Kentucky Colonels
| Kentucky Colonels | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conference | None |
| Division | Eastern Division |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Folded | 1976 |
| History |
Kentucky Colonels 1967–1976 |
| Arena |
Louisville Convention Center (1967–1970) Freedom Hall (1970–1976) |
| Location | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Team colors |
Chartreuse and White (1967–1970) Blue, Red and White (1970–1976) |
| Head coach |
(1967) John Givens (1967–1970) Gene Rhodes (1970) Alex Groza (1970–1971) Frank Ramsey (1971–1973) Joe Mullaney (1973–1974) Babe McCarthy (1974–1976) Hubie Brown |
| Ownership | Don Regan (1967) Joseph E. Gregory, Mamie Gregory and William C. Boone (1967–1969) H. Wendell Cherry, Bill DeWitt, Stuart Jay, David Jones, John Y. Brown, Jr. and Mike Storen (1969–1973) John Y. Brown, Jr. and Ellie Brown (1973–1976) |
| Affiliation(s) | None |
| Championships | 1 (1975) |
| Conference titles | no conference play in ABA |
| Division titles | 4 (1971, 1972, 1973, 1975) |
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did not join the NBA in the 1976 ABA–NBA merger. The downtown Louisville Convention Center (now known as The Gardens) was the Colonels' original venue for the first three seasons before moving to Freedom Hall for the remaining seasons, beginning with the 1970–71 schedule.
The Kentucky Colonels were only one of two ABA teams, along with the Indiana Pacers, to play for the entire duration of the league without relocating, changing its team name or folding. The Colonels were also the only major league franchise in Kentucky since the Louisville Breckenridges left the National Football League in 1923.
The Louisville-based Colonels started their time in the ABA as a colorful franchise, and not just because of their bright chartreuse green uniforms. Among the things they were known for was their "mascot" Ziggy, a prize-winning Brussels Griffon dog that was owned by original team owners Joe and Mamie Gregory. Some fans of the Colonels believed Ziggy was the real owner of the club. Ziggy went to owner's meetings and had a front row seat for games. The dog was even part of the team's logo for their first seasons.
They were equally famous for publicity stunts, their most famous coming in 1968 when Penny Ann Early, the first licensed female horse racing jockey, was signed to appear in an ABA game (albeit for a few seconds).
The team's performance on the court was understandably overshadowed. Perhaps it was deserved, as they were mostly an average team, but they did have a pair of good in-state talents, Kentucky Wildcat Louie Dampier and Western Kentucky University legend Darel Carrier. They were among the best long range shooters of their time, and benefitted greatly from the ABA's three-point line. Carrier spent 5 seasons with the club, while Dampier was a Colonel for all of their years.
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