By Kevin Geisert, SMC Reference Librarian. June 2022.

 

The Virginia Squires were a professional basketball team based in Norfolk, VA from 1970-1976.  They competed as a member of the ABA (American Basketball Association).  Norfolk became the third city to call home in the organization’s short history.  When the ABA was founded in 1967, a franchise was awarded to Oakland, CA and named the Oakland Oaks.  They played two seasons on the west coast from 1967-1969 until poor attendance forced singer/team owner Pat Boone to sell the team to Earl Foreman.  The new owner was an attorney from Washington D.C. and after buying the Oaks promptly relocated them on the other coast where they were rebranded as the Washington Caps.  However, their stay in Washington proved to be very short-lived as well.  In 1970, after just one season, Foreman brought professional basketball to Norfolk when the Virginia Squires debuted in the fall.1  Before the 1970-1971 season came to an end, Foreman persuaded an old college roommate, Johnny “Red” Kerr, to join his front office with the Squires in a key position.  Kerr was named the executive vice president and remained in that role until he resigned in 1973.2

During their six-year run in Norfolk, the Squires competed against other now-defunct ABA teams, such as the Kentucky Colonels, Memphis Sounds, San Diego Conquistadors, Spirits of St. Louis, and Utah Stars.  They also faced off against future NBA (National Basketball Association) squads: Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, and San Antonio Spurs.3  The Squires were billed as a regional team.  Foreman set up team headquarters in Norfolk since a vast majority of their home games were split between Norfolk and Hampton.  They played their remaining home games in Richmond and Roanoke, although the latter city was soon abandoned after lagging attendance numbers.4  In their first season, the Squires played games at the Old Dominion University Fieldhouse in Norfolk.  By fall 1971, they had moved into the newly completed Scope Arena, which served as their home for the next five seasons.  Other home arenas included the Hampton Roads Coliseum in Hampton, Roanoke Civic Center, and Richmond Arena.  They used a temporary address for their Norfolk main office at 130 College Place until they could move full operations to the Scope at 201 East Brambleton Avenue.5

On the basketball court, the Squires sported jerseys with a very patriotic red, white, and blue color scheme through the 1973-1974 season.  Then they opted for some combination of orange, brown, white, and blue.6  ABA squads were grouped into two divisions (Eastern and Western).  The Squires competed in the league’s Eastern Division until their final season, 1975-1976, when ABA standings had all teams grouped together.7  Two of the original Squires who deserve a mention are UNC alums Charlie Scott and Larry Brown.  Scott, a guard, averaged 31 points per game in two seasons for the Squires and won ABA Rookie of the Year honors for the 1970-1971 season.  He then took his talents to the NBA where he would win a championship with the Boston Celtics in 1976.  In recognition for a successful ten year professional basketball career, he was later inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  Larry Brown, a point guard, was a three-time ABA All Star before his arrival in Norfolk and knew how to distribute the ball to his teammates.  He played just one season for the Squires, but he is better known as the head coach of several NBA teams, including the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers.  His coaching acumen was good enough to lead the Detroit Pistons to the 2004 NBA Championship.  Like Scott, he also has a place in the Basketball Hall of Fame.8

The Squires were coached by the popular Al Bianchi who was named ABA Coach of the Year following his first season in 1971.  He led the Squires to a division title with a record of 55-29 that season.  After defeating the New York Nets in a first-round playoff series, they were eliminated by the Kentucky Colonels in the Eastern Division Finals.  Each series was decided in Game 6.  Bianchi coached the Squires until November 1975 when mounting losses finally led to his dismissal.9

After a successful debut season, Foreman and the Squires hit the jackpot in 1971 when they lured star forward, Julius Erving, better known to fans as “Dr. J,” to Norfolk with a four-year contract.  Erving had just completed his second varsity season at UMass.  He played the first two seasons of his Hall of Fame career with the Squires from 1971-1973.  Erving had an immediate impact on the local squad.  During his rookie campaign, he played in all 84 games and averaged 27 points per game while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field.  He also contributed 10 defensive rebounds, 6 offensive rebounds, and 4 assists per game.  His points-per-game average increased to 32 in his second season while playing in 71 games.10  Erving led the Squires to a record of 45-39, which was good enough for a second place finish in their division.  They once again reached the Eastern Division Finals after Erving’s dominance led to a four game sweep of the Floridians in their first round series.  This time the Squires took the series to a seventh and decisive game, which took place at Scope.  Despite a 35 point effort by Erving, the Squires came up short in a 94-88 home loss to the Nets.11

Another future Hall of Famer also got his start with the Squires when he debuted in January 1973 (1972-1973 season).  George Gervin, who went by the nickname “Iceman,” displayed his talent for Norfolk fans right from the start.  In his rookie season, Gervin averaged 14 points per game and shot 47 percent from the field in addition to grabbing 3 defensive rebounds a game.  When Julius Erving departed the Squires following the 1972-1973 season, Gervin improved his stat line and cemented his status as the best player on the team.  He averaged 23 points to go along with 6 defensive rebounds per game in his second season.12 One highlight from the 1973-1974 season was in the second game when Gervin faced off against his former teammate in New York.  Erving now starred for the Nets when the Squires made their early season visit.  Gervin scored a then-career high 43 points for the visitors, but it was Erving who stole the show by pouring in 38 points and leading the Nets to a 116-105 win.13  Unfortunately, for Squires fans, Gervin did not finish the season in Norfolk and the Squires dropped to a record of 28-56.  Their season ended with a first round playoff loss to the Nets in five games.14  A precipitous drop in competitiveness occurred in 1974.  The franchise hit rock bottom during their final two seasons, which resulted in miserable records of 15-69 and 15-68.15

Within a few years, the Virginia Squires experiment came to a sudden end in Norfolk.  Many observers were hardly surprised by this turn of events though because there had been signs that the organization was not viable in Hampton Roads.  Early on, Foreman and the Squires spent much of their time engaged in contentious lawsuits.  One such courtroom battle involved disgruntled star Rick Barry who refused to play for the Squires when the Washington Caps relocated to Norfolk.  He was ultimately sold to the Nets before the 1970-1971 season even began.16

Most significantly, the Squires were never able to establish the financial stability necessary to achieve long-term success.  Their first few seasons of exciting basketball led by some of the game’s greatest stars was just not enough to make the organization financially secure.  Foreman’s financial woes became so dire that he struggled to come up with the rent money for his team’s continued use of Scope Arena.  The organization could not be trusted to pay the bills or even players’ salaries.  In order to keep the Squires in business, Foreman resorted to selling off his assets, which meant saying goodbye to the most talented players.  He sold players to rival ABA clubs, and as a result the Squires could no longer remain competitive.  These personnel moves caused fans to become very frustrated with the direction of their team.  With each transaction, attendance continued to plummet and the wins became much scarcer.17  Julius Erving, the biggest star of all, was sold to the Nets for $3.5 million in the summer of 1973, which signaled to Squires fans that tough times lay ahead.18  A year earlier, an unhappy Charlie Scott was allowed to bolt for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA without an effort on the part of Foreman to keep him with the Squires.  Early in the 1973-74 season, Foreman sold another promising player, Swen Nater, to the San Antonio Spurs.  By January 1974, it was George Gervin’s turn, which was really the final blow for the franchise.  In mid-season, Gervin was also sold to San Antonio for $225,000 where he led a Hall of Fame career for over a decade.19  By the end of the season, Foreman seemed to admit failure when he sold his struggling organization to investors for just $1 million.20  The challenge of keeping the local team in Virginia proved to be an insurmountable task, even under new ownership.  Efforts to save the Squires and bring them to solvency were all in vain.21

The sad ending for the Virginia Squires came in May 1976.  The ABA finally made a decision to fold the organization for not being able to satisfy its debt obligations.  As a result, Virginia lost its only major professional sports team.  The ABA was left with no choice in the matter when the Squires proved that they were unable to pay their players on a regular basis.  Thus, with this announcement, the Virginia Squires ceased to exist.22  They could only survive as a franchise for six years in the 1970s, but Norfolk owns a small place in the history of professional basketball and the ABA.  The Virginia Squires are still remembered by fans and players alike despite the organization’s tumultuous history.23  About a month after the Squires dissolved, news of the NBA-ABA merger became public.  The effective date for the merger was August 1976.  Four ABA teams were absorbed into the NBA:  the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets (now Brooklyn Nets), and San Antonio Spurs.  These franchises represented the best of what the ABA had to offer.  Most ABA teams, like the Squires, were forced to shut down and become a footnote in basketball history.24

Sources:

  1.    Wikipedia-American Basketball Association https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Basketball_Association. | Wikipedia-Virginia Squires https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Squires.

  2.    Welsh, Dick.  “Kerr Rejoins Old “Whip,” Teammate.”  Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 23 March 1971, Page B3. | “Kerr Quits; Squires’ Move Rumored.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 24 August 1973, Page C1.

  3.    Basketball Reference-1974-75 ABA Standings https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/ABA_1975_standings.html.

  4.    Dozier, Turner.  “Foreman Promises ABA Action In and On the Courts.”  Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 31 July 1970, Page B4. | Wikipedia-Virginia Squires https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Squires.

  5.    Norfolk-Portsmouth-Chesapeake-Virginia Beach Telephone Directory May 1971 (Norfolk, VA), Page 537.  | 1972-73 Norfolk City Directory, Page 539.

  6.    Wikipedia-Virginia Squires https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Squires.

  7.    Basketball Reference-1974-75 ABA Standings https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/ABA_1975_standings.html.

  8.    Basketball Reference-1970-71 Virginia Squires Roster and Stats https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/VIR/1971.html. | Basketball Reference-1975-76 ABA Standings https://www.basketball- reference.com/leagues/ABA_1976_standings.html. | Basketball Reference-Larry Brown https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/brownla01c.html. |Basketball Reference-Charlie Scott https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/scottch01.html.

  9.    Basketball Reference-Bianchi, Al https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/biancal01c.html.

  10.    Basketball Reference-Julius Erving  https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ervinju01.html. |“Massachusetts Junior Signs With Squires.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 6 April 1971, Page, B6. | Welsh, Dick.  “The New ‘Big E’ Belongs to the Squires.”  Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 22 September 1971, Page A22. | Wikipedia-Julius Erving https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Erving.

  11.    Basketball Reference-1971-72 Virginia Squires Roster and Stats https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/VIR/1972.html. | Basketball Reference-1972 ABA Eastern Division Semifinals Floridians vs. Squires https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1972-aba-eastern-division-semifinals-floridians-vs-squires.html. | Basketball Reference-1972 ABA Eastern Division Finals Nets vs. Squires https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1972-aba-eastern-division-finals-nets-vs-squires.html.

  12.   Basketball Reference-George Gervin https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gervige01.html.

  13.   Basketball Reference-George Gervin 1973-74 Game Log https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gervige01/gamelog/1974/aba/. | Vehorn, Frank.  “Nets’ Surge Blitzes Squires.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 13 October 1973, Page B4.

  14.   Basketball Reference-1973-74 Virginia Squires Roster and Stats https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/VIR/1974.html. | “Earl Foreman and the Squires.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 8 February 1974, Page A14.

  15.   Basketball Reference-1974-75 Virginia Squires Roster and Stats https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/VIR/1975.html. | Basketball Reference-1975-76 Virginia Squires Roster and Stats https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/VIR/1976.html.

  16.   Dozier, Turner.  “Foreman Promises ABA Action In and On the Courts.”  Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 31 July 1970, Page B4. | Vehorn, Frank.  “Squires Sell Barry to Nets for $200,000-Plus.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 2 September 1970, Page C1. 

  17.   Young, Ed.  “Foreman and the Squires.”  The Commonwealth [Richmond, Va.]: [Virginia State Chamber of Commerce], March 1974, Page 44.

  18.   Vehorn, Frank.  “Squires Deal Erving to Nets.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 1 August 1973, Pages B12 and B14.

  19.   “Earl Foreman and the Squires.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 8 February 1974, Page A14. | McClelland, George.  “Foreman Agrees to Sell Squires to Local Group.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 9 February 1974, Pages A1 and A9.  | Wikipedia-Charlie Scott https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Scott_(basketball).

  20.   McClelland, George.  “And Foreman Departs, ‘Drained of Emotion….’”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 9 February 1974, Page B4. | McClelland, George.  “Foreman Agrees to Sell Squires to Local Group.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 9 February 1974, Pages A1 and A9.   

  21.   Littwin, Mike.  “League Folds Squires; Debt-Paying Try Fails.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 11 May 1976, Pages A1 and A3.   

  22.   Ibid.

  23.   “Gone—But Virginia Won’t Forget Squires.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 11 May 1976, Page B6.

  24.    History-“NBA Merges With ABA.”  https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nba-merges-with-aba.

 

Name (Original)

 Virginia Squires

Name (Also Known As)

  Oakland Oaks (1967-1969)

  Washington Caps (1969-1970)

Address:

 

 

 130 College Place (1970)

 Scope Plaza-201 E Brambleton Avenue (1971-1976)

Name of Founder(s):

 Earl Foreman

Date Founded:

 1970

Date Disbanded:

 May 1976

Type of Entity:

 American Basketball Association, a professional basketball franchise (ABA)

 

Major Keywords/Search Terms:

Virginia Squires | Oakland Oaks | Washington Caps | Foreman, Earl | Professional basketball team | ABA (American Basketball Association) | Scope Arena | Boone, Pat | San Antonio Spurs | New York Nets | Kentucky Colonels | Indiana Pacers | San Diego Conquistadors | Detroit Pistons | Boston Celtics | Brown, Larry | Scott, Charlie | NBA (National Basketball Association) | Denver Nuggets | Utah Stars | Memphis Sounds | Spirits of St. Louis | Bianchi, Al | Philadelphia 76ers | Hampton Roads Coliseum | Old Dominion University Fieldhouse | Roanoke Civic Center | Richmond Arena | Kerr, Johnny “Red” | Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame | Erving, Julius (“Dr. J”) | The Floridians | Gervin, George | Barry, Rick | Phoenix Suns | Nater, Swen | NBA-ABA merger | Brooklyn Nets

 

Sources:

 

1.   Primary Sources:

       

      1)    Books:

 

                           City and Telephone Directories:

  • Norfolk-Portsmouth-Chesapeake-Virginia Beach Telephone Directory May 1971, page 537.
  • Norfolk City Directory 1972-73, page 539. 
  • Norfolk-Portsmouth-Chesapeake-Virginia Beach Telephone Directory May 1974, page 618.

       

      2)    Newspapers/Magazines/Journals:

 

                            Newspapers: (Selective)

 

                                      1970:

  • “Foreman Reported Offering Barry Freedom for $200,000.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 30 July 1970, Page D1.
  • Dozier, Turner.  “Foreman Promises ABA Action In and On the Courts.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 31 July 1970, Page B4.
  • Hudson, Ben.  “Caps Now Virginia Squires; Foreman Says Barry Stays.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 31 July 1970, Pages D1 and D5.
  • “And Now the Squires.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 2 August 1970, Page C4.
  • “Squires, ODU Sign Contracts.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 11 August 1970, Page B3. 
  • Vehorn, Frank.  “Squires Sell Barry to Nets for $200,000-Plus.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 2 September 1970, Page C1.
  • Welsh, Dick.  “Squires Sued by Buffalo.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA)17 September 1970, Page A1.
  • “The Talent-laden Squires.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 22 September 1970, Page A6.
  • Welsh, Dick.  “Squires, Charles the Great Launch 1st ABA Season.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 17 October 1970, Page A10.
  • “The Fast-starting Squires.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 13 November 1970, Page A6.

 

                                       1971:

  • Welsh, Dick.  “Squires Wrap Up a Pennant Around Bianchi’s Grand Design.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 20 March 1971, Page B4.
  • Welsh, Dick.  “Kerr Rejoins Old “Whip,” Teammate.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 23 March 1971, Page B3.
  • “The Pace-Setting Squires.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 25 March 1971, Page A6.
  • Welsh, Dick.  “Force Behind the ABA Insists Virginia Franchise No Gamble.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star 30 March 1971, Page B4.
  • Maddry, Lawrence.  “A Square Dealer for Squires.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 2 April 1971, Page C1.
  • Vehorn, Frank.  “2nd Season Opens Tonight.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 2 April 1971, Page D1.
  • “Massachusetts Junior Signs With Squires.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 6 April 1971, Page, B6.
  • Linker, Ray.  “Perhaps He’s the World’s Busiest Squire.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 25 April 1971, Pages C1-C2.
  • Welsh, Dick.  “The New ‘Big E’ Belongs to the Squires.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 22 September 1971, Page A22.

 

                                      1972:

  • Vehorn, Frank.  “Talk, Not Lawsuits, Needed to Mend Situation-Foreman.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 24 February 1972, Page D4.
  • Vehorn, Frank.  “Erving Wants Out of Squires’ Pact.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 14 June 1972, Pages B7-B8.

 

                                      1973:

  • Vehorn, Frank.  “Squires Deal Erving to Nets.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 1 August 1973, Pages B 12 and B14. 
  • "Kerr Quits; Squires’ Move Rumored.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 24 August 1973, Page C1.  
  • Vehorn, Frank.  Nets’ Surge Blitzes Squires.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 13 October 1973, Page B4. 
  • Dalton, Gary.  “Norfolk Gets Tough: Squires Must Pay Up.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 11 November 1973, Page B1. 
  • Goldaper, Sam.  “Julius Erving: ABA Finds Dr. J Not a Cure-all.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 6 December 1973, Page B5.

 

                                      1974:

  • “Earl Foreman and the Squires.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 8 February 1974, Page A14.
  • McClelland, George.  “And Foreman Departs, ‘Drained of Emotion….’”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 9 February 1974, Page B4.
  • McClelland, George.  “Foreman Agrees to Sell Squires to Local Group.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 9 February 1974, Page A1. 
  • Filegar, Ray.  “State Lands Second Major League Team.”  Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, VA) 28 April 1974, Page L-16.
  • “2 MVP Awards, Dr. J Not Satisfied.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 12 May 1974, Page E2.
  • Reed, Jerry.  “ABA Approves Squires’ Sale; Major Restructuring to Begin.”  The Virginian-Pilot 22 June 1974, Pages B4 and B7.
  • “Determined Local People Kept Squires in Virginia.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 13 October 1974, Pages H7-H8.

 

                                      1975:

  • Littwin, Mike.  “Squires Win Major Battle Against Collapse.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 19 November 1975, Page B5.
  • Welsh, Dick.  “Squires’ Money Crisis Continues.”  Norfolk Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA) 10 December 1975, Page B7.

 

                                      1976:

  • “Gone—But Virginia Won’t Forget Squires.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 11 May 1976, Page B6.
  • Littwin, Mike.  “League Folds Squires; Debt-Paying Try Fails.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 11 May 1976, Pages A1 and A3. 
  • McClelland, George.  “They Did It Their Way.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 12 May 1976, Page B5.
  • Littwin, Mike.  “Squire Déjà Vu.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 28 October 1976, Pages C1 and C4.

 

                            Magazines and Journals: (Selective)

  •  Young, Ed.  “Foreman and the Squires.”  The Commonwealth (Richmond, VA), March 1974, Page 44.

 

      3)    Photographs and Imagery:

  • Folder: “Sports III.”  Virginia Squires.  Sargeant Memorial Collection Main Photograph Collection, MSS 0000-MPC.
  • Photo 73278.  7 March 1972, MW 91.  “Squires Signing on New Player," Virginian-Pilot Photograph Collection, MSS  2021-001.

 

2.   Secondary Sources:

       

      1)    Documents/Collections:

  • Folder: “Norfolk, VA-Sports-Basketball-Virginia Squires.”  Sargeant Memorial Collection Norfolk Clippings Files, MSS 0000-NCF.<o:p></o:p>
  • Legacy Subject: “Sports.  Basketball.  The Virginia Squires.” Sargeant Memorial Collection Card Catalog.<o:p></o:p>
  • Subject: 1947-1980: “Virginia Squires.” The Virginian-Pilot Index Cards, MSS 2020-005.  

 

      2)    Newspapers/Magazines/Journals:  (Selective)

  • Molinaro, Bob.  “Earl Foreman: A New Game for Old Pro.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 9 May 1982, Page D2.<o:p></o:p>
  • Wagaman, Andrew.  “The Virginia Squires: A Time to Remember.  And Forget.”  The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) 26 January 2014, Page C1.

 

      3)    Websites:

 

3.   Resources at Other Institutions:

 

          Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries:

 

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