| Indianapolis Olympians | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Division | Western |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Folded | 1953 |
| History | Indianapolis Olympians 1949–1953 |
| Arena | Butler Fieldhouse |
| Location | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Team colors | Blue, white, red |
| Division titles | 1 (1950) |
TheIndianapolis Olympians were a foundingNational Basketball Association (NBA) team based inIndianapolis. They were founded in 1949 and folded in 1953. Their home arena was Butler Fieldhouse on the campus ofButler University, now known asHinkle Fieldhouse.
The Olympians were founded in 1949 and were originally slated to play in theNational Basketball League (NBL). However, with the merger of the NBL and theBasketball Association of America, the franchise played its first games in the newly formedNational Basketball Association (NBA), essentially replacing the previously existingIndianapolis Jets franchise.[1] The Olympians were led byUniversity of Kentucky alumniAlex Groza[2] andRalph Beard, both of whom were key contributors on the gold medal-winning 1948 USOlympic basketball team. Olympic team membersWallace Jones andCliff Barker (both also Kentucky alumni) also played on the team. An Olympic alternate andUK grad,Joe Holland, played forward for the Indianapolis team through the 1952 season.
After the 1951 season, Groza and Beard were suspended from the NBA for life by commissionerMaurice Podoloff when the players admittedpoint shaving during their college careers. The Olympians finished with a 28–43 record in 1953, and folded after that season on April 23, 1953. The Olympians compiled a 132–137 record in four seasons in the NBA.
Indianapolis would not have an NBA team until1976 when theIndiana Pacers were one of the four teams admitted from theAmerican Basketball Association in theABA–NBA merger.
The Olympians still hold the distinction of being the winning team in the longest game in NBA history—they were the 75–73 victors in a six-overtime game against theRochester Royals in a game played on January 6, 1951.[3]
| NBA champions ‡ | Division champions ^ | Playoff berth # |
| Season | Division | Finish[a] | W[b] | L[b] | Win% | GB | Playoffs | Awards | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949–50 | Western ^ | 1st ^ | 39 | 25 | .609 | — | WonDivision semifinals (Red Skins) 2–1 LostDivision finals (Packers) 1–2[4] | Cliff Barker | |
| 1950–51 | Western | 4th # | 31 | 37 | .456 | 13 | LostDivision semifinals (Lakers) 1–2[5] | Cliff Barker Wally Jones | |
| 1951–52 | Western | 3rd # | 34 | 32 | .515 | 7 | LostDivision semifinals (Lakers) 0–2[6] | Herm Schaefer | |
| 1952–53 | Western | 4th # | 28 | 43 | .394 | 20.5 | LostDivision semifinals (Lakers) 0–2[7] | Herm Schaefer |
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