October 7, 2026
October 7, 2026
1973-1974 Buffalo Braves: Western New York’s Team
The history of the Los Angeles Clippers franchise traces all the way back to the northern tip of New York, where the team used to call home. The franchise began its NBA operations as the Buffalo Braves, a team that had some success in its first home, though it could never get over the hump and make an appearance in the NBA Finals. From 1970 to 1978, the Braves were embraced as Western New York’s team, even though the region already had other professional franchises, such as the Buffalo Bills of the NFL and the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL.
The 1973-1974 Buffalo Braves went 42-40 during the NBA regular season, finishing 14 games behind the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division. November and December were rough months for the Braves, but they managed to play winning or break-even basketball in every other month, going 6-4 in October, 10-7 in January, 9-6 in February and 6-6 in March.
Before the regular season began, the Braves executed a couple of key trades that would improve their team for the time being. They sent center and power forward John Hummer to the Chicago Bulls, along with second-round picks in the 1974 and 1975 NBA Drafts, and got back power forward Gar Heard and center Kevin Kunnert in return. The more controversial trade the Braves pulled off at the time sent center Elmore Smith, who had led the team in scoring, to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for small forward Jim McMillian.
Center Bob McAdoo was the standout player on the Braves for a few seasons. McAdoo was a scoring machine for Buffalo, taking the ball to the basket with ease. He had 2,261 points, 1,117 rebounds, 170 assists, 88 steals and 246 blocks, making 901 of 1,647 field goal attempts and 459 of 579 free throws. McAdoo led the NBA in scoring, made the All-NBA Second Team and was selected to the All-Star Game.
Jim McMillian had 1,525 points, 610 rebounds, 256 assists and 129 steals, making 600 of 1,214 field goal attempts and 325 of 379 free throws. Shooting guard Randy Smith had 1,267 points, 383 assists and 203 steals, making 531 of 1,079 field goal attempts and 205 of 288 free throws. Gar Heard had 1,239 points, 947 rebounds, 136 steals and 230 blocks, making 191 of 294 free throws.
Point guard Ernie DiGregorio had 1,234 points and 663 assists, making 174 of 193 free throws. DiGregorio was the young player who broke out for the Braves, and he was recognized as such when he was named NBA Rookie of the Year. DiGregorio led the NBA in assists and in free throw percentage at .902. Power forward Bob Kauffman had 449 points and 326 rebounds, making 107 of 150 free throws.
The 42-40 record of the 1973-1974 Buffalo Braves was an accurate description of the team, as they went an even 3-3 in games that went to overtime and an even 6-6 in games that were technically played on a neutral court. The Braves traveled to places such as Toronto, Ontario; Providence, Rhode Island; and Madison, Wisconsin to play neutral-site games.
On the bright side, the Braves enjoyed a seven-game winning streak that began on January 1 with a breathtaking 120-119 win over the Portland Trail Blazers and ended on January 12 with a razor-thin 97-96 win over the Capital Bullets, who would later be known as the Washington Bullets. In that game against the Bullets, Jim McMillian had 37 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, making the majority of his shots: 12 of 20 from the field and 13 of 15 from the free throw line. Gar Heard made good on Buffalo’s belief that it could rely on him, posting 19 points, a staggering 18 rebounds and 3 assists. Bob McAdoo had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists.
In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Buffalo Braves faced a daunting task: taking down the Boston Celtics, one of the most storied franchises in NBA history. That task proved too great for the Braves, who fell to the Celtics 4 games to 2. Nonetheless, the Braves did have their moments in the series.
In Game 2 on April 2 at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, the Braves beat the Celtics 115-105. Bob McAdoo showed leadership for the Braves with 23 points and an amazing 20 rebounds, making 7 of 10 free throws. Gar Heard had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Jim McMillian had 20 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Ernie DiGregorio had 18 points, 4 rebounds and an impressive 12 assists. Randy Smith had 16 points, 3 rebounds and 8 assists.
In Game 4 on April 6 at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, the Braves managed to edge the Celtics in a tight 104-102 win. Bob McAdoo exploded offensively for Buffalo, scoring 44 points to go along with 16 rebounds while making 21 of 40 field goal attempts. McMillian had 15 points, an amazing 18 rebounds and 2 assists. Heard had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists.
Considering where the franchise had been, with three straight 60-loss seasons to begin its history, the 1973-1974 Buffalo Braves made the playoffs for the first time and appeared to be headed in the right direction. The next two years saw the Braves return to the playoffs, only to exit early in the Conference Semifinals each time. For a brief period in the mid-1970s, Western New York’s team was playing good, respectable basketball.
7th February, 2017
17th June, 2026
5th March, 2016
29th March, 2016
17th April, 2016
October 7th, 2026 2
October 6th, 2026 2
October 5th, 2026 2
