It's Official - Native America Makes History!

[pething101]

IT'S OFFICIAL - NATIVE AMERICA MAKES HISTORY!
All Indian Team to be ABA's 24th Expansion Team (http://www.abalive.com/news/releases/20040607a.html)

Sounds comparable to Chivas. Listened to an interview on the Dan Patrick show Dan and the owner.

[mpruitt]

Man the hits just keep coming from the ABA. This is the same league that hired a completely unexpierenced 24 year old female coach for one of its teams. Interesting comparison and good find but overall the league is a bit of a joke. I think they're having over a dozen expansion teams this year.

[kenntomasch]

More like 24, at least one of which said this week they might not be ready to play this year....because they don't have an arena lease. Well, gee, you think that might help?

As I told pething in another thread, the ABA is a joke. Their Vancouver team is supposed to be all-Asian as well. They're a gimmick league run by people who have no clue about how to sell tickets unless Dennis Rodman is on one of the teams.

[mpruitt]

Yeah I read something about the Pittsburg team still looking for offices and an Arena too. Might be something to consider when trying to form a pro basketball team.

[JG]

Tryout fees for the Native American team are $175-$225...seems like a scheme to make money off the native american community before they bring in a bunch of guys who are one-eighth Cherokee to actually play.

There was a team from North Dakota at the Division II Juco championships a couple years ago made up of Native Americans...star players included Terry Little Thunder and Joe Knows Gun.

[kenntomasch]

The ABA teams seem to generate a bunch of revenue through tryout camps. I mean, I know there are actual costs associated with a tryout (primarily facility and insurance), and it keeps the riff-raff out, but I'm not 100% sure all of their tryout camps are actually used to uncover players.

[ElJefe]

This ABA is apparently trying to capture all the shadiness, financial instability, and poor attendance of the original ABA, all without paying the salaries for the star players that the original ABA did.

I mean, can you see this league signing the 21st century equivalents of Dr. J or George Gervin or Artis Gilmore or Rick Barry?

[kenntomasch]

Nope.

The difference is that in the 1960's and early 1970's, that kind of instability was looked at as "quirky" and, in retrospect, the nostalgiaphiles now look at it as "charming."

Today that kind of instability is looked at as "fly by night," which this league certainly is.

[bright]

Where's Bill O'Reilly when we need him? This kind of thing makes me want to vote for W.

;)

Alternative basketball leagues in general don't seem to work anymore. The CBA was doing alright there for a while, but even they got squashed by the mean ol' NBA. I think the NBA's pretty much cornered the market on pro basketball. How can you compete with their brand? And how can you honestly woo any players way from the glamor and shoe contracts that the NBA inherently endows upon you?

And for basketball purists who appreciate neutral officiating, team-work, and good defense, there is the NCAA. Does anyone think a pro league modelled after NCAA basketball, or even FIBA basketball, could make it if it had the money to back it? Might be a viable alternative to the Harlem Globetrotters, I mean, NBA.

- Paul

[mpruitt]

Well the CBA was doing relatively fine until Isiah Thomas drove it into the ground.

[kenntomasch]

The CBA is doing better. There is a market for minor-league basketball, but of all the minor-league sports, it seems as though basketball has had the toughest time recently. The fewest teams, the fewest leagues, the most yo-yoing of teams in and out, and the most dreadful crowds.

I think people equate it as below college basketball, which most people can go see anytime they want, for less money and see guys play hard.

[kenntomasch]

The Isiah thing was three years ago now. This most recent incarnation is the best of a bad bunch of minor basketball leagues.

[Brushes Sand]

I want a Roswell Rayguns t-shirt or jersey. If anyone ever sees
either of these on ebay, give me a call.

-bs

[nancyb]

Tryout fees for the Native American team are $175-$225...seems like a scheme to make money off the native american community before they bring in a bunch of guys who are one-eighth Cherokee to actually play.


Hey - I resmemble that remark by a half.

[ED Fajardo]

The president of the team was interviewed on the Cowheard show yesterday and i wasn't impressed. he appears to be one of those "praise the Lord" types who couldn't give an decent answer to any of Dan's questions.

[microbrew]

The Isiah thing was three years ago now. This most recent incarnation is the best of a bad bunch of minor basketball leagues.

Did Isiah Thomas bet the CBA's future as the NBA's developmental league?

Minor basketball has to compete with NCAA for fans, and with Europe for players. Is there any real planning or co-ordination among these leagues? How does the CBA, the USBL and even the NBADL fit in with the NBA and US Basketball? I think the minor basketball leagues will stay as sideshows until the NBA starts using them to develop players, like the NBA summer leagues but year round.

[kenntomasch]

He blew that future up, is what he did. Supposedly the NBA (Or the Players Association, can't remember which) offered to buy the league from him and make it part of their actual organization, rather than just having that official relationship they had for years. He turned them down.

No, there's no coordination. Even the D-League, which is supposed to develop players, is finding out it's hard to do that when it's a giant money-sucking rathole.

[DoyleG]

Seems Murphy's Law applies more to B-ball than soccer.

[bmurphyfl]

A friend of mine interviewed with Isiah a few years ago when he was considering taking a top financial position with the CBA. He decided to turn the job down as a result of the interview. Appartlently, he found Isiah to be quite charming but rather limited in his business knowledge. My friend felt that skill set would be fine in a large organization but in a lean organization like the CBA, he felt everyone had to have sharp business skills. So, he turned it down because he was afraid of leaving his current position for something that could go down in flames. It appears that he made a smart choice.

By the way, I don't know if Isiah has changed it but according to his old business card, Isiah's email address was Isiah@Isiah.com. I always thought that was a cool address to have.

Murf