1968 ABA Finals Highlights Film 1st Season Pittsburgh Pipers defeat New Orleans Buccaneers

(THIS VERSION DELETES 7 MINUTES OF DISCARDED/REPREATED FOOTAGE INADVERTENTLY LEFT IN THE INITIAL POSTING) After its first season, the American Basketball Association produced a highlight film documenting its first championship series, which found the Pittsburgh Pipers (with the legendary Connie Hawkins) defeating the New Orleans Buccaneers (with two men who would go on to make their marks as coaches: Larry Brown and Doug Moe), 4 games to 3 This film has been available on YouTube for years; however, this version is of significantly higher quality (although still far from perfect). First, the version that has been available has been color adjusted to tone down the overall pink washout effect that plagued it. More important, much of the footage has been replaced by excellent, high definition footage that was originally shared by our friends at Flagstaff Films in a series of tweets Because of Connie Hawkins’ tragic backstory, he was banned from the NBA for over ten years; once he arrived, he was declining and suffering from knee ailments. This footage is rare in that it offers glimpses of The Hawk in his prime (although, coincidentally enough, he does hurt his knee in this series) Film narrated by the great Ray Scott