Detroit Falcons (basketball)


The Detroit Falcons were a Basketball Association of America team based in Detroit. It played in the inaugural 1946–47 season and folded soon after the season ended. Its demise alongside the Detroit Gems' move to Minneapolis to become the Minneapolis Lakers left Detroit without a professional basketball team until a decade later, when the Fort Wayne Pistons moved there.

History

Originally, the Falcons were slated to be the BAA Indianapolis team that supposed to have debuted alongside the rest of the other inaugural Basketball Association of America teams in its inaugural season. However, at some point before the season began for the franchise, the idea for them to play in Indianapolis was scrapped and the franchise began to play in Detroit, Michigan as the Detroit Falcons instead. The Falcons played only in the inaugural season of the BAA and finished 4th in the Western Division with a 20–40 record, games out of first place. Stan Miasek was the team's star, scoring 895 points and making the BAA's First-Team that year. Despite Detroit hosting the inaugural BAA (now NBA) draft, the Falcons would be one of two teams in the BAA to not participate in that inaugural event. Following the draft's conclusion, the Falcons would officially withdraw from the BAA on July 9, 1947, becoming the second BAA franchise to fold after the Cleveland Rebels did it a month prior on June 9. However, the BAA would later officially cancel the Falcons franchise alongside five other non-operating franchises in Buffalo and Indianapolis alongside the Cleveland Rebels, the Pittsburgh Ironmen, and the Toronto Huskies on May 10, 1948 in order to implement new spots for teams held by rivaling NBL teams like the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, Indianapolis Kautskys, Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals, Oshkosh All-Stars, and Toledo Jeeps.
SeasonGPWLPct.Playoffs
1946–47602040Did not qualify

Personnel

;Head coaches
;Players
NameJersey No.Pos.Height Weight
Chet Aubuchon98G5' 10"137
Moe Becker67G-F6' 1"185
Harold Brown24G6' 0"155
Bob Dille62F6' 3"190
John Janisch52F-G6' 3"200
Harold Johnson8, 33C6' 6"240
Tom King11G6' 0"165
Grady Lewis7, 66F-C6' 7"215
Ariel Maughan99F6' 4"190
Howie McCarty55F-G6' 2"190
Stan Miasek14, 22C-F6' 5"210
George Pearcy34G6' 1"165
Henry Pearcy44G6' 1"170
Milt Schoon15, 68C6' 7"230
Art Stolkey44G6' 1"180