Los Angeles Stars (2000–2001)

For the 2004–2005 team, see Los Angeles Stars (2004–2005).
Los Angeles Stars
Founded 2000
League ABA
Team history Los Angeles Stars (2000-2001)
Arena Great Western Forum
Based in Los Angeles, California
Head coach Paul Westhead

The Los Angeles Stars were a minor league basketball team in the American Basketball Association (ABA) during the league's inaugural 2000–2001 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]

Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight DOB (Y–M–D) 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 (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) UC Irvine
G 50 Carroll, Jimmy 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)
Athletic trainer(s)
  • Manny Romero
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured
  • * High school

Roster

References

  1. ^ "Wooden Takes Job". Kentucky New Era. Associated Press: p. B4. February 2, 2001. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IP4rAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M20FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2684,2909577&dq=los-angeles-stars+aba&hl=en. Retrieved July 17, 2011. 
  2. ^ Shaikin, Bill (November 20, 2001). "Journalists Want Law Repealed". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2001/nov/20/sports/sp-6365. Retrieved July 17, 2011. 
  3. ^ Heisler, Mark (December 17, 2003). "Elder Bryant Rolls the Dice With ABA's Vegas Team". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2003/dec/17/sports/sp-aba17. Retrieved July 17, 2011. 
  4. ^ Stephens, Eric (December 27, 2000). "Stars Shine in ABA Debut Before 5,347". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2000/dec/27/sports/sp-5217. Retrieved July 17, 2011. 
  5. ^ Rovell, Darren (August 20, 2000). "ABA 2000 plays the name game". ESPN.com. http://www.espn.go.com/gen/s/rovell/aba2000.html. Retrieved July 17, 2011. 
  6. ^ Drehs, Wayne (December 28, 2000). "A 'warrior' one day, wondering the next". ESPN.com. http://assets.espn.go.com/ncb/s/2000/1221/966195.html. 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 12, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5x8nemFBs. 
  8. ^ Crowe, Jerry (December 14, 2000). "Former Bruin Rush Returning to L.A.". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2000/dec/14/sports/sp-65512. 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. http://articles.philly.com/2001-02-04/sports/25318282_1_paul-westhead-aba-big-league. Retrieved July 17, 2011. 
  10. ^ Terry, Mike (December 26, 2000). "Reborn ABA begins future tonight". The Spokesman-Review: p. C2. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rWRWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TfIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6892,3912994&dq=scott+brooks+los-angeles-stars&hl=en. Retrieved July 17, 2011. 
  11. ^ Shaikin, Bill (August 8, 2000). "Wilkes to Guide Team in ABA Revival". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2000/aug/08/sports/sp-694. Retrieved July 17, 2011. 
  12. ^ Crowe, Jerry (January 31, 2001). "Wooden Becomes Star Among the Stars". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jan/31/sports/sp-19265. Retrieved July 17, 2011. 
  13. ^ "ABA 2001 basketball". usbasket.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/60HINA9Ir. 

External links

Official website