1973–74 Memphis Tams season
The 1973–74 Memphis Tams season was the 2nd and final season of the Tams and 4th overall season of American Basketball Association basketball in Memphis. After the previous season had mercifully ended, doubt was put into if the Tams would stay in Memphis, as the phone lines and team office were closed. Charlie Finley tried to sell the team, with a Rhode Island group in discussion with Finley, but nothing came of it, with Finley subsequently dealing with a heart ailment for most of the summer, which rose a problem for the ABA, particularly with making schedules for the teams. The league's attempts to reach Finley came in late August, with the schedules for the league being released on August 25 - just over a month before the season was due to start. The Tams hired Butch Van Breda Kolff to coach on September 11, two days before the Tams' first pre-season game. The team floundered, losing 63 games. They finished 9th in points scored per game, at 101.2, while finishing 8th in points allowed at 108.2 per game. At one point in the season (November 29-December 21), they lost 13 straight games, with a 12-game losing streak occurring later in the year. Their best winning streak was 2, which they did four times. After the season, the league took over operations of the team. On July 17, 1974, Mike Storen, Issac Hayes, Avron Fogelman, and Kemmonis Wilson bought the team, rebranding the team as the Memphis Sounds.[1]
| 1973–74 Memphis Tams season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Butch Van Breda Kolff |
| Arena | Mid-South Coliseum |
| Results | |
| Record | 21–63 (.250) |
| Place | Division: 5th (ABA) |
Roster
- 33 Jim Ard - Center
- 15 Johnny Baum - Small forward
- 20 Glen Combs - Point guard
- 34 Lee Davis - Center
- 32 Randy Denton - Center
- 30 Charles Edge - Small forward
- 21 Larry Finch - Shooting guard
- 25 Mike Jackson - Power forward
- 11 Wil Jones - Power forward
- 24 Mo Layton - Point guard
- 24 George Lehmann - Point guard
- 35 Erwin Mueller - Power forward
- 14 Johnny Neumann - Small forward
- 25 Joe Reaves - Small forward
- 35 Ronnie Robinson - Power forward
- 10 Wilbert Robinson - Shooting guard
- 23 George Thompson - Shooting guard
- 20 Joby Wright - Power forward
Final standings
Eastern Division
| Team | W | L | % | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Nets | 55 | 29 | .655 | - |
| Kentucky Colonels | 53 | 31 | .631 | 2 |
| Carolina Cougars | 47 | 37 | .560 | 8 |
| Virginia Squires | 28 | 56 | .333 | 27 |
| Memphis Tams | 21 | 63 | .250 | 34 |
Awards and honors
1974 ABA All-Star Game selection (game played on January 30, 1974)