Buffalo, NY 2nd Former NBA City to Proclaim June as NBHHCM 2K11

June 6, 2011- The City of Buffalo, NY has become one of the many US cities since 2010 to proclaim June as NBHHCM (National Basketball & Hip-Hop Culture Month). Buffalo is the second former NBA team city to proclaim June as NBHHCM. The City of Pittsburgh in 2010 proclaimed June as NBHHCM. Pittsburgh was once home to the Pittsburgh Ironmen one of the "Original 11" NBA franchises from when the league was formed in 1946.

The NBHHCM 2K11 Proclamation honored the NBA's 65th Anniversary of being founded, the 35th Anniversary of the NBA/ABA Merger of 1976, the 75th Anniversary of basketball becoming an official sport at the 1936 Summer Olympics, and the former NBA franchise the Buffalo Braves.

The NBA was founded today 65-years ago in New York City at the old Hotel Commodore (now the Grand Hyatt).

Buffalo was once home to the NBA franchise the Buffalo Braves. The Braves were in Buffalo from 1970 to 78. The Braves then moved from Buffalo to San Diego and became the San Diego Clippers from 1978 to 1984.

The Clippers then moved to Los Angeles in 1984 and became the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers share the same arena (Staples Center) as the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA legend and Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo is the most popular and famous Buffalo Braves player in their history. McAdoo was the 1973 Rookie-of-the-Year. He was a 3-time scoring champion with the Braves from 1974-76. His 32.06 ppg over the 3-year span is one of the best scoring runs in NBA history. He is only one of six NBA players to lead the league in scoring for 3 straight years. He was voted as the NBA MVP in 1975, and he also was a 5-time All-Star from 1974 to 78.

McAdoo later in his career won 2 NBA Championships with the LA Lakers in 1982 and 85. He also is the last NBA player (1974) to average 30 points and 15 rebounds a game for an entire season.  

NBA Hall of Famer Adrian Dantley was the 1977 Rookie-of-the-Year for the Buffalo Braves. Ernie DiGregorio was named the 1974 NBA Rookie-of-the-Year for the Braves. Buffalo had 3 NBA Rookie-of-the-Year players in 5-years. That remains an NBA record over a 5-year span.

Bob McAdoo is in his 11th year as an assistant coach with the Miami Heat. The Heat has a 2-1 2011NBA Finals lead over the Dallas Mavericks. Adrian Dantley is the assistant head-coach with the Denver Nuggets.