Relocation Series: NBA (Part 1)

By Shawn Stewart

Some of the NBA franchises, like the other major sports in the United States, have not always been connected to the same city. The location transfers, on occasion, carry with them a name change, but every so often there is also a change in the nickname for issues related to other circumstances outside the removals. The National Basketball Association has made some questionable moves and name changes in its 71-year history. Below we review the origins and changes of city and name of some of the NBA franchises.

Atlanta Hawks:

The St. Louis Hawks logo (sportsteamhistory.com)

The franchise was originally founded in 1946 as the Buffalo Bisons. That same year the team relocated to the Tri-City area and become known as the Blackhawks, referring to a warrior from a Native American tribe named, Black Hawks. The team relocated in 1951 to Milwaukee, becoming the Milwaukee Hawks, and in 1955 the franchise moved once again, becoming the St. Louis Hawks. The franchise stayed in the St. Louis area until 1968, and finally, that same year the franchise relocated to Atlanta, where the team currently resides today, and are known as the Atlanta Hawks.

Detroit Pistons:

The Fort Wayne Pistons logo (sportslogo.net)

The Detroit Pistons are the successor to the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons that was founded in 1941 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and named after then owner, Fred Zollner. The Zollner Corporation was a foundry that manufactured pistons, primary for car, truck, and locomotive engines. The Zollner Pistons won back to back NBL Championships in 1944 and 1945. In 1948, the name Zollner was dropped from the franchise, allowing the team to become the Fort Wayne Pistons. In 1949, Fred Zollner organized the formation of the NBA from the BAA (Basketball Association of America) and the NBL (National Basketball League) from the comfort of his own home. There are some speculations that the Pistons players had an agreement with gamblers to trim points and throw or lose various games during the 1953-1955 seasons. In particular, there was one incident and several accusations that the franchise may have deliberately lost the 1955 NBA Finals to the Syracuse Nationals (who later became the Philadelphia 76er's. ) The franchise did move from Fort Wayne to Detroit in 1957, becoming the Detroit Pistons.

Philadelphia 76er's:

The Syracuse Nationals official logo (logos-world.net)

This franchise was originally founded in 1946 as the Syracuse Nationals, and they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA and one of eight teams( out of 23) to endure in the league's first 10 years. The name was changed to the Philadelphia 76er's in 1963, agreeing with the relocation of the franchise. The nickname 76er's is connected with the famous date of July 4, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed in the city of Philadelphia. The franchise stayed in Syracuse until 1963, after which the team relocated that same year and became the Philadelphia 76er's. The promising franchise has won 3 NBA Championships, their first one coming in 1955 as the Syracuse Nationals. The second coming in 1967, led by Hall of Famer Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlin, and the third coming in 1983, a team that was lead by Hall of Famer's Julius Erving and Moses Malone. The franchise last played in the NBA Finals in 2001, against the Los Angeles Lakers, where they lost 4 games to 1.

Golden State Warriors:

The Philadelphia Warriors official logo (sportslogohistory.com)

The beginning of the Warriors franchise takes place just under 3,000 miles away in the city of Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Warriors franchise was founded in 1947, as a participating team in the BAA (Basketball Association). In 1962, the Philadelphia Warriors made the trip across the United States when they moved to San Francisco and became the San Francisco Warriors, and finally, in 1971 they made their move across the bay to Oakland and became the Golden State Warriors.  The Warriors have been an up and down franchise, to say the least.  They did win the first-ever BAA championship in 1947 and again in 1956.  In early January 1965, the franchise traded star Wilt Chamberlin to the Philadelphia 76er's and the rebuild had begun. The rebuild process was short due to the Warriors drafting Rick Barry just a few months after the trade. In 1975, star players Barry and Jamal Wilkes lead the Warriors to their third championship against the heavily favored Washington Bullets (who later became the Washington Wizards).  This is considered one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. The team continued to struggle through the decade of the 80s, but with stars such as Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin, the team starting making regular appearances in the playoffs. The team returned to championship form in 2015, led by stars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. The franchise on two more championships in 2017 and 2018 with former MVP Kevin Durant on the roster. The Warriors currently hold the best regular-season record of all time. This accomplishment occurred in the 2015-2016 season where the Warriors finished with a 73-9 record but lost in the NBA Finals to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 1996 Chicago Bulls are the only other team in NBA history to accomplish a 70 plus win regular season, but unlike the Warriors, the Bulls were able to complete the ultimate goal and win the championship against the Seattle Supersonics. 

Oklahoma City Thunder:

The Seattle Sonics official logo (NBA.com)

The franchise was founded in 1967 as the Seattle Supersonics as an expansion team. The name and franchise stayed in Seattle until 2008 when they moved to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder. The name change was important because of a legal issue, and the city of Seattle had the rights to the nickname Supersonics. During their time in Seattle, the franchise made the playoffs 22 times, won their division 6 times, and played in three NBA Finals. The franchise did win their lone championship in 1979 against the Washington Bullets. The Thunder made their first playoff appearance during the 2009-10 NBA season. They won their first division title as the Thunder in the 2010-11 season, and made an appearance in the Western Conference Finals in 2011-12, beating the San Antonio Spurs, but eventually losing to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

There have been several NBA teams that have changed names and locations for several reasons. Some of the moves were necessary to save a crippling franchise and some of the moves we still question today. Regardless of the moves and name changes, it has put some of the biggest franchises in sports on the map. In the final part of this 4 part series, we will look at some of the biggest moves and name changes in the National Hockey League.

Follow Shawn on twitter @ShawnSportsNut