 44 | 40 | .524 | 11.0 |
| New York Nets * | 40 | 44 | .476 | 15.0 |
| The Floridians * | 37 | 47 | .440 | 18.0 |
| Pittsburgh Condors | 36 | 48 | .429 | 19.0 |
| Carolina Cougars | 34 | 50 | .405 | 21.0 |
Playoffs
Eastern Division Semifinals vs. New York Nets
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 2 | Hampton (Virginia) | 113–105 | 1–0 | 6,149 |
| 2 | April 4 | Hampton (Virginia) | 114–108 | 2–0 | 7,143 |
| 3 | April 6 | New York | 131–135 | 2–1 | 3,504 |
| 4 | April 7 | New York | 127–130 | 2–2 | 4,134 |
| 5 | April 9 | Richmond (Virginia) | 127–124 | 3–2 | 4,250 |
| 6 | April 10 | New York | 118–114 | 4–2 | 3,016 |
Squires win series, 4–2
Eastern Division Finals vs. Kentucky Colonels
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 15 | Richmond (Virginia) | 132–136 | 0–1 | 4,250 |
| 2 | April 17 | Norfolk (Virginia) | 142–122 | 1–1 | 5,000 |
| 3 | April 19 | Kentucky | 150–137 | 2–1 | 4,777 |
| 4 | April 21 | Kentucky | 110–128 | 2–2 | 5,221 |
| 5 | April 23 | Hampton (Virginia) | 107–115 | 2–3 | 10,013 |
| 6 | April 24 | Kentucky | 117–129 | 2–4 | 12,822 |
Squires lose series, 4–2
Awards and honors
1971 ABA All-Star Game selections (game played on January 23, 1971)
Bianchi was selected to coach the Eastern Division.
- ABA Coach of the Year: Al Bianchi
- ABA Rookie of the Year: Charlie Scott
- ABA First Team selection: Charlie Scott