Baltimore Hustlers

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Baltimore Hustlers was the name of a team with a brief existence in the American Basketball Association in 1975. The Hustlers had previously played in the league as the New Orleans Buccaneers from 1967 through 1970, the Memphis Pros from 1970 through 1972, the Memphis Tams from 1972 through 1974 and as the Memphis Sounds from 1974 through 1975.

ABA officials disapproved of the name "Hustlers" so the team became the Baltimore Claws shortly after its move to Maryland.

The Claws scored an early coup by obtaining superstar Dan Issel from the Kentucky Colonels for $500,000 in cash. The Claws' owners were beset by money problems from the team's arrival to its demise and were unable to send the $500,000 to Kentucky, so Issel ended up with the Denver Nuggets instead.

Under head coach Joe Mullaney the Claws played three preseason exhibition games, two against the Virginia Squires and a third against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Claws lost all three of those games. Shortly after, the ABA pulled the plug on the financially troubled franchise.

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