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History:
Team names: San Diego Conquistadors (1972-1975), San Diego Sails (1975)
League: American Basketball Association (ABA)Popularly known as "Q's" Bloom sold the franchise during the summer of 1975 to Frank Goldberg, a former co-owner of the successful Denver Nuggets franchise. Goldberg started anew, renaming the team the San Diego Sails. With a completely different roster, color scheme, set of uniforms and just about everything else, the re-branded Sails sought to repeat Denver's turnaround a season earlier from mediocrity to championship contender. But the Sails attracted just 3,060 fans to their home opener on October 24, 1975 - a loss to the Nuggets - and fan attendance rapidly dwindled further as the team limped to a 3-8 start; only 1,670 showed up for San Diego's third (and ultimately last) home game, against the San Antonio Spurs. Goldberg soon learned San Diego was to be shut out of the pending ABA-NBA merger, reportedly due to the insistence of Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke, who refused to share his Southern California fan base with a team to the south. With the team lacking fan support or a long-term future, Goldberg folded the franchise on November 12. |
