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NBA: Milwaukee Bucks On Verge Of Rare Feat

By Phil Watson

Mar 30, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd talks with forward Ersan Ilyasova (7) in the third quarter of their game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 101-88. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 30, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd talks with forward Ersan Ilyasova (7) in the third quarter of their game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 101-88. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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The addition of Clyde Lovellette from the Minneapolis Lakers made the Cincinnati Royals a playoff team in 1957-58. (Image from 1957 Topps basketball card)
The addition of Clyde Lovellette from the Minneapolis Lakers made the Cincinnati Royals a playoff team in 1957-58. (Image from 1957 Topps basketball card) /

1957-58 Cincinnati Royals

The Rochester Royals were one of the early powers in the NBA, posting better than a .600 winning percentage in each of their first six seasons in the circuit and winning the title in 1951.

But by 1956-57, the Royals were floundering, finishing an NBA-worst 31-41 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year.

Facing pressure from the NBA to either sell the team or relocate it to a larger market, brothers Jack and Lester Harrison moved the franchise to Cincinnati for the 1957-58 season.

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1 advantage the Warriors have over each Pacific Division team
1 advantage the Warriors have over each Pacific Division team /

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    • The Royals took Hot Rod Hundley out of West Virginia with the first overall pick and packaged him up in a seven-player deal with the Minneapolis Lakers in exchange for Clyde Lovellette and Jim Paxson (yes, the father of the former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager and Portland Trail Blazers All-Star).

    Rochester hadn’t been lacking in talent the previous season—they were just really young. Jack Twyman averaged 16.3 points a game as a second-year player and Maurice Stokes put up 15.6 points, 17.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists a night in his second NBA season.

    Now in Cincinnati, Lovellette—a veteran of an NBA title with the Lakers in 1954—led the way, averaging 23.4 points and 12.1 rebounds a game. Stokes chipped in 16.9 and 18.1 to go with 6.4 assists and Twyman tossed in 17.2 points a game.

    Here’s the thing: The Royals only improved by two games to 33-39, tying the Detroit Pistons for second in the Western Division. But that was 14 games better than the Lakers, who collapsed to 19-53.

    The playoffs, however, ended quickly. The Royals lost Game 1 of the division semifinals at Detroit 100-83 and lost Game 2 at home 124-104.

    Cincinnati missed the playoffs each of the next three seasons, however, before drafting some guy named Oscar Robertson—who was apparently fairly decent at basketball—in 1961.

    Next: The First To Go From Worst