The 1957–58 season was the Royals first season in Cincinnati, following its relocation from Rochester during the offseason. Interest in the team was created by a draft deal that brought Lakers All-Star Clyde Lovellette to the team. The team then lured guard George King, the former Syracuse starter back from college coaching. Both additions added talent and veteran leadership to a still young squad.
The roster included star shooter Jack Twyman, Dick Ricketts (who also pitched in the major leagues), and star swing man Tom Marshall. In their first year in Cincinnati, the Royals ended a two-year playoff drought by finishing in third place after tie-breakers in the NBA's West Division.[1] The Royals finished with a record of 33–39. One of the team leaders was Maurice Stokes, who finished second in rebounding with 18.1 rebounds per game.[1] The 6'8 240-pound Stokes, arguably the NBA's first black superstar, also amazed by rating third in the NBA in assists.
Lovellette was fourth in the NBA in scoring, while Twyman led the NBA in shooting accuracy. The entire frontline of Stokes, Lovellette and Twyman were named NBA All-Stars that first season. The team had the makings of a real contender, but the backcourt was debilitated by injuries to Marhsall and King, plus promising Si Green and Johnny McCarthy had been lost to mandatory military service. The team's first-year promise took a tragic turn in mid-March. In the final game of the regular season, played on March 12, Stokes suffered an injury when his head hit the hardwood floor in a game versus the Minneapolis Lakers. Despite being knocked unconscious, Stokes would play in the playoffs against the Detroit Pistons. On the flight home after losing to the Pistons, Stokes suddenly fell ill and was rushed to the hospital upon landing.[1] As the Pistons swept the Royals, Stokes lapsed into a coma. It was revealed that Stokes suffered encephalopathy, a traumatic brain injury that damaged his motor control center. The injury would leave Maurice Stokes as a quadriplegic without the ability to speak.[1] Teammate Jack Twyman would serve as Stokes legal guardian until his death in 1970.The Stokes tragedy would ultimately decimate the team, with six other players not returning for next season. The team was also suddenly sold to local Cincinnati buyers, and coach Bobby Wanzer would also later be replaced. This first year, therefore, stands out from all the Cincinnati teams.
| 1957-58 NBA Records | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=100 | Team | BOS | CIN | DET | MIN | NYK | PHI | STL | SYR |
| Boston | — | 7–2 | 8–1 | 9–0 | 7–5 | 6–6 | 5–4 | 7–5 | |
| Cincinnati | 2–7 | — | 6–6 | 8–4 | 4–5 | 6–3 | 3–9 | 4–5 | |
| Detroit | 1–8 | 6–6 | — | 6–6 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 6–6 | 5–4 | |
| Minneapolis | 0–9 | 4–8 | 6–6 | — | 1–8 | 3–6 | 3–9 | 2–7 | |
| New York | 5–7 | 5–4 | 5–4 | 8–1 | — | 4–8 | 3–6 | 5–7 | |
| Philadelphia | 6–6 | 3–6 | 4–5 | 6–3 | 8–4 | — | 7–2 | 3–9 | |
| St. Louis | 4–5 | 9–3 | 6–6 | 9–3 | 6–3 | 2–7 | — | 5–4 | |
| Syracuse | 5–7 | 5–4 | 4–5 | 7–2 | 7–5 | 9–3 | 4–5 | — | |
| 1957–58 Game log | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | ||
| 1 | October 26 | 100–110 | Jack Twyman (32) | 1–0 | ||
| 2 | November 1 | 92–99 | Clyde Lovellette (26) | 2–0 | ||
| 3 | November 2 | @ St. Louis | 93–102 | Stokes, Twyman (17) | 2–1 | |
| 4 | November 3 | 94–88 | Regan, Stokes (15) | 2–2 | ||
| 5 | November 8 | 122–110 (OT) | Lovellette, Stokes (22) | 2–3 | ||
| 6 | November 10 | 106–101 | Jack Twyman (24) | 2–4 | ||
| 7 | November 15 | 99–101 | Clyde Lovellette (33) | 3–4 | ||
| 8 | November 17 | St. Louis | 98–97 | Jack Twyman (23) | 3–5 | |
| 9 | November 19 | N Detroit | 75–92 | Clyde Lovellette (25) | 4–5 | |
| 10 | November 20 | @ Philadelphia | 99–89 | Clyde Lovellette (30) | 5–5 | |
| 11 | November 22 | @ Syracuse | 102–98 | Clyde Lovellette (30) | 6–5 | |
| 12 | November 27 | 106–107 | Clyde Lovellette (22) | 7–5 | ||
| 13 | November 28 | @ St. Louis | 96–112 | Jack Twyman (19) | 7–6 | |
| 14 | November 29 | Detroit | 96–99 (OT) | Maurice Stokes (20) | 8–6 | |
| 15 | November 30 | @ Detroit | 96–100 | Clyde Lovellette (30) | 8–7 | |
| 16 | December 1 | Minneapolis | 89–90 | Clyde Lovellette (23) | 9–7 | |
| 17 | December 3 | @ New York | 104–110 | Clyde Lovellette (27) | 9–8 | |
| 18 | December 5 | N Detroit | 99–109 | Maurice Stokes (22) | 10–8 | |
| 19 | December 6 | New York | 112–97 | Lovellette, Stokes (21) | 10–9 | |
| 20 | December 7 | @ Detroit | 105–109 | Clyde Lovellette (31) | 10–10 | |
| 21 | December 8 | Philadelphia | 88–99 | Jack Twyman (24) | 11–10 | |
| 22 | December 10 | N St. Louis | 102–90 | Clyde Lovellette (30) | 11–11 | |
| 23 | December 11 | @ Boston | 104–116 | Clyde Lovellette (26) | 11–12 | |
| 24 | December 14 | N Syracuse | 104–100 | Clyde Lovellette (31) | 11–13 | |
| 25 | December 15 | @ Syracuse | 83–109 | Clyde Lovellette (23) | 11–14 | |
| 26 | December 20 | Syracuse | 122–113 | Jack Twyman (26) | 11–15 | |
| 27 | December 21 | @ Detroit | 101–112 | Clyde Lovellette (28) | 11–16 | |
| 28 | December 22 | Boston | 115–98 | Lovellette, Twyman (26) | 11–17 | |
| 29 | December 26 | N Syracuse | 104–100 | Clyde Lovellette (32) | 11–18 | |
| 30 | December 27 | St. Louis | 97–96 | Jack Twyman (25) | 11–19 | |
| 31 | December 28 | @ Minneapolis | 112–101 | Jack Twyman (33) | 12–19 | |
| 32 | December 29 | Minneapolis | 111–103 | Jack Twyman (33) | 12–20 | |
| 33 | December 31 | Detroit | 96–130 | Jack Twyman (30) | 13–20 | |
| 34 | January 3 | Philadelphia | 94–106 | Jack Twyman (28) | 14–20 | |
| 35 | January 5 | @ New York | 101–100 | Maurice Stokes (27) | 15–20 | |
| 36 | January 7 | N Detroit | 99–114 | Jack Twyman (26) | 16–20 | |
| 37 | January 8 | N New York | 123–105 | Maurice Stokes (26) | 16–21 | |
| 38 | January 10 | New York | 104–107 | Clyde Lovellette (34) | 17–21 | |
| 39 | January 11 | Syracuse | 100–105 | Dick Ricketts (22) | 18–21 | |
| 40 | January 12 | Boston | 97–115 | Jack Twyman (26) | 19–21 | |
| 41 | January 14 | N New York | 111–117 | Jack Twyman (34) | 20–21 | |
| 42 | January 16 | Minneapolis | 108–124 | Clyde Lovellette (30) | 21–21 | |
| 43 | January 17 | @ Detroit | 94–115 | Clyde Lovellette (23) | 21–22 | |
| 44 | January 19 | @ St. Louis | 90–108 | Clyde Lovellette (26) | 21–23 | |
| 45 | January 22 | @ Syracuse | 115–109 | Clyde Lovellette (27) | 22–23 | |
| 46 | January 24 | Philadelphia | 102–92 | Jim Paxson (24) | 22–24 | |
| 47 | January 26 | Detroit | 103–107 | Clyde Lovellette (25) | 23–24 | |
| 48 | January 30 | @ Minneapolis | 104–105 | Jack Twyman (25) | 23–25 | |
| 49 | January 31 | St. Louis | 92–100 | Clyde Lovellette (25) | 24–25 | |
| 50 | February 1 | @ St. Louis | 88–127 | Piontek, Regan (16) | 24–26 | |
| 51 | February 2 | @ Minneapolis | 95–106 | Dave Piontek (21) | 24–27 | |
| 52 | February 4 | N Boston | 87–107 | Clyde Lovellette (20) | 24–28 | |
| 53 | February 5 | @ Boston | 89–116 | Clyde Lovellette (16) | 24–29 | |
| 54 | February 7 | @ Philadelphia | 103–100 | Clyde Lovellette (26) | 25–29 | |
| 55 | February 8 | N Boston | 91–109 | Maurice Stokes (25) | 25–30 | |
| 56 | February 9 | Minneapolis | 104–121 | Clyde Lovellette (34) | 26–30 | |
| 57 | February 11 | N Minneapolis | 103–106 | Maurice Stokes (23) | 27–30 | |
| 58 | February 14 | New York | 103–92 | Jack Twyman (22) | 27–31 | |
| 59 | February 15 | @ New York | 97–99 | Clyde Lovellette (24) | 27–32 | |
| 60 | February 16 | @ Syracuse | 105–113 | Clyde Lovellette (30) | 27–33 | |
| 61 | February 20 | @ Boston | 92–94 | Maurice Stokes (28) | 27–34 | |
| 62 | February 21 | Detroit | 109–107 | Jack Twyman (24) | 27–35 | |
| 63 | February 22 | @ Minneapolis | 81–100 | Dave Piontek (14) | 27–36 | |
| 64 | February 23 | Minneapolis | 93–111 | Clyde Lovellette (25) | 28–36 | |
| 65 | February 26 | N St. Louis | 105–103 | Clyde Lovellette (27) | 28–37 | |
| 66 | March 1 | @ Philadelphia | 101–88 | Clyde Lovellette (29) | 29–37 | |
| 67 | March 2 | @ St. Louis | 93–103 | Maurice Stokes (23) | 29–38 | |
| 68 | March 4 | N Philadelphia | 97–91 | Clyde Lovellette (29) | 29–39 | |
| 69 | March 6 | @ Philadelphia | 110–108 | Clyde Lovellette (37) | 30–39 | |
| 70 | March 9 | @ Boston | 121–107 | Jack Twyman (30) | 31–39 | |
| 71 | March 10 | St. Louis | 84–122 | Lovellette, Twyman (23) | 32–39 | |
| 72 | March 12 | @ Minneapolis | 96–89 | Maurice Stokes (24) | 33–39 |
The first Cincinnati Royals game ever was a home game against Syracuse, 26 October 1957, a 110–100 win behind local star Jack Twyman. The team opened to good crowds with home games in their first ten.Nov 7–7, Dec 5–13 with injuries and extra road games, January 11–5, Feb 4–12 with a season-ending injury to Marshall, March 5–2, plus two playoff losses to Detroit, due to the permanent loss of Stokes.
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 1| March 15| @ Detroit| L 83–100| Clyde Lovellette (15)| Detroit Olympia| 0–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 2| March 16| Detroit| L 104–124| Jack Twyman (24)| Cincinnati Gardens| 0–2|-