324:
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434:. The Kiel (1401 Clark Avenue) was demolished in 1992 and the St. Louis Arena (5700 Oakland Avenue) was demolished in 1998.They averaged barely over 6,000 fans in the 1967-68 season, which saw them start the year at 16-1. So desperate was their attempt to generate interest that they played six games away from Kiel Auditorium in favor of
377:
for the second consecutive year. This time the Hawks won, defeating the
Celtics four games to two. Pettit scored 50 points in the deciding game, tipping in the final basket for a 110–109 victory in St. Louis. So proud was Kerner that he had championship rings made for the team. He did not retain
365:
went to seven games as the Hawks lost to the
Celtics' Auerbach, Russell and Cousy. During the finals, Auerbach and Kerner confronted each other on the court in a dispute over the height of the basket and Auerbach punched Kerner. Although he was not ejected, Auerbach was later fined $ 300 for the
429:
By the late 1960s, the Hawks struggled to attract fans despite consistent teams. The peak years of tickets was a three-year span (1958-1961) that saw them average over 8,000 fans in three straight seasons. They played at Kiel but also occasionally at the larger
460:
Playoff basketball did little to help matters, as reported attendance for the First Round (a shocking loss in six games) saw less than 6,000 fans attend for each game in St. Louis. On May 3, 1968, Kerner sold the St. Louis Hawks to
288:
in both 1956 and 1959. At 6 feet 9 inches (206 cm), Pettit was a ten–time First–Team All-NBA member and retired as the all-time leading NBA scorer. His 16.2 per-game rebound average is third in league history, behind
241:
without playing a game for the Tri-Cities. Cousy, reportedly unhappy to go to a small-town area, wanted $ 10,000 to sign with the
Blackhawks. Kerner countered with $ 6,000 before trading him to the Stags on May 21, 1950, for
397:
as the sixth pick of the first round. After retiring as a player, Wilkens coached for 32 NBA seasons and won over 1,300 games. The
Celtics, still coached by Auerbach, and the Hawks (coached by Macauley) met for a third time
1283:
Ben Kerner: 1913–2000. Ex-Hawks Owber Helped Shape City's Sports
Landscape in '50S, '60S. Team Won NBA Title and Heightened Profile of Town in Athletics (Sports) (Profile\Obituary\Ben Kerner) (Obituary)
246:. Cousy never played for Chicago and landed in Boston, playing for Auerbach after the Stags folded. Cousy played in 13 consecutive All-Star games and won six NBA Championships with the Celtics.
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454:
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Kerner had a number of ties to the Boston
Celtics; he had employed Celtics coach Red Auerbach, drafted Bob Cousy and Bill Russell and obtained former Celtics
222:. The 1949–50 Blackhawks were 28–29 when Auerbach quit after discovering Kerner had traded a player without consulting him. Auerbach became coach the
200:
226:
for the 1950–51 season and won nine NBA championships with the
Celtics, facing off with Kerner owned teams in the NBA Finals on multiple occasions.
354:. By the late 1950s, the teams had met three times in the NBA finals; Kerner's Hawks were built around four Hall of Fame players: Hagan, Macauley,
550:
1375:
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421:(who was black) to where Kerner forced Seymour to bench Hill. Seymour refused and got fired while Hill never played after the season ended.
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and Pettit became the cornerstone of the franchise. Pettit, who averaged 26 points and 16 rebounds per game over his career, was voted the
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105:(June 9, 1913 – November 22, 2000) was an American professional basketball owner. He was the co-founder and owner of the
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417:, who was not so much fired by Kerner as pushed out by players who reportedly wanted the ball more over rookie
285:
373:, who went from player to player-coach in 1956) win the NBA Championship, as the Hawks and Celtics met in the
517:. He had one sister, Sylvia Kerner Robinson. Kerner was married to Ima Jean Bilbrey on November 24, 1972, in
343:. Hannum led the Hawks to the NBA championship before being fired immediately after the championship season.
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in the span of three years) at the conclusion of the 1967-68 season, where they remain today, as the
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to the
Buffalo/Tri-Cities team. Gates finished second on the team in scoring, behind 1948
106:
1120:"Tall Tales: The Glory Years of the NBA" 1992 Terry Pluto, Simon & Schusterp. 138–139
1057:"Rags to Riches Story For Ben Kerner"Bill Lutwein, Milwaukee Journal April a5, 1958 p. 21
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In his tenure as an owner with a description as one with a "stubborn hand", he hired
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402:. The finals went seven games, with the Celtics winning game seven 122–103 at the
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185:. The facility is still in use today and is located at 1800 20th Avenue, Moline.
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and the first
African–American coach in a major league when he coached the 1948
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513:. Kerner died on November 22, 2000, and is buried in Mt. Sinai Cemetery in
509:
Ben Kerner was born to Jacob and Helen
Arbesman Kerner on June 9, 1913, in
237:
with the fourth overall selection. Kerner eventually traded Cousy to the
445:(who relocated there in 1960) in sports interest, see the newly created
1135:
960:
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331:
From 1953–54 to 1956–57, the Hawks were coached by Hall of Fame coach
177:. Kerner served as both owner and general manager. The team played at
531:
In 2015, Kerner was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.
510:
485:. St. Louis has seen one professional basketball team since with the
369:
The 1957–58 season saw Kerner and the St. Louis Hawks (as coached by
69:
Businessman, sports-franchise founder and owner, basketball executive
39:
249:
After the 1950–51 season, Kerner moved the Tri-Cities Blackhawks to
322:
152:
438:. 1967 saw the Hawks, already fighting for attention besides the
661:"The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame – Hall of Famers"
406:. Pettit averaged 25 points per game during the series. Kerner
551:"Team that's now Atlanta Hawks bailed on Buffalo 70 years ago"
78:
1228:"Blackballing in the NBA kept Cleo Hill from becoming a star"
393:, Kerner and the Hawks drafted Hall of Fame player and coach
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871:
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In 1949, Kerner hired eventual Naismith Hall of Fame coach
169:. After a few games in Buffalo, the franchise relocated to
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335:. Holzman was replaced in 1956–57 by Hall of Fame coach
273:. The address is 400 West Kilbourn Avenue, Milwaukee.
1258:
Full Court: The Untold Stories of the St. Louis Hawks
1096:"The 5 Most Important Punches in NBA History, Part I"
499:
Full Court: The Untold Stories of the St. Louis Hawks
382:, who in turn was replaced weeks into the season for
1163:"Never a Dull Moment with the St. Louis Hawks, 1958"
469:
for $ 3.5 million. The new owners moved the team to
1242:"The story of why Hawks took flight from St. Louis"
754:"Atlanta Hawks"2012Drew Silvermanp.15ABDOPublishing
521:. He and his wife, had two sons: Ben Jr. and Kyle.
339:. Holzman later won two NBA championships with the
188:During the 1946–47 season, Ferris and Kerner added
129:after a few games. Kerner moved the franchise from
92:
73:
65:
46:
25:
18:
497:A book about the St. Louis Hawks by Greg Marecek,
1371:National Basketball League (United States) owners
840:"1950–51 Tri-Cities Blackhawks Roster and Stats"
765:"1949-50 Tri-Cities Blackhawks Roster and Stats"
1131:"NBA.com: Pettit Drops 50 on Celtics in Game 6"
688:"Have You Ever Heard of – William 'Pop' Gates"
233:, Kerner drafted Naismith Hall of Fame player
304:as the second pick in the first round of the
8:
300:In 1956, Kerner drafted Hall of Fame player
489:, who played from 1974 to 1976 in the ABA.
858:"1951–52 Milwaukee Hawks Roster and Stats"
141:in 1955. His 1958 St. Louis Hawks won the
15:
413:in a span of 22 seasons. One of them was
201:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
165:, Kerner founded a professional team in
539:
280:in the first round (number two) of the
545:
543:
713:"Auerbach's Celtics played as a team"
473:(a city that had seen the arrival of
327:Bill Russell and Red Auerbach in 1956
316:and former St. Louis University star
161:In 1946, along with business partner
7:
378:Hannum as coach, instead going with
308:. Kerner then traded Russell to the
125:. The team then moved to become the
276:Kerner drafted Hall of Fame player
173:, where the team began play as the
265:. Today, the arena is used by the
117:. In 1946, Kerner co–founded with
14:
524:Ben Kerner was inducted into the
1226:Klores, Dan (October 25, 2018).
577:"Singing The Blues in St, Louis"
636:"1950–51 Tri-Cities Blackhawks"
111:National Basketball Association
203:player, Gates was a factor in
1:
1376:Businesspeople from St. Louis
1038:"St. Louis Hawks (1955–1968)"
1075:Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
526:Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
465:and former Georgia governor
455:North American Soccer League
96:Ima Jean Bilbrey (1934–2011)
956:"NBA.com: Bill Russell Bio"
1397:
449:play hockey (in 1968, the
271:UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena
1271:– via Google Books.
929:"NBA.com: Bob Pettit Bio"
879:"1951–52 Milwaukee Hawks"
501:, was published in 2006.
269:and has been renamed the
87:Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks
1206:Basketball-Reference.com
1181:Basketball-Reference.com
1012:Basketball-Reference.com
987:Basketball-Reference.com
908:Basketball-Reference.com
883:Basketball-Reference.com
862:Basketball-Reference.com
844:Basketball-Reference.com
812:Basketball-Reference.com
787:Basketball-Reference.com
769:Basketball-Reference.com
640:Basketball-Reference.com
615:Basketball-Reference.com
505:Awards and personal life
425:Sale and move to Atlanta
286:NBA Most Valuable Player
253:, where they became the
1300:St. Louis Post-Dispatch
692:Today's FastBreak – TFB
121:a professional team in
77:1946–1968, as owner of
1255:Marecek, Greg (2006).
328:
205:integrating the league
158:
149:Ownership of the Hawks
1381:Tri-Cities Blackhawks
1296:"Ima Kerner Obituary"
1165:. September 26, 2022.
667:on September 12, 2012
326:
267:UW-Milwaukee Panthers
220:Tri-Cities Blackhawks
175:Tri-Cities Blackhawks
156:
127:Tri-Cities Blackhawks
83:Tri-Cities Blackhawks
1361:Atlanta Hawks owners
1143:on February 22, 2012
487:Spirits of St. Louis
251:Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1102:. 21 September 2011
259:Wharton Field House
179:Wharton Field House
58:St. Louis, Missouri
493:Cultural influence
457:arrived as well).
443:football Cardinals
440:baseball Cardinals
329:
159:
157:Bob Pettit in 1957
113:, the present-day
1202:"1960 NBA Finals"
1100:lockoutschmockout
826:"Milwaukee Hawks"
519:Las Vegas, Nevada
167:Buffalo, New York
123:Buffalo, New York
100:
99:
74:Years active
50:November 22, 2000
1388:
1336:
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1323:. Archived from
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808:"1950 NBA Draft"
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686:Kelly Scaletta.
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555:The Buffalo News
547:
515:Affton, Missouri
471:Atlanta, Georgia
358:and Bob Pettit.
295:Wilt Chamberlain
257:and moving from
218:as coach of the
183:Moline, Illinois
171:Moline, Illinois
143:NBA Championship
131:Moline, Illinois
53:
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1261:. Reedy Press.
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1177:"Lenny Wilkens"
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451:St. Louis Stars
447:St. Louis Blues
432:St. Louis Arena
427:
411:16 head coaches
363:1957 NBA Finals
341:New York Knicks
263:Milwaukee Arena
255:Milwaukee Hawks
151:
137:in 1951 and to
107:St. Louis Hawks
61:
55:
51:
42:
37:
31:
29:
21:
12:
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1244:. May 1, 2018.
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1218:
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1168:
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1113:
1087:
1059:
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999:
983:"Bill Russell"
974:
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799:
774:
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747:
735:"Red Auerbach"
726:
715:. ESPN Classic
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678:
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593:
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538:
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494:
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436:Miami, Florida
426:
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391:1960 NBA draft
310:Boston Celtics
306:1956 NBA draft
282:1954 NBA draft
261:to the larger
231:1950 NBA draft
224:Boston Celtics
150:
147:
98:
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94:
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54:(aged 87)
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1327:on 2016-01-30
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1008:"Red Holzman"
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483:Atlanta Hawks
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404:Boston Garden
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66:Occupation(s)
64:
59:
49:
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41:
28:
24:
17:
1329:. Retrieved
1325:the original
1321:"Ben Kerner"
1315:
1303:. Retrieved
1299:
1290:
1282:
1277:
1257:
1250:
1236:
1221:
1209:. Retrieved
1205:
1196:
1184:. Retrieved
1180:
1171:
1157:
1145:. Retrieved
1141:the original
1134:
1125:
1116:
1104:. Retrieved
1099:
1090:
1078:. Retrieved
1074:
1071:"Ben Kerner"
1053:
1041:. Retrieved
1015:. Retrieved
1011:
1002:
990:. Retrieved
986:
977:
965:. Retrieved
959:
950:
938:. Retrieved
932:
923:
911:. Retrieved
907:
904:"Bob Pettit"
898:
886:. Retrieved
882:
861:
852:
843:
834:
820:
811:
802:
790:. Retrieved
786:
777:
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738:. Retrieved
729:
717:. Retrieved
707:
695:. Retrieved
691:
681:
669:. Retrieved
665:the original
655:
643:. Retrieved
639:
630:
618:. Retrieved
614:
611:"Ben Kerner"
584:. Retrieved
580:
570:
559:. Retrieved
557:. 2016-12-29
554:
530:
523:
508:
498:
496:
467:Carl Sanders
459:
428:
415:Paul Seymour
408:
388:
380:Andy Phillip
368:
360:
345:
330:
302:Bill Russell
299:
291:Bill Russell
275:
248:
228:
216:Red Auerbach
213:
187:
160:
102:
101:
52:(2000-11-22)
36:June 9, 1913
1356:2000 deaths
1351:1913 births
783:"Bob Cousy"
463:Tom Cousins
400:that season
384:Ed Macauley
371:Alex Hannum
352:Ed Macauley
348:Cliff Hagan
337:Alex Hannum
333:Red Holzman
318:Ed Macauley
314:Cliff Hagan
209:Dayton Rens
1345:Categories
1331:2016-01-23
575:Ray Cave.
561:2017-09-11
535:References
366:incident.
278:Bob Pettit
163:Leo Ferris
119:Leo Ferris
103:Ben Kerner
32:1913-06-09
20:Ben Kerner
1305:March 20,
1211:March 20,
1186:March 20,
1147:March 20,
1106:March 20,
1080:March 20,
1043:March 20,
1017:March 20,
992:March 20,
967:March 20,
940:March 20,
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888:March 20,
792:March 20,
740:March 20,
719:March 20,
697:March 20,
671:March 20,
645:March 20,
620:March 20,
586:March 20,
528:in 1992.
419:Cleo Hill
235:Bob Cousy
197:Don Otten
190:Pop Gates
139:St. Louis
135:Milwaukee
479:baseball
475:football
1136:NBA.com
961:NBA.com
934:NBA.com
453:of the
389:In the
229:In the
194:NBL MVP
109:of the
1265:
581:SI.com
511:Poland
375:Finals
93:Spouse
40:Poland
133:, to
1307:2016
1263:ISBN
1213:2016
1188:2016
1149:2016
1108:2016
1082:2016
1045:2016
1019:2016
994:2016
969:2016
942:2016
915:2016
890:2016
794:2016
742:2016
721:2016
699:2016
673:2016
647:2016
622:2016
588:2016
477:and
361:The
350:and
312:for
293:and
199:. A
60:, US
47:Died
26:Born
181:in
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