The 1975 Topps basketball set was unique for two reasons. First, at the time, it was the largest basketball set ever produced (330 cards), and it was the fifth and final time Topps included ABA cards (the ABA-NBA merger would occur in 1976). In this article, I will focus on a unique situation and “subset,” in that the 1975 Topps basketball set was the only major card release to have featured the San Diego Sails basketball team.
I’m not saying that Topps ignored the San Diego Sails basketball team in its previous sets; the Sails only existed for a single year! The franchise did play three previous seasons as the Conquistadors, who were the ABA’s only expansion team. But the team was purchased in 1975, and the new owner brought in a new coach, changed the entire roster, and re-branded the team as the Sails. On the Team Leaders card for the Sails, you can see that the back of the card lists leaders for the Conquistadors.
Unfortunately, no one in San Diego seemed to care about the team, and only 3000 fans showed up to the team’s home opener. It got worse, as under 2000 fans came to their third home game, which was the last for the franchise. The owner was told the Sails weren’t a part of the ABA-NBA merger, so he shut down the team on Nov 12, 1975, with a final record of 3-8.
The NBA took four ABA franchises: the Spurs, Nuggets, Nets, and Pacers. Three other ABA teams also folded: the Spirits of St. Louis, the Kentucky Colonels, and the Virginia Squires.
However, a team did return to San Diego when the Buffalo Braves came to town and changed their name to the Clippers, keeping the nautical naming theme. But in 1984, the Clippers moved to Los Angeles, and San Diego (the Country’s 8th largest city) has been left without an NBA team since.
Now, going back to the 1975 Topps basketball set, I’ve always been a fan of it—and all 1970s basketball sets, for that matter. The cards have nice portraits and action shots, a lot of star power, and Moses Malone’s rookie card. Because the set has cards from both leagues before the merger, it features subsets from both leagues’ statistical and team leaders, along with playoff cards and team checklists.
Topps featured the Sails on 11 cards, the same number of games the team played! I’ve been sharing the Sail’s cards throughout the article, but here is the checklist and photos of the rest of the cards:
- #234 – Lee Davis
- #245 – Travis Grant
- #256 – Dwight Lamar
- #264 – George Adams
- #274 – Tim Bassett (He signed with the New Jersey Nets and had Topps cards in 1977, 1978, and 1979)
- #285 – Team Leaders
- #296 – Warren Jabali
- #305 – Caldwell Jones (He signed with the Philadelphia 76ers and had Topps cards in 1976 and 1977)
- #317 – Jimmy O’Brien
- #328 – San Diego Sails Team Checklist
- #328 – San Diego Sails Team Checklist – Hand-Cut
The hand-cut team checklist is a PSA pop three card that collectors acquired as part of an uncut sheet from the Topps Sports Club for $2.50 and a wrapper.
If not for Topps and the hobby, the San Diego Sails might have faded completely from memory. Thankfully, the hobby is more than just cardboard—it’s a living archive that helps preserve and celebrate forgotten chapters of sports history.
Happy collecting!