Prior to the ABA 1975-76 season a group of Maryland businessmen bought the troubled Memphis franchise (which the ABA league officers had taken over midway through the previous season) for $1 million and relocated it to Baltimore. In August, 1975, ABA Commissioner Dave DeBusschere suddenly awarded the franchise to another group in Memphis due to apparent financial problems involving the Baltimore owners. However, the Memphis group backed out the very next day and the team ended up back with the Baltimore owners. The team initially called itself the Baltimore Hustlers, but league and public pressure forced them to change it to the Claws.