A Triumphant Return In The Making: The Steel City Yellow Jackets Return To The Court This Weekend

Ace Pippens and guard Kenny Holmes are ready to bring the Steel City Yellow Jackets back to Pittsburgh. Photo by Thomas Leturgey

By Thomas Leturgey

Averill “Ace” Pippens never wavered. The owner/coach of Pittsburgh’s entry into the American Basketball Association (ABA) always said the team would be back. And the black and yellow of the Steel City Yellow Jackets opens its 2024-2025 this Saturday in the Allentown neighborhood within the city of Pittsburgh.

Pippens, who coached the team to years of playoff success before winning the ABA Championship in Baltimore in 2022, shut the club down after losing in the regional playoffs on their own court at the A Giving Heart Community Center gymnasium on Climax Street. The team compiled a 14-2 regular season record when they lost. There was some strife and hard feelings among some of the team that he doesn’t talk about.

A startup squad, led by the nucleus of the squad that defeated Team Trouble 123-118 in Baltimore, only to lose to Cleveland’s Burning River Buckets 143-124 on April 1 of 2023, cropped up momentarily before being shut down by the league for playing in the Yellow Jackets territory.

All the while, Pippens held steady. He wanted to reorganize and come back better than ever. He has a new logo, several new players, but appears to have the same drive to move forward. After several attempts, he couldn’t be reached for official comment.

“The Yellow Jackets are one of the premiere teams in the ABA and it is exciting to have them return,” wrote ABA Chief Executive Officer Joe Newman in an email.

With the sabbatical behind them, the Steel City Yellow Jackets held a scrimmage on Sunday, October 27 at A Giving Heart Community Center against The Western Pennsylvania Wolverines. That club, owned, operated and coached by Don Wayne, played in the ABA for several years, but will move to a different league this time around. But they have always been friends to Pippens and the Yellow Jackets.

Gone from the team are Gil Cummings and Tone Reddick, two players who, along with Pippens, defined the Yellow Jackets and semi-professional basketball in Pittsburgh for nearly a decade. But back at point guard is “Agent Zero” Kenny Holmes, a game changer who scored a game-high 36 points in a route against the Wolverines.

Also back at the scrimmage was Justin Hamilton, a lefthanded shooting forward who, along with newcomer Jay Washington provide a larger presence than the team has had in previous years. Washington scored 29 points in the game and was a rebounding force. Dominic McClung is also back with the club. Another big-bodied forward, McClung has the talent and ability to make a difference under the net.

Newcomer Jobe Brown added 33 points on Sunday, and presented a complimentary counter to Holmes, who is simply one of the best scorers in the modern ABA and the globe. In previous stints with the Yellow Jackets, he has split time with a team in Canada. And he has played all over the country, and Europe. If he commits to an entire season in Pittsburgh, Holmes could quickly lead the team to playoff contention.  

Leo Braddy, Terrance Holloway, and Cliff McNair all impressed less than week before opening day. Pippens is also joined on the bench by assistant coach Charles Cook, who is known for fitness training.

At press time, the Yellow Jackets had not cemented their opening day roster. But in the ABA, rosters are often fluid.

Pippens’ team will face off against several opponents, including rivals in the ABA’s Blue Division, which consists of the Akron Aviators, Columbus Wizards, Team Network, Erie Elite, Michigan Blaze and Port Huron Cougars.

“Since [the Yellow Jackets] last played, we've expanded by 30 new teams and already have another 50 scheduled to begin play next season, many of which are turning (like the Yellow Jackets) after a 1- or 2-year hiatus,” wrote Newman. “We have quite a few new teams in Ace's region/division, but we anticipate that the Yellow Jackets will be among the leaders.”

The ABA officially started weeks ago, with some teams already playing as many as 3 games. The Chicago Fury at 1-0 sits atop the league’s Power Rankings. For years, the Yellow Jackets were consistently ranked in the Top Five or Top Ten, but now are “Teams to Watch” below the Top 25. If the team gets off to a good start and others faulter, the Yellow Jackets could vault back into playoff contention.

Maryland’s Tri-State Blazers visit Pittsburgh this Saturday at 7:00 p.m. The schedule features 20 games, including back-to-back games in Las Vegas scheduled in early January. There are 10 home games listed with the final game in late February.