Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association: The Real Story of a Team Left Behind

by Gary P. West, Lloyd &#34, Pink&#34

Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball The Real Story of a Team Left Behind gives an inside look at one of the most intriguing times in the history of professional basketball; and the city of Louisville and the state of Kentucky were enjoying every bit of it. And then as quickly as the Colonels appeared, they were gone. They had been around just long enough to win a world championship and showcase not only some of the best basketball players in the history of the game, but also some of its most colorful characters. Perhaps this book should have been written years ago, but there always seemed to be plenty of time. And then one day, a generation or two removed, someone asked what happened to that pro-basketball team back in the 60s and 70s? BAM, it hits you. This book had to be written. Here are never-before-told stories that only Lloyd "Pink" Gardner would know. He lived it and Gary P. West wrote it. A story of colorful owners with family connections to the Lindbergh kidnapping and Hope Diamond; sports agents who would do anything to sign players; a double murder and suicide; a businessman who thought he could do in basketball what he had done with Kentucky Fried Chicken; an insignificant T.V. deal that turned into hundreds of millions of dollars; a team that drafted a 5 6 , 55-year-old college professor; and through it all still won a world championship. Lloyd Gardner was a major part of the success of the Kentucky Colonels. Anyone who knows anything about the Kentucky Colonels and their history will tell you that. Lloyd had the perfect temperament to be a trainer, and the knowledge to get the players back after certain injuries, and the key thing of loyalty... to the players and the coaches. Hubie Brown--Interview with Drew Deener on WKRD Radio

Genres: Basketball, Sports

352 pages, Hardcover

First published October 31, 2011

Reviews

[Tom Pachuta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really only for fans of the Colonels. It is a very disjointed book, with sections by both authors going back and forth between season recaps and stories on some of the players and coaches. Many stories are repeated.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is a little disjointed, but the memories that it brings back are priceless.

[Christopher Heaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thorough account of the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association from the team's and the league's beginning to the bitter end when the Colonels disbanded & the ABA was no more.

[W · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ABA always seems to be forgotten by the modern NBA fan. It feels as if they don't realize where the league would be without the Spurs, Nuggets, Pacers, and Nets or the three point shot or the numerous star players who only joined the league after the ABA dissolved. The Colonels, who do not exist today, were a key franchise in the league and this book does a great job of telling the story of a long-forgotten team in a long-forgotten league. Engaging and interesting throughout.