American Basketball League (1961-1963)

ABL


Championships

Year Champion Runner-up Series
1961-62 Cleveland Pipers Kansas City Steers 3-2
1962-63 Kansas City Steers  *

NOTE: * ABL disbanded (12-31-62): Kansas City Steers declared league champions.

Final Standings for 1961-62

 (composite records of both halves)

 

Eastern Division W L Pct. GB
Cleveland Pipers 45 36 .556 -
Pittsburgh Rens 41 40 .506 4
Chicago Majors 39 44 .470 7
Wash.-NY Tapers 31 50 .448 14
Western Division W L Pct. GB
Kansas City Steers 54 25 .684 -
San Francisco Saints 38 38 .500 14.5
Hawaii Chiefs 29 53 .354 26.5
*Los Angeles Jets 24 15 .615 -

* Los Angeles Jets folded 1-10-62

1961-1962 Playoffs

First Half Playoffs
Kansas City (28-12, 1st in West) defeated Cleveland (24-18, 1st in East) 2 games to 1

Preliminary Round
San Francisco defeated Hawaii
New York defeated Chicago

Quarter-Final Round (Cleveland and Pittsburgh received 1st round byes)
Cleveland defeated San Francisco
New York defeated Pittsburgh

Semi-Final Round
Cleveland defeated New York

Final (Kansas City received bye to the Final)
Cleveland defeated Kansas City 3 games to 2

1961-62 Scoring Leaders
Player, Team Gms Pts PPG
Connie Hawkins, Pittsburgh 78 2145 27.5
Dick Barnett, Cleveland 50 1314 26.2
Dan Swartz, Wash-New York 70 1739 24.8
Bill Spivey, Hawaii 78 1773 22.7
Bill Bridges, Kansas City 79 1697 21.4
Roger Kaiser, Wash-New York 80 1556 19.4
George Yardley, Los Angeles 25 482 19.2
Jim Francis, San Francisco 73 1395 19.1
John Cox, Cleveland 80 1482 18.5
Kenny Sears, San Francisco 75 1330 17.7
Larry Staverman, Kansas City 79 1387 17.5
Tony Jackson, Chicago 72 1260 17.5
 

Other 1961-62 Statistical Leaders

Rebounding Leaders, Team Gms Reb RPG
Bill Bridges, Kansas City 79 1059 13.4
Connie Hawkins, Pittsburgh 78 1038 13.3
Bill Spivey, Hawaii 78 875 11.2
Gene Tormohlen, Kansas City 76 808 10.6
Jim Francis, San Francisco 77 760 10.4
Assist Leaders, Team Gms Ast APG
Phil Rollins, Pittsburgh 60 296 4.9
Ken Sears, San Francisco 75 347 4.6
Whitey Bell, San Francisco 71 322 4.5
Gene Brown, San Francisco 75 314 4.2
Roger Taylor, Cleve-Wash-NY 79 323 4.1

 

1961-62 Awards

ABL Most Valuable Player
 Connie Hawkins, Pittsburgh

 

ABL All League Team
First Team      Second Team
Bill Bridges, Kansas City Herschell Turner, Chicago
Larry Staverman, Kansas City   John Cox, Cleveland
Connie Hawkins, Pittsburgh  Bill Spivey, Hawaii
Dan Swartz, Wash-New York    Nick Mantis, Kansas City
Dick Barnett, Cleveland  Ken Sears, San Francisco
                      Tony Jackson, Chicago

 

Final Standings for 1962-63

W L Pct. GB
Kansas City Steers 22 9 .710 -
Long Beach Chiefs (formally Hawaii Chiefs) 16 8 .667 2.5
Pittsburgh Rens 12 10 .545 5.5
Oakland Oaks (formally San Fancisco Saints) 11 14 .440 8
Philadelphia Tapers (formally New York Tapers) 10 18 .357 10.5
Chicago Majors 8 20 .286 12.5
Cleveland Pipers (folded before start of season) - - - -

Note: ABL disbanded (12-31-62): Kansas City Steers declared league champions.

 

1962-63 Scoring Leaders
Player, Team Gms Pts PPG
Bill Bridges, Kansas City 29 849 29.2
Connie Hawkins, Pittsburgh 16 447 27.9
Bill Spivey, Long Beach 24 542 22.5
Larry Staverman, Kansas City 31 649 20.9
Fred LaCour, Oakland 25 494 19.7
Kelly Coleman, Chicago 26 494 19.0
Ron Horn, Long Beach 24 450 18.7
Sy Blye, Philadelphia 28 496 17.7
Roger Kaiser, Philadelphia 27 467 17.2
Tony Jackson, Chicago 27 464 17.1
Jim McCoy, Pittsburgh 22 350 15.9
 

Other 1962-63 Statistical Leaders

Rebounding Leaders, Team Gms Reb RPG
Bill Bridges, Kansas City 29 437 15.1
Gene Tormohlen, Kansas City 30 402 13.4
Jim Hadnot, Oakland 25 332 13.3
Connie Hawkins, Pittsburgh 16 203 12.8
Henry Whitney, Pittsburgh 20 241 12.1
Assist Leaders, Team Gms Ast APG
Maury King, Kansas City 31 178 5.7
Phil Rollins, Pittsburgh 17 85 5.0
Roger Taylor, Philadelphia 28 134 4.8
Fred LaCour, Oakland 25 92 3.7
Win Wilfong, Kansas City 28 102 3.6

 

1962-63 Awards

ABL Most Valuable Player
 Bill Bridges Kansas City (29.2 PPG/Avg and 15.0 RPG/Avg, both #1 in league)

All-time Leading ABL Scorers

Player, Team G Points PPG/Avg.
Connie Hawkins, Pittsburgh 94 2592 27.6
Bill Bridges, Kansas City 108 2546 23.6
Bill Spivey, Hawaii-Long Beach 102 2315 22.7
Larry Staverman, Kansas City 110 2036 18.5
Roger Kaiser, New York-Philadelphia 107 2023 18.9
Sy Blye, New York-Philadelphia 109 1797 16.6
Dan Swartz, New York 70 1739 24.8
Tony Jackson, Chicago 99 1724 17.4
Roger Taylor, New York-Philadelphia 107 1596 14.9
Kelly Coleman, Chicago 103 1591 15.4
Bucky Bolyard, Pittsburgh-Chicago 103 1515 14.7
John Cox, Cleveland 80 1482 18.5
Hershall Turner, Chicago 99 1439 14.5
Jim Francis, San Francisco 73 1395 19.1
Gene Tormohlen, Kansas City 106 1380 13.0
Phil Rollins, Pittsburgh 97 1332 13.7
Ken Sears, San Francisco 75 1330 17.7
Dick Barnett, Cleveland 50 1314 26.2
Frank Burgess, Hawaii 80 1229 15.3
Herb Lee, Hawaii 84 1193 14.2
Nick Mantis, Kansas City 77 1129 14.6
Jack Adams, New York 82 1123 13.6
Walt Mangham, Pittsburgh 103 1067 10.4
Maury King, Kansas City 109 1066 9.8
Bruce Spraggins, New York-Philadelphia 105 1023 9.7
Charlie Curtis, Pittsburgh 80 1019 12.7
George Yardley, Los Angeles 25 482 19.2
 

All-time Leading ABL Rebounders

Player, Team G Reb. RPG/Avg.
Bill Bridges, Kansas City 108 1496 13.9
Connie Hawkins, Pittsburgh 94 1243 13.2
Gene Tormohlen, Kansas City 106 1210 11.9
Bill Spivey, Hawaii-Long Beach 102 1092 10.7
Larry Stavermen, Kansas City 110 956 8.7
Ben Warley, Cleveland-Long Beach 96 943 9.8
Sy Blye, New York-Philadelphia 109 905 8.3
Henry Whitney, LA-Chicago-Pittsburgh 94 903 9.6
Leroy Wright, New York-Philadelphia 106 763 7.1
Jim Francis, San Francisco 73 760 10.4
 

All-time Leading ABL Assists Leaders

Player, Team G Assist APG/Avg.
Roger Taylor, New York-Philadelphia 107 457 4.3
Maury King, Kansas City 109 424 3.9
Phil Rollins, Pittsburgh 97 381 3.9
Gene Brown, San Francisco-Oakland 94 360 3.8
Whitey Bell, San Francisco 78 355 4.6
Ken Sears, San Francisco 75 347 4.6
Win Wilfong, Kansas City 97 312 3.2
Roger Kaiser, New York-Philadelphia 107 307 2.9
Larry Staverman, Kansas City 110 304 2.8
Bucky Bolyard, Pittsburgh-Chicago 103 286 2.8
 

Other ABL Links:

Robert Bradley's ABL History Page

Robert Bradley's ABL Stats Page

Extinct Sports Leagues Home Page

©1998 Steve Dimitry, all rights reserved.

Email: sdimitry@verizon.net