CSChicago Stags

Franchise history

The Chicago Stags were a charter franchise of the Basketball Association of America, beginning play in the league's inaugural 1946-47 season. Chicago was immediately competitive, reaching the BAA's first-ever championship series in 1947 but losing 4-1 to the Philadelphia Warriors. The Stags remained a strong regular-season team over the following seasons and made the playoffs in all four years of their existence, though they never won a title.

The BAA merged with the NBL in 1949 to form the NBA, and the Stags continued as an NBA franchise, finishing tied for third in their final season, 1949-50. Despite that success on the floor, the team was in financial trouble; a prospective buyer withdrew his offer in September 1950, leaving the franchise without a viable owner. With no buyer able to sustain the team, the Stags officially folded on September 25, 1950, as part of a broader league contraction that shrank the NBA from 17 teams down to 11. NBA basketball did not return to Chicago permanently until the Bulls in 1966.

Sources

• Chicago Stags — Wikipedia
• History of the National Basketball Association — Wikipedia

Runner-up finishes (1)

• 1946-47

See the full nba champions list for the winner each of these years.