CIAA legend and former New York Net Mike Gale passes away at 70

Gale was an ABA/NBA All-Defensive First Teamer and champion.

On Saturday, as the NBA saw the last of its teams resume their 2019-20 seasons, the league’s @NBAAlumni account on Twitter acknowledged the tremendous loss it suffered earlier in the week.

On July 31, Mike Gale, an 11-year ABA/NBA veteran passed away.

Growing up in nearby Philadelphia, Gale would play for the New York Nets during the 1974-75 season. He would be traded to the San Antonio Spurs after one season, where he would spend five years.

Prior to arriving in New York, Gale was drafted by the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels. He would twice be named to the ABA’s All-Defensive First Team and would emerge as a vital cog in the Colonels’ 1974 championship team.

 

Over the course of his 11-year pro career, Gale recorded scored 6,000 points, 3,000 assists and nearly 1,300 steals.

He would eventually settle in San Antonio where he remained until his untimely death on July 31 after just having recently celebrated his 70th birthday on July 18.

The San Antonio Spurs issued a statement on the passing of Gale on Friday.

“The Spurs family mourns the passing of Mike “Sugar” Gale. Our deepest condolences go out to this family during this difficult time.”