Post by dex on Oct 6, 2015 9:12:31 GMT -5
PRO BASKETBALL
ABA franchise gets assist from Ernie D.
The former PC and Braves player will be the team’s director of operations
By Kevin McNamara Journal Sports Writer
E r n i e D . i s b a c k i n basketball.
Ernie DiGregorio, the North Providence and Providence College basketball legend, has been hired a s t h e director of operations for the Buffalo 716ers of the American Basketball Association. The ABA is the same fledgling league that features the Providence Sky Chiefs.
The 716ers (named after Buffalo’s area code) will play at Erie Community College’s 3,000-seat Burt Flickinger Athletic Center in downtown Buffalo when the season tips off in November. The 716ers will join the ABA after being in the Premier Basketball League the previous two seasons.
DiGregorio, who is a long-time resident of Narragansett, will not be relocating for his new position. He says a phone call from team owner Tawan Slaughter asking for assistance with the team opened up a chance to reconnect with Buffalo, the city where he reached the pinnacle in his pro basketball.
“I love Buffalo,” DiGregorio said. “People in Buffalo still love me and love the Braves.”
DiGregorio said his duties with the 716ers will revolve around marketing and growing interest in the franchise. Through his connections with the NBA and former Braves owner Paul Snyder, DiGregorio has already helped create a “Buffalo Braves Night” at one of the ABA team’s games.
“They want Bob McAdoo and Adrian Dantley to come back and we’ll be able to do that,” he said. “I’m not the coach or a general manager. I’ll help in the community and with promotions and help them build a franchise.”
After his All-American career at Providence College, DiGregorio was selected third overall by the Braves in the 1973 NBA Draft. He won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1974 after averaging 15.2 points and leading the league in both assists (8.2) and free-throw percentage (.902). He still holds the NBA rookie record for assists in a single game with 25, a record now shared with Nate McMillan. DiGregorio, now 64, played five seasons in the NBA before retiring after knee injuries.
Slaughter said she feels connecting fans with the Buffalo Braves’ history is a natural for her team.
“ O u r c i t y w a s v e r y blessed to have the Braves in the ‘70s, and it’s a shame they left. We didn’t have a quality, stable basketball franchise since then,” she said. “Going into our third season, I’ve listened to our fans. I keep hearing how they want the best players and want a championship. I’m working hard on player acquisition now, and Ernie will help steer the organization to keep growing and keep bringing in fans.”
— kmcnamar@ providencejournal.com
ABA franchise gets assist from Ernie D.
The former PC and Braves player will be the team’s director of operations
By Kevin McNamara Journal Sports Writer
E r n i e D . i s b a c k i n basketball.
Ernie DiGregorio, the North Providence and Providence College basketball legend, has been hired a s t h e director of operations for the Buffalo 716ers of the American Basketball Association. The ABA is the same fledgling league that features the Providence Sky Chiefs.
The 716ers (named after Buffalo’s area code) will play at Erie Community College’s 3,000-seat Burt Flickinger Athletic Center in downtown Buffalo when the season tips off in November. The 716ers will join the ABA after being in the Premier Basketball League the previous two seasons.
DiGregorio, who is a long-time resident of Narragansett, will not be relocating for his new position. He says a phone call from team owner Tawan Slaughter asking for assistance with the team opened up a chance to reconnect with Buffalo, the city where he reached the pinnacle in his pro basketball.
“I love Buffalo,” DiGregorio said. “People in Buffalo still love me and love the Braves.”
DiGregorio said his duties with the 716ers will revolve around marketing and growing interest in the franchise. Through his connections with the NBA and former Braves owner Paul Snyder, DiGregorio has already helped create a “Buffalo Braves Night” at one of the ABA team’s games.
“They want Bob McAdoo and Adrian Dantley to come back and we’ll be able to do that,” he said. “I’m not the coach or a general manager. I’ll help in the community and with promotions and help them build a franchise.”
After his All-American career at Providence College, DiGregorio was selected third overall by the Braves in the 1973 NBA Draft. He won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1974 after averaging 15.2 points and leading the league in both assists (8.2) and free-throw percentage (.902). He still holds the NBA rookie record for assists in a single game with 25, a record now shared with Nate McMillan. DiGregorio, now 64, played five seasons in the NBA before retiring after knee injuries.
Slaughter said she feels connecting fans with the Buffalo Braves’ history is a natural for her team.
“ O u r c i t y w a s v e r y blessed to have the Braves in the ‘70s, and it’s a shame they left. We didn’t have a quality, stable basketball franchise since then,” she said. “Going into our third season, I’ve listened to our fans. I keep hearing how they want the best players and want a championship. I’m working hard on player acquisition now, and Ernie will help steer the organization to keep growing and keep bringing in fans.”
— kmcnamar@ providencejournal.com
