The Utah Stars began as the
Anaheim Amigos, charter members of the
American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967. In 1968, they moved up the freeway to become the
Los Angeles Stars. In 1970, the team moved to Salt Lake City, where they won the
ABA Championship in 1971. There home court was the
Salt Palace. While well supported by fans in Utah, the team still struggled financially and a few weeks into the 1975-76 season, the franchise was revoked by the league, thereby ruining any chance of joining the NBA as part of the coming merger between the two pro leagues.
The Spirits of St. Louis planned to move to Salt Lake City in 1976 but instead chose to be bought out in the expansion deal. Notable players included:
Cincy Powell,
Ron Boone,
Zelmo Beaty, and
Johnny Neumann.
