406:. (The NBA nearly succeeded in buying out the Silnas in 1982 by offering $ 5 million over eight years, but negotiations stalled when the siblings demanded $ 8 million over five.) On June 27, 2007, it was extended for another eight years, ensuring another $ 100 million+ windfall for the Silnas. In 2014, the Silnas reached agreement with the NBA to greatly reduce the perpetual payments and take a lump sum of $ 500 million. In the last few years before the lump sum agreement, the Silnas were receiving $ 14.57 million a year, despite being owners of a team that hadn't played a game in over 40 years. (The Silnas will, however, still be receiving a now much smaller portion of the television revenue through a new partnership with the former ABA teams the Nets, Nuggets, Pacers and Spurs.)
218:(ABA) from 1974 to 1976. This was the third and last city of a franchise that had begun as a charter member in 1967 as the Houston Mavericks before a shift to the Carolinas in 1969 to play as the Cougars. They were one of two teams still in existence at the end of the ABA that did not survive the league's
331:
after that franchise failed in the middle of the season, the
Spirits finished well out of playoff contention in 1975–76. Attendance in St. Louis fell through the floor; they were lucky to draw crowds of more than 1,000 people in an 18,000-seat arena, and frequently drew crowds in the hundreds. At
40:
391:. (The deal allocated 45% for each of the Silnas and 10% for their lawyer Donald Scupak, who brokered the deal. Ozzie died in 2016.) With network TV deals becoming more and more lucrative, the deal has made the Silnas wealthy, earning them $ 186 million as of 2008, according to the
250:. However, only a few players from the 1973–74 Cougars followed the team to St. Louis, so the Spirits were essentially an expansion team. By that time, St. Louis was six years removed from NBA basketball, having lost the
436:(the Silnas dropped the suit when the NBA bought their rights out). As a result, – and on the advice of their attorneys – the Silnas refused to be interviewed for the program, directed by
387:, struck a prescient deal to acquire future television money from the teams that joined the NBA, a 1/7 share from each surviving ABA franchise (or nearly 2% of the entire NBA's TV money),
226:. Under terms of the ABA–NBA merger, the owners of the Spirits continued to receive a portion of NBA television revenue until 2014, when a revised agreement was reached with the league.
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series. Part of the show contained the fact that the Silnas had been suing the NBA for "hundreds of millions of dollars more" they feel the NBA owes them, presumably for
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The
Spirits were a colorful team featuring a number of players, both on and off the court, who were fairly successful in their basketball careers. Among them were
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in the first round of the playoffs. But the team squandered this good start the following year. Despite inheriting several players (including Malone) from the
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After a slow start in their inaugural season, 1974–75, the
Spirits reached the playoffs with a late rush, then upset the defending ABA champion
293:, who held the record for consecutive games played in pro basketball for many years. One of the most colorful players on the team was forward
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265:, acquired during their second and final season, who went on to a long and successful career in the NBA, culminating in enshrinement in the
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A couple of off-court personalities from the team became well known as well. One of the coaches in 1975 was former NBA player
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222:(NBA). They were a member of the ABA in its last two seasons, 1974–75 and 1975–76, while playing their home games at the
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440:. However, many players, members of management, and Costas – among others – shared their memories of the franchise.
989:"No Team, No Ticket Sales, but Plenty of Cash Former A.B.A. Owners Ozzie and Daniel Silna Earn Millions From N.B.A."
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356:, but the senior circuit decided to accept only four teams from the rival league: the Nets (the last ABA champion),
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This article is about the
American basketball team. For the airplane used in the famous transatlantic flight, see
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In the summer of 1976, with the ABA at the point of financial collapse, the six surviving franchises (the
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spent most of his time in the ABA as a Spirit, then later became an all-star in the NBA with the
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1058:"The TV Deal the NBA Wishes It Had Not Made," Los Angeles Times, July 31, 2006
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1021:(Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. January 9, 2014. Archived from
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went bankrupt immediately after the final season) began negotiating a
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season's end, negotiations were under way to move the franchise to
1063:"From the Annals of NBA Business," The Plain Dealer, Feb. 7, 2009
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316:. Costas would go on to a highly successful career working for
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242:) were the third incarnation of a franchise that began as the
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of the NBA.) The owners of the
Spirits, the brothers
308:) for a number of years. On radio, the team featured
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Spirits of St. Louis history from
RememberTheABA.com
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958:"Silna Settles Longtime NBA Dispute for $ 500M"
220:merger with the National Basketball Association
1302:Defunct basketball teams in the United States
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1053:1975-76 Spirits of St. Louis Official Program
8:
400:, and $ 255 million as of 2012 according to
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234:The Spirits (who took their name from the
29:
1159:Memphis Pros/Memphis Tams/Memphis Sounds
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418:presented a documentary about the team,
22:The Spirit of St. Louis (disambiguation)
1287:Basketball teams disestablished in 1976
987:Sandomir, Richard (September 7, 2012).
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27:Basketball team in St. Louis, Missouri
1277:American Basketball Association teams
210:were a basketball franchise based in
7:
1282:Basketball teams established in 1974
451:Spirits of St. Louis Hall of Famers
1312:1976 disestablishments in Missouri
1183:New Jersey Americans/New York Nets
1129:Dallas Chaparrals/Texas Chaparrals
14:
312:as its play-by-play announcer on
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216:American Basketball Association
964:. Apr 16, 2014. Archived from
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1213:San Diego Conquistadors/Sails
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236:Atlantic Ocean-crossing plane
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285:, future Celtics head coach
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826:Lost Division Semifinals (
708:Lost Division Semifinals (
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541:Inducted as a contributor.
134:Burnt orange, white, black
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1201:Pittsburgh Pipers/Condors
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873:Lost division finals (
796:Lost division finals (
385:Ozzie and Daniel Silna
320:television and radio.
275:Portland Trail Blazers
191:Ozzie and Daniel Silna
20:. For other uses, see
561:ABA Finals Appearance
254:to Atlanta after the
1272:Spirits of St. Louis
1219:Spirits of St. Louis
968:on December 19, 2017
837:Spirits of St. Louis
414:On October 8, 2013,
334:Salt Lake City, Utah
208:Spirits of St. Louis
95:Spirits of St. Louis
33:Spirits of St. Louis
1292:Sports in St. Louis
593:Postseason Results
354:merger with the NBA
214:that played in the
125:St. Louis, Missouri
18:Spirit of St. Louis
1203:(1967–68; 1969–72)
993:The New York Times
566:Division Champions
432:subscriptions and
403:The New York Times
51:Eastern Conference
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1251:ABA All-Time Team
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614:Houston Mavericks
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371:The NBA placated
366:San Antonio Spurs
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240:Charles Lindbergh
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1025:on June 18, 2023
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1195:Oakland Oaks
1027:. Retrieved
1023:the original
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966:the original
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482:Moses Malone
438:Daniel Forer
423:
420:Free Spirits
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397:Plain Dealer
395:
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338:Utah Rockies
322:
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263:Moses Malone
260:
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179:Joe Mullaney
177:
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168:(1974–1975)
162:
149:Team manager
102:Utah Rockies
100:
94:
86:
78:
999:January 26,
410:Documentary
306:David Stern
131:Team colors
1266:Categories
1225:Utah Stars
1019:PR.NBA.com
944:References
937:1967–1976
920:1967–1976
523:Head coach
344:NBA merger
329:Utah Stars
310:Bob Costas
287:M. L. Carr
283:Don Chaney
281:sixth man
159:Head coach
106:(proposed)
98:1974–1976
47:Conference
1239:(1969–70)
1233:(1970–76)
1227:(1970–75)
1221:(1974–76)
1215:(1972–75)
1209:(1973–76)
1197:(1967–69)
1191:(1967–70)
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1179:(1968–69)
1173:(1967–68)
1167:(1968–72)
1161:(1970–75)
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1143:(1967–69)
1137:(1967–76)
1131:(1967–73)
1125:(1969–74)
1113:(1967–70)
972:April 15,
587:Division
519:Rod Thorn
513:Inducted
491:1975–1976
473:Inducted
425:30 for 30
393:Cleveland
302:Rod Thorn
291:Ron Boone
238:flown by
212:St. Louis
187:Ownership
172:Rod Thorn
92:1969–1974
84:1967–1969
1029:June 18,
925:Playoffs
875:Kentucky
828:Kentucky
798:Kentucky
507:Position
499:Coaches
467:Position
456:Players
121:Location
57:Division
883:1975–76
877:, 1-4)
869:NY Nets
852:Eastern
845:1974–75
830:, 0-4)
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805:1973–74
800:, 3-4)
792:NY Nets
773:Eastern
767:1972–73
748:Eastern
742:1971–72
723:Eastern
717:1970–71
712:, 0-4)
710:Indiana
693:Eastern
687:1969–70
659:Western
653:1968–69
648:, 0-3)
629:Western
621:1967–68
604:Losses
598:Finish
584:League
581:Season
336:as the
230:History
175:(1975)
75:History
67:Founded
1119:(1975)
871:, 4-1)
794:, 4-1)
646:Dallas
536:Notes:
510:Tenure
470:Tenure
289:, and
182:(1976)
143:
140:
137:
1101:teams
607:Pct.
601:Wins
529:2018
494:2001
252:Hawks
111:Arena
1031:2023
1001:2018
974:2022
934:.400
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526:1975
504:Name
464:Name
416:ESPN
364:and
314:KMOX
206:The
200:None
70:1967
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911:334
892:6th
887:ABA
855:3rd
849:ABA
814:3rd
808:ABA
777:1st
770:ABA
751:5th
745:ABA
726:6th
720:ABA
696:3rd
690:ABA
662:6th
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632:4th
625:ABA
461:No.
318:NBC
1268::
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487:C
24:.
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