The 1968–69 Minnesota Pipers season was the only season of the Pipers franchise up in the state of Minnesota and second overall season in the American Basketball Association. The previous season, the Pipers had won the ABA Finals, but moved the team from Pittsburgh to Minnesota (which had just lost the Muskies) after the season ended.
However, the Pipers would have a rollercoaster of a season in Minnesota before deciding to relocate back to Pittsburgh for 1969. The team went through three coaches: Jim Harding, was fired after attacking Pipers Chairman Gabe Rubin at an All-Star Game banquet. Mikkelsen (the general manager) took over for a while before Gus Young took the job permanently. At the All-Star break, the Pipers were 26-19. However, the team went into a dry spell, losing twelve of their last fifteen games to end the regular season, with Hawkins, Williams, Vaughn, and Heyman each being nagged by injuries due to long practices. The Pipers lost in the Division Semifinals to the Miami Floridians. While the state of Minnesota would try a third time to get a new ABA team in the state with the owner of the Memphis Tams later having a desire to sell the team and potentially move the franchise up to St. Paul instead of within the Minneapolis area, they would not have a professional basketball team again until 1989 with the Minnesota Timberwolves out in the NBA.
Roster
<noinclude>
Final standings Eastern Division + Team W L PCT. GB Indiana Pacers 4434.564 - Miami Floridians 4335.551 1 Kentucky Colonels 4236.5382 Minnesota Pipers 3642.462 8 New York Nets 1761.218 27
ABA Playoffs ABA Eastern Division Semifinals vs. Miami Floridians Game Date Location Score Record Attendance 1 April 7 Miami 110–119 0–1 4,103 2 April 9 Miami 106–99 1–1 1,688 3 April 10 Minnesota 109–93 2–1 1,520 4 April 12 Minnesota 109–116 2–2 2,532 5 April 13 Miami 107–122 2–3 4,206 6 April 15 Minnesota 105–100 3–3 1,345 7 April 19 Miami 128–137 3–4 5,702 Pipers lose series, 4–3
Awards and honors 1969 ABA All-Star Game selections (game played on January 28, 1969) Trooper Washington Charlie Williams Connie Hawkins had been selected, but he was injured.
Jim Harding was originally selected to coach the team, but Gene Rhodes of the Kentucky Colonels replaced him after his firing.
References
Pipers on Basketball Reference
External links RememberTheABA.com 1968-69 regular season and playoff results Pipers page