Editing Pittsburgh Condors (section)

===Minnesota Pipers (1968–1969)===
Despite the championship and strong attendance figures in Pittsburgh, the Pipers franchise left Pittsburgh after their [[1968 ABA playoffs|1968 ABA Championship]] and moved to [[Minnesota]] on June 28, 1968, becoming the '''Minnesota Pipers'''. Previously, Minnesota was left vacant when the [[Minnesota Muskies]] had trouble drawing people in the league's first season and moved to Miami to become the [[Miami Floridians]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/138368709.html |title = Rand: Minnesota Muskies anyone? - StarTribune.com|website = [[Star Tribune]]}}</ref> The ABA league office was based in [[Minneapolis]] (home of league commissioner [[George Mikan]]), so the Pipers moved when a Minneapolis attorney Bill Erickson (who formerly served as legal counsel for the ABA) bought a majority share of the team and coaxed Rubin to move the team. As with the Muskies, their home arena was [[Bloomington, Minnesota|Bloomington's]] [[Metropolitan Sports Center]].  

The team made the playoffs in a turbulent year that saw multiple head coaches, one of whom fought Rubin at the banquet for the All-Star Game and got fired.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://newspaperarchive.com/cumberland-news-jan-29-1969-p-8/ | title=Cumberland News Newspaper Archives, Jan 29, 1969, p. 8 | date=January 29, 1969 }}</ref> They reached the playoffs but ironically lost to the Floridians in the First Round. However, the Pipers' attendance settings fared no better than the Muskies and they moved back to Pittsburgh after only one season.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MNP/1969.html| title = 1968-69 Minnesota Pipers Roster and Stats {{!}} Basketball-Reference.com}}</ref> On July 21, 1969, Rubin announced that he would move the team back to Pittsburgh, stating that the first move was "a genuine mistake". When in Pittsburgh, it was reported they had lost $334,532 and drew just 3,208 people a game. When they went to Minnesota, they dropped in attendance to 2,263 a game and lost double their money.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://newspaperarchive.com/brainerd-daily-dispatch-jul-22-1969-p-10/ | title=Brainerd Daily Dispatch Archives, Jul 22, 1969, p. 10 | date=July 22, 1969 }}</ref>

In [[Terry Pluto]]'s book on the ABA, ''[[Loose Balls]]'', Pipers co-owner Gabe Rubin says he returned to the Steel City because he couldn't think of anywhere else to go. Professional basketball returned to Minnesota with the formation of the [[Minnesota Timberwolves|Timberwolves]] in 1989.