History of the Los Angeles Stars

The Los Angeles Stars were an American Basketball Association franchise that played two seasons in Southern California, from 1968 to 1970. Although their stay in Los Angeles was brief, the Stars became an important part of ABA history. They evolved from a struggling transplanted franchise into a surprising championship contender, reaching the 1970 ABA Finals before relocating to Utah, where the organization became the highly successful Utah Stars.

From the Anaheim Amigos to Los Angeles

The franchise began as the Anaheim Amigos, one of the ABA's original teams during the league's inaugural 1967-68 season. Anaheim finished 25-53 and struggled badly at the gate, making it difficult for the franchise to remain financially viable.

After only one season, the organization left Anaheim and moved roughly 30 miles northwest to Los Angeles. The club was renamed the Los Angeles Stars for the 1968-69 season.

The move placed the Stars in one of America's largest markets, but it also created a difficult competitive situation. Los Angeles already had the NBA's Lakers, who featured some of the biggest names in professional basketball. The ABA Stars had to convince local fans to support a new team in a rival league while competing directly against an established NBA powerhouse.

The 1968-69 Stars

The first Los Angeles Stars team was coached by Bill Sharman, the former Boston Celtics star who had established himself as a promising coach.

Sharman brought professionalism and discipline to the organization. The Stars improved from the Amigos' 25 victories to a 33-45 record in 1968-69.

Los Angeles featured several productive players, including Mack Calvin, George Stone, Merv Jackson, Craig Raymond, Bob Warren and Larry Miller.

Calvin emerged as one of the franchise's most important young players. A quick guard with the ability to score and draw fouls, he would develop into one of the ABA's premier backcourt stars.

Despite their improvement, the Stars finished outside the playoff field.

Competing With the Lakers

Establishing the Stars in Los Angeles was never easy.

The Lakers were already one of professional basketball's glamour franchises, and their roster during this period included superstars such as Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. The Stars lacked comparable name recognition and had difficulty attracting attention in a crowded Southern California sports market.

The ABA itself was still trying to establish credibility against the NBA. While the league's red, white and blue basketball, three-point shot and fast-paced style offered something different, many casual basketball fans still viewed the NBA as the premier professional league.

As a result, the Stars struggled to create the type of attendance necessary to establish a secure long-term future in Los Angeles.

Bill Sharman Builds a Contender

The Stars underwent significant changes before the 1969-70 season.

Sharman continued developing a roster built around athleticism, defense and balanced scoring. The team included Mack Calvin, George Stone, Craig Raymond, Merv Jackson and Bob Warren, along with several other players who fit Sharman's system.

The regular season was not spectacular. Los Angeles finished 43-41, barely above .500.

That record, however, did not accurately reflect what the Stars were about to accomplish.

Once the playoffs began, Los Angeles became one of the biggest surprises of the ABA season.

The 1970 ABA Playoffs

The Stars entered the 1970 postseason as an underdog but immediately demonstrated that their regular-season record meant little.

In the Western Division Semifinals, Los Angeles faced the Dallas Chaparrals, who had finished ahead of the Stars during the regular season.

The Stars defeated Dallas four games to two, earning their first playoff series victory and advancing to the Western Division Finals.

Waiting for them was the Denver Rockets, another strong Western Division club.

Los Angeles again prevailed, defeating Denver four games to one.

After finishing only 43-41, the Stars had suddenly won eight of 11 playoff games and captured the Western Division championship.

The 1970 ABA Finals

The Stars advanced to the ABA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, one of the league's strongest franchises.

Indiana featured a talented roster led by Roger Brown, Mel Daniels, Freddie Lewis and Bob Netolicky. The Pacers had been building toward a championship and entered the Finals as the stronger team.

Los Angeles nevertheless made the series competitive.

The Stars won two games, but Indiana ultimately captured the series four games to two, giving the Pacers their first ABA championship.

For Los Angeles, the defeat ended an extraordinary postseason run. A team that had finished only two games above .500 had come within two victories of winning the ABA title.

Mack Calvin

One of the most important players in Stars history was Mack Calvin.

Calvin joined Los Angeles as a rookie in 1969 and quickly developed into an outstanding professional guard. His speed and aggressive offensive style made him especially difficult to defend.

He became exceptionally effective at drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line, a skill that remained one of his trademarks throughout his career.

Calvin's performance helped fuel the Stars' 1970 playoff run. He later became a five-time ABA All-Star and played for several franchises during the remainder of the league's existence.

George Stone

George Stone was another major contributor during the Stars era.

The versatile forward provided scoring and rebounding and became an important part of the 1969-70 team. His ability to produce offensively gave Los Angeles another weapon alongside Calvin and the team's veteran core.

Stone followed the franchise to Utah and remained an important player when the organization reached even greater heights the following season.

Bill Sharman

Bill Sharman's two seasons with the Stars became an important stage of his Hall of Fame basketball career.

Already famous as a player for the Boston Celtics, Sharman demonstrated in Los Angeles that he could build and coach a successful professional team. His disciplined approach helped turn the former Anaheim Amigos into an ABA finalist within two years.

Sharman moved with the franchise to Utah and coached the Utah Stars to the 1971 ABA championship.

He then returned to Los Angeles, but this time with the NBA Lakers. In 1971-72, Sharman coached the Lakers to a then-record 69 victories, a 33-game winning streak and the NBA championship.

That meant Sharman won an ABA championship with Utah in 1971 and an NBA championship with Los Angeles in 1972 in consecutive seasons.

Financial Problems Despite Success

Reaching the ABA Finals did not solve the Stars' financial problems.

The franchise continued struggling for attention and attendance in Los Angeles. Competing against the Lakers remained difficult, and the Stars lacked the local following needed to make the operation financially secure.

Their playoff success demonstrated that the franchise could compete on the court, but ownership needed a market where the team could become a major attraction rather than a secondary basketball option.

That opportunity emerged in Salt Lake City.

The Move to Utah

Following the 1969-70 season, businessman Bill Daniels purchased the franchise and moved it to Salt Lake City.

The Los Angeles Stars became the Utah Stars for the 1970-71 ABA season.

The relocation proved transformative.

Utah embraced the team in a way that Los Angeles never had. The Stars became one of the ABA's better-supported franchises, and ownership assembled an outstanding roster around players such as Zelmo Beaty, Willie Wise, Ron Boone, Glen Combs and George Stone.

Bill Sharman remained head coach.

From Los Angeles Finalist to Utah Champion

Only one year after the Los Angeles Stars lost the ABA Finals, the relocated Utah Stars returned to the championship series.

Utah defeated the Kentucky Colonels in seven games to win the 1971 ABA championship.

The title completed a remarkable transformation for a franchise that had begun as the struggling Anaheim Amigos only four seasons earlier.

The organization had gone from Anaheim to Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, progressing from a 25-win expansion club to an ABA champion.

Los Angeles Stars Season Results

The Stars compiled a 76-86 regular-season record during their two seasons in Los Angeles.

Their greatest achievement came during the 1970 postseason, when they defeated Dallas and Denver to capture the Western Division championship before losing to Indiana in the ABA Finals.

1970 Playoff Results

Notable Los Angeles Stars Players

• Mack Calvin
• George Stone
• Merv Jackson
• Craig Raymond
• Bob Warren
• Larry Miller

Head Coach

• Bill Sharman - 1968-1970

Franchise Timeline

Legacy of the Los Angeles Stars

The Los Angeles Stars existed for only two seasons, but their history included one of the ABA's most unexpected championship runs.

After improving from the failed Anaheim Amigos experiment, the Stars gradually became competitive under Bill Sharman. Their 1969-70 team finished only 43-41 but came alive in the postseason, defeating the Dallas Chaparrals and Denver Rockets before challenging the Indiana Pacers in the ABA Finals.

Their roster helped launch the career of Mack Calvin, while Sharman's success foreshadowed championships in both the ABA and NBA.

Most importantly, the Los Angeles Stars served as the bridge between the Anaheim Amigos and Utah Stars. The franchise never found the audience it needed in Southern California, but the basketball foundation developed in Los Angeles helped produce a championship immediately after the move to Utah.

The Stars are consequently an important part of ABA history despite their short existence. Their story demonstrates both sides of the league: franchises could struggle financially and relocate frequently while simultaneously producing talented teams, future stars and memorable postseason basketball.