Would Buffalo Welcome the Braves Back? Apparently, L.A. Wouldn't Miss Them!

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Now, when you consider the Braves was an expansion team and during their first three seasons they won 22, 22, and 21 wins, respectively, before the team finally began to have the right talent and coaching in place, those three years are even more impressive. But wait, there's more.

When you consider that the final year the team was in Buffalo, it's new owner John Y. Brown, who'd just lost the Kentucky Colonels due to the folding of the ABA, was scheming to decimate the roster and insult the city until he would be allowed to take the franchise elsewhere without a fight (and succeeded mightily in so doing) it is even more impressive.

Bob McAdoo and Jim McMillain were sold (yes sold, not traded) to the Knicks. All the other talent was disposed of, one way or another, and only Smith remained of the team that had challenged for a conference title just two years earlier. So, you can't count year eight. And you can't count the first three years. Therefore, the Braves made three playoff appearances in four years that count.

During those four years, the Braves were among the top four or five franchises in the league in average attendance, despite the fact that the Buffalo Sabres (NHL) and Canisius College basketball had the best game dates blocked out (Saturdays, Sundays), leaving the Braves to play mostly on Tuesday and Friday in competition with high school basketball in the area.

In addition to team success, there was individual achievement. The Braves had three rookies of the year (McAdoo, Ernie DiGregorio, and Adrian Dantley), one NBA All-Star MVP (Smith), three scoring leaders (McAdoo, three times), and one iron-man (Smith, who, between Buffalo, SD, and L.A., played 906 consecutive games until waived by the Clippers.)

So, when you look at the Clippers miserable stats in the post-Buffalo years compared to the tremendous success and love the franchise enjoyed in Buffalo, which is still nurtured among those old enough to remember, the answer to the question of franchise location should be a reverse, backward slam dunk (a la Randy Smith).

The Aud is almost gone, but the ghosts of the Braves who still haunt it, would find their new home at HSBC Arena and would fit in quite well.

If the Clippers returned to Buffalo and became the Braves again, they would find that elusive love and that elusive winning spirit.

Anyone from L.A. or Buffalo beg to differ?  

Note: for an extensive set of links to recent videos, articles, & audio clips about Randy Smith and the Buffalo Braves, see Chris and Tim Wendel's blog, Buffalo Nation http://buffalonation.wordpress.com/

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