The Philadelphia Tapers were an American professional basketball team that played a partial 1962–1963 season in the American Basketball League (1961–1962). It traces its history to the 1950s AAU New York Tapers.

AAU New York Tapers

Originally the amateur New York Tapers, the team played in the NABL and was sponsored by Technical Tape Corporation, makers of Tuck brand adhesive and recording tapes. The Tapers were a top AAU club team in the 1950s featuring many former collegiate stars and pro players.

Washington Tapers 1961–1962 The American Basketball League played one full season, 1961–1962, and part of the next season until the league folded on December 31, 1962. The ABL was the first basketball league to have a three point shot for baskets scored far away from the goal. Other rules that set the league apart were a 30-second shooting clock and a wider free throw lane, 18 feet instead of the standard 12.

The American Basketball League was formed when Abe Saperstein did not get the Los Angeles National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise he sought. His Harlem Globetrotters had strong NBA ties. When Minneapolis Lakers owner Bob Short was permitted to move the Lakers to Los Angeles, Saperstein reacted by convincing National Alliance of Basketball Leagues (NABL) team owner Paul Cohen (Tuck Tapers) and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Champion Cleveland Pipers owner George Steinbrenner to take the top NABL and AAU teams and players and form a rival league.

The league's franchises were: the Chicago Majors (1961-1963); Cleveland Pipers (1961-1962); Kansas City Steers (1961-1963); Long Beach Chiefs (1961-1963), as Hawaii Chiefs in 1961-62; Los Angeles Jets (1961-1962) — disbanded during season); Oakland Oaks (1961-1963), as San Francisco Saints in 1961-62; Philadelphia Tapers (1961-1963), as Washington Tapers in 1961-62 — moved to New York during 1961-62 season, as New York Tapers; and the Pittsburgh Rens (1961-1963).

When Saperstein's American Basketball League was born in 1961, Tuck Tape owner Paul Cohen purchased a franchise, gave it the Tapers name, and placed it in Washington, D.C. (playing at the Washington Coliseum). Cohen signed Gene Conley, who had played for the Boston Celtics and pitched for the Milwaukee Braves. While with the Tapers, Conley often accompanied Paul Cohen on sales calls for his Tuck Tape Company.

The team was a failure in Washington, and Cohen transplanted the franchise mid-season — on January 2, 1962 — to Commack, New York, renaming it the New York Tapers. They played their final game in New York at Long Island Arena on March 14, 1962.

Philadelphia Tapers 1962–1963

When the ABL began their second season in 1962, the Tapers moved to Philadelphia, where Cohen hoped to take advantage of the NBA Philadelphia Warriors' (and Wilt Chamberlain’s) departure to San Francisco. Harvey Pollack kept the Tapers' statistics as he had for the Warriors. The Tapers hired Mario Perri to coach the team in Philadelphia. Perri had been the athletic director at the Technical Tape Corp where he coached the softball team to a national title.

In a bizarre bit of scheduling, the team twice faced the Chicago Majors on November 15, winning the first game, 51-46, before dropping the nightcap, 65-63, in overtime. The Tapers played only 28 games during the abbreviated 1962–1963 season. The final game was against the Chicago Majors in a neutral site game at the Cleveland Arena on December 30, 1962.

Players

During their time, the Tapers had many outstanding players.

Star of the team was Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Roger Kaiser, who later became a college coach at West Georgia College and Life College.

Another star was 6'10" center Bill Chmielewski, out of the University of Dayton. In 1964, he was selected in the NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals, but never played in the NBA.

Also starring on the team was Sylvester Blye, a strapping 6-9 player who saw his college career at Seattle University quashed after one game when officials discovered that he had been playing professionally for the touring Harlem Clowns. Blye then went to work for Tuck Tape and became the team's signature player. He was known as a legend in the New York Rucker league and was a full-fledged star in the ABL, but no NBA team ever called on him after the league's demise.

Another notable Taper was point guard Cleo Hill, who was a superstar at Winston-Salem State University several years prior to Earl Monroe. Hill was a number one draft pick of the NBA St. Louis Hawks but was cut a year later. His stay with the Tapers also did not result in a call by any NBA teams.

ABL year-by-year YearLeagueReg. seasonPlayoffs1961/62ABL4th, EasternSemifinals1962/63ABL5thNo playoff

Media coverage

The Tapers got radio coverage in Washington on WTOP. They didn't have any radio or television in New York or Philadelphia.

Game log Washington 1961

First half

November Record: 3-14; Home: 1-6; Road:0-1; Neutral: 2-7 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record Attendance Site 1 November 2 H Chicago Majors W 65-64 1-0 5,500 Washington Coliseum 2 November 4 H Chicago Majors L 87-101 1-1 2,000 Washington Coliseum 3 November 7 H Hawaii Chiefs L 76-91 1-2 1,196 Washington Coliseum 4 November 9 H Hawaii Chiefs W 92-91 2-2 1,800 Washington Coliseum 5 November 10 N Pittsburgh Rens L 88-111 2-3 500 Norfolk Arena 6 November 11 H Pittsburgh Rens L 84-95 2-4 350 Washington Coliseum 7 November 13 N Chicago Majors L 87-97 2-5 5,000 L.C. Walker Arena 8 November 15 N Chicago Majors L 91-96 2-6 6,500 Lansing Civic Center 9 November 17 H Hawaii Chiefs W 100-89 3-6 489 Washington Coliseum 10 November 18 H Hawaii Chiefs W 119-110 4-6 1,775 Washington Coliseum 11 November 21 H Kansas City Steers L 110-124 4-7 Washington Coliseum 12 November 22 N Kansas City Steers L 96-106 4-8 743 Richmond Arena 13 November 24 H San Francisco Saints L 92-95 4-9 350 Washington Coliseum 14 November 25 H San Francisco Saints W 91-88 OT 5-9 Washington Coliseum 15 November 27 A Pittsburgh Rens L 94-111 5-10 3,596 Pittsburgh Civic Auditorium 16 November 29 N Los Angeles Jets W 103-100 6-10 3,872 Pittsburgh Civic Auditorium

December Record: 7-12; Home: 3-4; Road: 3-7; Neutral: 1-1 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record Attendance Site 17 December 1 A Hawaii Chiefs L 83-93 6-11 2,471 Honolulu Civic Auditorium 18 December 2 A Hawaii Chiefs L 83-102 6-12 2,868 Honolulu Civic Auditorium 19 December 3 A Hawaii Chiefs W 90-86 7-12 1,846 Honolulu Civic Auditorium 20 December 4 A Hawaii Chiefs W 122-117 8-12 1,611 Conroy Bowl 21 December 5 A Hawaii Chiefs L 93-115 8-13 1,509 Honolulu Civic Auditorium 22 December 9 A Los Angeles Jets L 99-115 8-14 938 Olympic Auditorium 23 December 10 A Los Angeles Jets W 101-100 9-14 1,773 Olympic Auditorium 24 December 12 N Hawaii Chiefs L 81-84 9-15 1,562 Olympic Auditorium 25 December 13 A San Francisco Saints L 89-94 9-16 3,384 Cow Palace 26 December 15 H Cleveland Pipers W 108-100 10-16 Washington Coliseum 27 December 16 H Cleveland Pipers L 84-99 10-17 5,745 Washington Coliseum 28 December 17 N Cleveland Pipers W 90-88 11-17 6,293 Pittsburgh Civic Auditorium 29 December 19 H Los Angeles Jets L 96-102 11-18 1,000 Washington Coliseum 30 December 20 H Los Angeles Jets L 89-93 11-19 Washington Coliseum 31 December 21 H Los Angeles Jets L 96-102 11-20 Washington Coliseum 32 December 26 H Cleveland Pipers W 109-108 12-20 1,110 Washington Coliseum 33 December 28 H Cleveland Pipers W 123-106 13-20 1,197 Washington Coliseum 34 December 29 A Cleveland Pipers L 98-124 13-21 3,518 Public Hall 35 December 30 A Cleveland Pipers L 104-108 13-22 7,218 Public Hall 36 December 31 A Chicago Majors W 96-92 14-22 5,163 Chicago Stadium

Game log New York 1962

First half

January Record: 3-12 total, 0-6 first half; Home: 1-2 total, 0-0 first half; Road: 2-9 total, 0-6 first half; Neutral: 0-1 total, 0-0 first half # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record Attendance Site 37 January 2 A Los Angeles Jets L 104-112 14-23 583 Olympic Auditorium 38 January 4 A Los Angeles Jets L 104-107 14-24 1,165 Olympic Auditorium 39 January 6 A Kansas City Steers L 88-118 14-25 1,168 Municipal Auditorium 40 January 7 A Kansas City Steers L 90-110 14-26 908 Municipal Auditorium 41 January 9 A Cleveland Pipers L 124-141 14-27 2,114 Admiral King High School in Lorain, Ohio 42 January 11 A Chicago Majors L 99-109 14-28 13,012 Chicago Stadium

Second half Record January second half only: 3-6; home: 1-2; road: 2-3; neutral: 0-1 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record Attendance Site 43 January 15 N Kansas City Steers L 96-122 0-1 3,482 Pittsburgh Civic Auditorium 44 January 16 H Pittsburgh Rens L 97-105 0-1 1,600 Long Island Arena 45 January 17 N Chicago Majors L 95-115 0-3 2,143 Cleveland Arena 46 January 19 A San Francisco Saints L 104-118 0-4 9,978 Cow Palace 47 January 21 A San Francisco Saints L 105-108 0-5 3,862 Cow Palace 48 January 23 H Pittsburgh Rens W 129-123 1-5 261 Long Island Arena 49 January 25 A Pittsburgh Rens W 110-101 2-5 3,862 Pittsburgh Civic Auditorium 50 January 29 A Pittsburgh Rens L 107-124 2-6 3,783 Pittsburgh Auditorium 51 January 30 H Pittsburgh Rens W 114-93 3-6 244 Long Island Arena 52 January 31 A San Francisco Saints W 112-106 4-6 1,935 Civic Auditorium

February Record: 9-6; Home:3-3; Road:1-5; Neutral: 1-3

# Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record Attendance Site 53 February 2 A San Francisco Saints L 98-101 4-7 3,269 Civic Auditorium 54 February 3 N San Francisco Saints L 109-113 4-8 2,338 Public Hall 55 February 4 A Cleveland Pipers W 112-109 5-8 1,523 Public Hall 56 February 7 N Pittsburgh Rens W 130-111 6-8 1,738 Public Hall 57 February 8 A Pittsburgh Rens L 115-129 6-9 3,917 Pittsburgh Civic Auditorium 58 February 10 H San Francisco Saints W 123-119 7-9 300 Long Island Arena 59 February 12 H San Francisco Saints W 109-100 8-9 1,300 Long Island Arena 60 February 13 H San Francisco Saints L 120-129 8-10 500 Long Island Arena 61 February 17 N Hawaii Chiefs W 103-85 9-10 5,700 Oklahoma City Municipal Auditorium 62 February 18 N Hawaii Chiefs L 103-105 9-11 5,000 Fairgrounds Pavilion 63 February 20 N Kansas City Steers L 106-114 9-12 10,064 Kiel Auditorium 64 February 21 A Kansas City Steers L 109-130 9-13 9,562 Municipal Auditorium 65 February 23 A Cleveland Pipers L 121-138 9-14 3,417 Cleveland Arena 66 February 24 H Pittsburgh Rens W 148-123 10-14 Long Island Arena 67 February 25 A Pittsburgh Rens L 99-117 10-15 2,083 Farrell High School 68 February 27 H Cleveland Pipers W 101-90 11-15 147 Long Island Arena 69 February 28 H Cleveland Pipers W 102-86 12-15 250 Long Island Arena

March Record:5-7; Home:2-6; Road:0-0; Neutral: 1-0 # Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Record Attendance Site 70 March 3 H Pittsburgh Rens L 87-98 12-16 1,500 Long Island Arena 71 March 5 H Chicago Majors L 98-102 12-17 1,183 Long Island Arena 72 March 7 H Chicago Majors W 106-94 13-17 112 Long Island Arena 73 March 8 H Kansas City Steers W 108-107 14-17 Long Island Arena 74 March 10 H Kansas City Steers L 104-112 14-18 762 Long Island Arena 75 March 13 H Hawaii Chiefs W 102-98 15-18 200 Long Island Arena 76 March 14 H Hawaii Chiefs L 95-110 15-19 Long Island Arena 77 March 15 N Pittsburgh Rens W 103-101 16-19 1,519 Public Hall 78 March 18 N Pittsburgh Rens L 104-11416-20 5,200 New Haven Arena 79 March 20 A Kansas City Steers L 98-120 16-214,245 Municipal Auditorium 80 March 21 A Kansas City Steers L 101-110 16-22 1,218 Municipal Auditorium 81 March 22 N Cleveland Pipers W 100-98 17-22 3,943 Pittsburgh Civic Auditorium

ABL second half preliminary round

Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Attendance Site March 29 N Hawaii Chiefs W 125-116 OT 3,453 Pittsburgh Civic Auditorium

Quarterfinal Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Attendance Site March 30 N Chicago Majors W 115-100 1,500 Cleveland Arena

Semifinal Date H/A/N Opponent W/L Score Attendance Site March 31 N Cleveland Pipers L 84-105 300 Municipal Auditorium

Game log 1962-63 Philadelphia