Yearbook cost a buck back in 1970.
I got my bent, bony fingers on a copy of the 1970 yearbook of the Carolina Cougars of the long-defunct American Basketball Association. Since no city in North Carolina had a large enough population to support a sports franchise, some local businesspeople decided to purchase the struggling Houston Mavericks in 1969 and turn it into a regional franchise that would alternate home games in four NC cities: Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh and Winston-Salem. The team had some success on the court and attracted national attention for the novelty of its regional operation, but it only survived from 1969-1974, before moving to St. Louis.
What’s most interesting about the yearbook is the description of player Larry Miller, who later set the single-game record for ABA scoring in 1972, pouring in 67 against the Memphis Pros. The copy about Miller, however, focused more on his off-the-court scoring. An excerpt:
“Here he is girls: Instant Party. The ABA’s most eligible bachelor. The Lochinvar in low cuts. Larry came to the Cougars from the Los Angeles Stars where he was one of the league’s All Rookie team members in his first season last year. Larry aspires to play guard and feels that he can do the job. Both Los Angeles and the Cougars have used him primarily as a forward but Larry has shown some proficiency with the three point goal.
Larry Miller: "Instant Party."
Off the court Larry is the blithe spirit of pro basketball. His wardrobe of mod attire rivals that of Joe Namath, but there are no mink coats in Larry’s closets. His off season activities include an acting career in Hollywood and a boys’ basketball camp in Charlotte. These keep him hopping between the east and west coasts.
His Carolina abode is an evergreen surrounded country home located on a private lake. Larry shared the posh bachelors’ pad with teammate Rich Niemann, the Cougars’ 7-foot-1 center. Niemann’s upcoming marriage to a pretty young lady from Kansas City will leave Larry alone with Timmy, the German Shephard who was a pup when Larry was at UNC and has traveled back and forth across the country with him.
But of course his loneliness in the posh pad will be dissipated with several thousand dollars worth of hi-fi equipment complete with special psychedelic lights and a collection of date books that is already approaching several volumes. How much suffering can a man take?”
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