Los Angeles Stars (2000–2001)

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For the 2004–2005 team, see Los Angeles Stars (2004–2005).
Los Angeles Stars
Los Angeles Stars logo
LeagueABA
Founded2000
Folded2001
HistoryLos Angeles Stars (2000-2001)
ArenaGreat Western Forum
LocationLos Angeles, California
Head coachPaul Westhead

The Los Angeles Stars were a minor league basketball team in the American Basketball Association (ABA) during the league's inaugural 2000–01 season. The Stars were one of the league's initial eight teams.[1] The Stars were defunct after its initial season.[2][3]

To attract fans, the ABA had rosters with former National Basketball Association (NBA) players and past college basketball stars with local ties.[4] The Stars used their territorial draft picks to select Ed O'Bannon and Tyus Edney, who won the 1995 NCAA championship together at UCLA.[5] O'Bannon, a former first-round draft pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, would play for the Stars,[6] while Edney played for the Indiana Pacers in the NBA that season.[7] O'Bannon would be joined on the Stars by former UCLA players Toby Bailey, who also played with O'Bannon on the 1995 championship team, and JaRon Rush.[8]

The Stars' head coach was former Los Angeles Lakers and Loyola Marymount head coach Paul Westhead,[9] while former UC Irvine star Scott Brooks was an assistant coach as well as a player on the Stars.[10] Former Lakers star Jamaal Wilkes was hired as vice president of basketball operations.[11] His former college coach at UCLA, the legendary John Wooden, agreed to join the Stars as a consultant at Wilkes' request.[12]

The team's record was 28–13 in 2000–2001, and their season ended with a 112–132 first-round playoff loss to the Kansas City Knights.[13]

Roster[]

Final Los Angeles Stars roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From
G 34 Bailey, Toby 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) UCLA
G 4 Brooks, Scott 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) UC Irvine
G 50 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Nevada
F 44 Farmer, Tony 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 255 lb (116 kg) Nebraska
F 33 Freeman, Kevin 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Connecticut
C 24 Grant, Paul 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 255 lb (116 kg) Wisconsin
F 31 O'Bannon, Ed 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) UCLA
F 23 Rush, JaRon 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) UCLA
F 54 Sanford, Mark 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 218 lb (99 kg) Washington
G 5 Staples, Curtis 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 196 lb (89 kg) Virginia
F 32 Ward, Jerod 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Michigan
C Watkins, Jameel 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 260 lb (118 kg) Georgetown
G 21 Wheeler, Tyson 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Rhode Island
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster

References[]

  1. ^ "Wooden Takes Job". Kentucky New Era. Associated Press. February 2, 2001. p. B4. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  2. ^ Shaikin, Bill (November 20, 2001). "Journalists Want Law Repealed". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  3. ^ Heisler, Mark (December 17, 2003). "Elder Bryant Rolls the Dice With ABA's Vegas Team". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  4. ^ Stephens, Eric (December 27, 2000). "Stars Shine in ABA Debut Before 5,347". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  5. ^ Rovell, Darren (August 20, 2000). "ABA 2000 plays the name game". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  6. ^ Drehs, Wayne (December 28, 2000). "A 'warrior' one day, wondering the next". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  7. ^ Wharton, David (March 21, 2002). "He Went Great Length for Bruins". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 13, 2011.
  8. ^ Crowe, Jerry (December 14, 2000). "Former Bruin Rush Returning to L.A." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  9. ^ Ford, Bob (February 4, 2001). "Still Crazy After All These Years A New Professional League Has Given Paul Westhead, That Mad Professor Of Up-tempo Basketball, Yet Another Laboratory In Which To Experiment". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  10. ^ Terry, Mike (December 26, 2000). "Reborn ABA begins future tonight". The Spokesman-Review. p. C2. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  11. ^ Shaikin, Bill (August 8, 2000). "Wilkes to Guide Team in ABA Revival". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  12. ^ Crowe, Jerry (January 31, 2001). "Wooden Becomes Star Among the Stars". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  13. ^ "ABA 2001 basketball". usbasket.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011.

External links[]

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