The 1975–76 Virginia Squires season was the sixth and final season of the Squires in the American Basketball Association, as well as ninth and final season of the team as a whole when including their seasons under the Oakland Oaks and Washington Caps names. This season saw the Squires finish in last place in the league, tying the record they set the year before for the worst record in ABA history in terms of wins, missing only one game to avoid a complete tie overall. They also had a record of 11–75 during the 1975 year when combining their previous season and this season together. Despite completing the regular season, Virginia constantly faced rumored threats of them being the next team to fold operations in the ABA throughout the entire season after the Baltimore Claws, San Diego Sails, and Utah Stars folded operations in the last three months of 1975. However, the Squires' financial troubles ultimately led to their dissolution just a month after the end of the regular season (specifically two days before the conclusion of the 1976 ABA Playoffs). As a result, the Squires were not part of the ABA-NBA merger that occurred at the conclusion of the season, nor did the Squires' players get involved with any dispersal drafts by either the ABA or the NBA via the 1976 ABA dispersal draft.Remember the ABA Virginia Squires page An entire chapter in Loose Balls was dedicated to this team's season and their plights and ultimate demise (with the book mentioning that they almost folded at least six different times before they actually did so), with its significant details being written by the memories of the people that lived through that season, old news clippings during the season (including the off-season and preseason periods), and through the diary entries of Virginia Squires radio broadcaster Warner Fusselle.Pluto, Terry, Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association (Simon & Schuster, 1990), , pp.403–417
Offseason ABA Draft
Round Pick Player Position(s) Nationality College12David ThompsonSG United StatesNorth Carolina State110Mel BennettPF United StatesMaryland212Jimmy Dan ConnerSG United StatesKentucky432Luther BurdenSG United StatesUtah436Fessor LeonardC United StatesFurman542Richard JonesSG/SF United StatesVirginia Commonwealth652Fletcher Johnson Jr.SF United StatesRandolph–Macon762Bill BuntonC/PF United StatesLouisville872Ricky ColemanSG United StatesJacksonville The Virginia Squires would technically obtain the second straight #1 pick in the ABA draft after previously having one in the prior draft if you don't count the Denver Nuggets' bonus round selection of Marvin Webster as the official #1 pick of the draft this time around. Technically speaking, David Thompson's selection by the Squires made him the only ABA draft pick from the final ABA draft ever held to not be directly drafted by the Denver Nuggets to make it to the 1976 ABA All-Star Game.
Early trials and tribulations When Virginia made their first selection in what ultimately became the final American Basketball Association draft ever done on June 17, 1975, they chose to draft star shooting guard David Thompson from North Carolina State University, despite knowing that they didn't have the cash to sign him and that the Denver Nuggets could potentially acquire Thompson directly despite Virginia having his draft rights and them drafting a player that was previously selected by the Memphis Sounds back when they went by the Memphis Tams during the 1973 ABA draft period. Because of that, despite knowing that a player like Thompson would be exactly what the Squires needed (especially since he compared favorably to former Squires player Julius Erving at the time), his draft rights were traded alongside George Irvine for that of 5x ABA All-Star Mack Calvin, former ABA All-Star Mike Green, Jan van Breda Kolff, and $250,000 in cash on July 14 that year. While they were optimistic at the time that they would at least produce a lot better than they did last season (despite Calvin airing his grievances out against head coach Larry Brown for being traded to Virginia specifically), the optimism would quickly fade weeks later on July 27 when center David Vaughn Jr. was charged for multiple attempted murder charges with a vehicle alongside a hit-and-run and a reckless driving charge with a rented Mark IV after not paying for $14 worth of gasoline at a Shell gas station. (This incident happened a day after being arrested for an indecent exposure arrest at Virginia Beach and claims that "God is naked, too.") Following that incident, both Calvin and Green would be out for the start of the season due to injuries while Vaughn appeared in training camp despite awaiting trail for his charges (with friends claiming his divorce really wrecked things for him mentally). Days after Vaughn first reported to training camp on September 23, the Squires were hit with the first big bombshell of the ABA season that refabricated worries of survival going forward when the first report of two of the strongest ABA teams in the Denver Nuggets and New York Nets would jump ship from the ABA to the NBA early before the intended ABA-NBA merger occurred; the September 25 report not only sent out waves of shock and betrayal within the league, but also exposed internal struggles later on to where in addition to the Baltimore Claws, the Squires would be one of the first teams to fold if both teams left early. Luckily for them, the courts ordered the Nuggets and Nets to stay in the ABA for at least one more season first, ensuring the Squires' short-term survival. However, once the Claws folded following the two preseason games the Squires had against them, people within the ABA had thought the Virginia franchise would be the next team to fold as well, though they would still play their season all the same like the other teams had done at least early on.
Preseason transactions On July 14, 1975, the Squires traded George Irvine and the rights to David Thompson to the Denver Nuggets for Mike Green, Jan van Breda Kolff and Mack CalvinRemember the ABA Virginia Squires Year to Year notes In July 1975 the Squires signed Mel Bennett and Ticky Burden
Preseason exhibition games Like most ABA teams, the Squires played several preseason exhibition games against NBA opponents.
On October 1, 1975, the Squires lost to the Houston Rockets 117–112 in Norfolk. On October 4, 1975, the Squires lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 130–113 in Hampton; in that game Squires star Mack Calvin tore a knee tendon, putting him out of action for two months. On October 12, 1975, the Squires defeated the Chicago Bulls 105–102 in Norfolk; the Bulls later sued the Squires for failing to pay a $13,000 guarantee for the game.
Though the Squires were 1–2 against the NBA that year, the ABA finished 31–17 against the NBA that year.All-Time ABA vs. NBA Exhibition Game Results at Remember the ABA They were also the only ABA team to play some matches against the Baltimore Claws during the preseason before that team was forcefully closed five days before the start of the regular season. The Squires won both matches they had against the Claws.
Roster
Regular season Season standings + Team W L PCT. GB Denver Nuggets * 60 24 .714 — New York Nets * 55 29 .655 5 San Antonio Spurs * 50 34 .595 10 Kentucky Colonels * 46 38 .548 14 Indiana Pacers * 39 45 .464 21 Spirits of St. Louis 35 49 .417 25 Virginia Squires ‡ 15 68 .181 44 San Diego Sails † 3 8 .273 — Utah Stars † 4 12 .250 — Baltimore Claws † 0 0 .000 — Asterisk (*) denotes playoff team † did not survive the end of the season. ‡ did not survive by the end of the playoffs despite finishing the regular season. Bold – ABA champions1975-76 ABA Season Summary - Basketball-Reference.com
Month by month October 1975 The Squires opened the 1975–76 season on October 24, 1975, with a 112–101 loss at home in Norfolk to the Indiana Pacers; Indiana's Billy Knight led all players with 36 points. Two nights later on the 26th the Squires lost in Louisville to the Kentucky Colonels, 130–112, despite Ticky Burden leading all scorers with 28. On October 28 the Squires lost at home to the San Antonio Spurs 108-103 despite Willie Wise leading all scorers with 27; 3,949 attended. On the 29th before 2,905 fans in Hampton the Squires lost in overtime to the Spirits of St. Louis, 104–100, despite Willie Wise again leading all scorers with 38. On October 31 Virginia lost on the road to the Utah Stars, 123–116. The Squires entered November with a record of 0–5.
November 1975 The Squires opened November with their first win of the season, a 109–105 road victory over the San Diego Sails in which Ticky Burden led all scorers with 45 points. The following night the Squires lost on the road to the Spirits of St. Louis, 106–99. A diary entry by Warner Fusselle revealed that despite having to wake up by 5 A.M. after their win against San Diego, the team didn't arrive in St. Louis properly until 5 P.M. due to one of their planes being fogged in and another plane they had to catch refusing to wait for the team; after the team lost to St. Louis, when they tried to get back home to Norfolk, the team got stuck at the Chicago airport for a five hour delay while waiting to get back to Virginia, making it one of the most depressing and exhaustive days for the team ever. On November 3, 1975, head coach Al Bianchi was fired after a 1–6 start. Bianchi's firing would come directly from one of the bankers (named John) that was involved in a group of about 100 investors led by Van Cunningham, who owned a company that sold pre-made sandwiches to convenience stores and even had the team put a small sandwich logo on their uniforms to help advertise his business. Mack Calvin became the Squires player/coach on November 5, 1975. The Squires next game was a 118–104 loss before 4,334 fans at home to the San Diego Sails on November 5; Ticky Burden scored 40 points in Mack Calvin's debut as the Virginia head coach. On the 7th in Hampton the Squires lost to the Indiana Pacers 104–100 before 3,293 fans. On November 11 in Cincinnati the Squires lost to the Kentucky Colonels 128–106; Artis Gilmore, Louie Dampier and Johnny Neumann each scored 21. The next night in San Antonio the Squires lost to the Spurs 144–112 despite Ticky Burden leading all scorers with 27.1975-76 ABA Game by Game Log-- Part 1