Pittsburgh Still Doesn’t Have an NBA Team – Why?

It’s been over a decade since the Pittsburgh Pirates left town, and the city still doesn’t have an NBA team. Why is that? Some say it’s because the city doesn’t have a suitable arena. Others say it’s because the market just isn’t big enough.

Whatever the reason, it’s clear that Pittsburgh is still a basketball city at heart. And with the recent success of the Pittsburgh Penguins, there’s hope that one day an NBA team will call the Steel City

Pittsburgh’s NBA Hopes

Pittsburgh is a basketball city. It’s a well-known fact. From the storied careers of players like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain to more modern stars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, the game of basketball has always had a place in the Steel City. So, why then, does Pittsburgh still not have an NBA team?

The Pittsburgh Pipers

The Pittsburgh Pipers were a basketball team that played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1967 to 1968. The team was based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and played their home games at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. The Pipers were one of the ABA’s most successful expansion franchises, winning the ABA Championship in their first season.

The franchise compiled a 209-105 record over two seasons and won the Eastern Division title both years. The ABA ceased operations after the 1976 season and four of its teams, including the Pipers, were absorbed into the NBA.

The Pipers were led by head coach Larry Brown and player-coach Connie Hawkins. Hawkins was acquired by the Pipers from the Harlem Globetrotters on October 30, 1967. Other notable players on the team included Johnny Neumann, Ron Reid, and future NCAA coaching legend John Chaney.

The Pittsburgh Condors

The Condors were a professional basketball team in the now-defunct American Basketball Association (ABA). The team, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, existed from 1967 to 1969. The team played its home games in the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. The Condors were one of the ABA’s four charter franchises. The team later became the Virginia Squires before folding.

In the summer of 1967, a group of Pittsburgh businessmen were awarded a franchise in the ABA. The team was originally going to be called the Pittsburgh Pipers, however when it was discovered that there was already a team with that name in another league, they chose the name “Condors”.

The Condors were not particularly successful on the court, finishing with a record of 43-41 in their first season and missing the playoffs. However, they did have one notable player in Connie Hawkins, who was named to the ABA All-Star game and All-ABA Second Team.

After only two seasons in Pittsburgh, the team’s owners decided to move them to Virginia. They became the Virginia Squires and ultimately folded several years later.

Why Pittsburgh Still Doesn’t Have an NBA Team

Pittsburgh is a historic city with a proud sports tradition. The Steelers and the Penguins are two of the most popular teams in the NFL and NHL, respectively. The city has also produced some of the greatest basketball players of all time, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dennis Rodman, and Tim Duncan. So, why doesn’t Pittsburgh have an NBA team?

Population

The city of Pittsburgh is the 26th most populous city in the United States, with a population of just over 305,000 people. That’s far less than the population of other cities with NBA teams like Chicago (2.7 million), Los Angeles (4 million), or New York City (8.6 million). So why doesn’t Pittsburgh have an NBA team? Well, there are a few reasons…

First and foremost, it comes down to market size. There simply aren’t enough potential customers in Pittsburgh to justify an NBA team. The area just doesn’t have the population to support an NBA franchise. In order for a city to have an NBA team, there needs to be a large enough market to justify the investment.

Secondly, Pittsburgh is located in a relatively small media market. The city ranks 21st in the country in terms of media market size. That means that there are fewer potential television and radio viewers/listeners for an NBA team in Pittsburgh than there would be in a larger media market like New York City or Los Angeles.

Lastly, Pittsburgh is home to two other professional sports teams – the NFL’s Steelers and the NHL’s Penguins – which compete for attention and resources. An NBA team would likely have a hard time carving out its own niche in the Pittsburgh sports landscape.

So while Pittsburgh is certainly a basketball-friendly city, it’s unlikely that we’ll see an NBA team anytime soon.

The Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its home games at Heinz Field on Pittsburgh’s North Side in the North Shore neighborhood, which also hosts the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. The Steelers have won more Super Bowl titles and AFC championships than any other franchise. They are the most successful franchise in NFL history, with an overall .666 win-loss record since 1933, as well as the most victorious franchise with six total Lombardi trophies.

The Pittsburgh Penguins

When the Pittsburgh Penguins began play in the 1967-68 NHL season, they were part of a wave of expansion that saw the league double in size from six to 12 teams. The new franchise was originally owned by Jack McGregor, a former minority owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, and his son Peter. The McGregors’ Pens were one of three new teams in the “Second Six”, joining the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota North Stars. The Penguins’ first home was the Civic Arena, which they shared with the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Pittsburgh still does not have an NBA team because the market is not large enough and the fan base is not strong enough. There are other, more established teams in the area that would be better suited for an NBA franchise. Additionally, the costs of building a new arena and support infrastructure would be too high for the city to justify at this time.