Washington Tapers

The Washington Tapers, based in Washington, D.C., were a charter member of the American Basketball League, the 1961 circuit started by Abe Saperstein. Owner Paul Cohen, whose company made Tuck tape, placed the team at the Washington Coliseum. The franchise grew out of the Tapers, a New York amateur-level team sponsored by the same company.

Washington did not draw. During the 1961-62 season Cohen moved the team to Commack, New York, where it became the New York Tapers and played at the Long Island Arena. It finished fourth in the Eastern Division and lost in the semifinals.

For 1962-63 the team moved again, to Philadelphia, and became the Philadelphia Tapers under coach Mario Perri. It played at Convention Hall and averaged about 700 fans. The league shut down on December 31, 1962, after the team had played 28 games. Its last game was in Cleveland. Roger Kaiser and Cleo Hill were among its players.