MEMORIES OF CRAIG KUCKENS: "I can remember listening to Americans games on a radio station out of Hackensack-WJRZ. The station also aired Country Music. Spencer Ross did a great job and I still remember looking at my 1950's era GE Clock Radio and rooting for Hank Whitney and Levern 'Jelly' Tart. My first summer job during college days was selling season tickets for The Islanders and Nets but it all started with those radio broadcasts on that scratchy station in Hackensack."
MEMORIES OF JOSEPH LaBARGO: "In 1967, I remember listening to Americans games on radio station WJRZ (I think). Spencer Ross was the announcer, from the grand old Teaneck Armory. Names like Tony Jackson, Lavern Tart, Walt Simon, Dan Anderson, Bobby Lloyd, and coach Max Zaslofsky, made for an entertaining winter. I felt very disappointed when Mikan forfeited the playoff game. It all happened because the circus was at the Armory, and the Amerks had to share the Commack Arena with the LI Ducks hockey team. What a start, but the Amerks were wonderful in my eyes, and in my memory...."
MEMORIES OF D. DIAMBROSIO: "I went to 3 or 4 games at the Armory with my Dad. It was so exciting. I loved it. I remember that the Americans lost almost all of these games. However there was one game where they won. Hank Whitney grabbed something like 20 rebounds. Tony Jackson played very well. And I was sitting right underneath the basket to see a wonderful long bounce pass from Walt Simon to Bobby Lloyd for a layup. I remember the Americans fight song as being played before the radio broadcasts.
When the Nets had their great NBA title run in 2001, I thought back to those days at the Armory. To think that their lineage comes straight from the Teaneck Armory - it is hard to believe. It would have been great to see them win an NBA title . Unfortunately it has yet to happen. I will never forget the Americans or those days in Teaneck. My Dad is gone now, and he wasn't really a basketball fan, but he managed to take me to those precious games. I will never forget them."
MEMORIES OF JON BOTT: "I grew up in Teaneck and went to my only Americans game in January of 1968. I was 12 years old at the time, and my older brother took me up to the "other side" of town to see the Indiana Pacers. I believe it was the same Saturday that UCLA and Houston were playing the classic Alcindor vs Hayes matchup in the Astrodome.
At any rate, here is what I specifically recall about the game:
The Americans rallied late to win..I believe it was Hank Whitney who played well down the stretch for New Jersey.
The infamous Reggie Harding (not holding up liquor stores at this juncture) was with the Pacers. I yelled "Harding, you after hours bum!!" at him during a timeout. He actually smiled at me!
The bunting all over the place, as shown in the pictures on the web site!
God, I loved the Americans! I religiously listened to Spencer Ross doing the games on WJRZ. I believe they started at 8:30 the majority of the time. I was devastated when they moved to frigid' Long Island and have not rooted for them since 67-68!"
MEMORIES OF RICHARD ENG: "I was 11 years old living in Stamford, CT when the New Jersey Americans played. I never got a chance to see the Americans play in person. But I listened to lots of their games on WJRZ-970 with Spencer Ross at the mike. He had some pet phrases like 'he stops and he pops!' and a lot of players threw up a 'running one-hander.' Before commercial breaks, Ross would always say 'this is New Jersey Americans basketball!'"
MEMORIES OF JEFF ZASLOFSKY: "I can truly relate to this web site. The year was 1967 and the ABA was born. My family lived on Long Island, and we always made the roundtrip to the Teaneck Armory. My dad Max Zaslofsky was the very first coach of the Americans, and also of the New York Nets when the team later moved to Commack Long Island. I was their very first ball boy, and I became very close to all the players. During games, I often sat next to my Dad on the bench. It was a different game back then, another time and place."
MEMORIES OF MICHAEL NUNNO: "The first basketball game I remember going to was an Americans vs. Minnesota Muskies game. I was 7 years old at the time. I remember Walt Simon hitting a shot at the buzzer to win it. The funny thing is I'd swear he won the game for Minnesota, but in reviewing the web site, I find that the game had to be on 2/8/68, and that the Americans won it 123-121. That makes sense because Simon played for only for the Americans, not Minnesota. I also remember the Armory being almost deserted, and that my Dad went right to the Americans bench to ask where Tony Jackson was. Turns out, Jackson just hadn't shown up that night. My Dad passed away nearly three years ago now, but because of that game I've been a Nets fan all my life."
