The 1968–69 Miami Floridians season was the first season of the Floridians franchise in the American Basketball Association and second overall season of existence. The team had moved from the state of Minnesota after one season played as the Minnesota Muskies. One aspect for the Miami Floridians struggling to acquire a good fanbase related to them trading away their star player, Mel Daniels, to the Indiana Pacers back when they were still going by the Muskies in the 1968 ABA draft. Despite them trading away their star player to Indiana, the Miami Floridians finished one game behind the Pacers, for a second-place finish. In the 1969 ABA Playoffs, they faced the replacement for them in the state of Minnesota, the defending champion Pipers. They beat them in a close 7-game series to set up a chance to go to the ABA Finals. However, in the Eastern Division Finals, they lost to the Indiana Pacers 4 games to 1.

Roster

Final standings Eastern Division + Team W L PCT. GB Indiana Pacers 4434.564 - Miami Floridians 4335.551 1 Kentucky Colonels 4236.5382 Minnesota Pipers 3642.462 8 New York Nets 1761.218 27

ABA Playoffs ABA Eastern Division Semifinals vs. Minnesota Pipers Game Date Location Score Record Attendance 1 April 7 Miami 119–110 1–0 4,103 2 April 9 West Palm Beach 99–106 1–1 1,688 3 April 10 Minnesota 93–109 1–2 1,520 4 April 12 Minnesota 116–109 2–2 2,532 5 April 13 Miami 122–107 3–2 4,206 6 April 15 Minnesota 100–105 3–3 1,345 7 April 19 Miami 137–128 4–3 5,702 Floridians win series, 4–3

ABA Eastern Division Finals vs Indiana Pacers Game Date Location Result Record Attendance 1 April 20 Indiana 110–126 0–1 8,721 2 April 22 Indiana 116–131 0–2 7,243 3 April 23 Miami 105–119 0–3 2,112 4 April 25 Miami 114–110 1–3 2,846 4 April 26 Indiana 105–127 1–4 3,528 Floridians lose series, 4–1

Awards and honors 1969 ABA All-Star Game selections (game played on January 28, 1969) Donnie Freeman Les Hunter Skip Thoren

References

Floridians on Basketball Reference

External links RememberTheABA.com 1968-69 regular season and playoff results Miami Floridians page