Brian in Boston Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 The National Basketball Development League has awarded expansion franchises for the 2005-2006 season to four cities in the American Southwest. The teams - to be located in Albuquerque (NM), Austin (TX), Fort Worth (TX) and Tulsa (OK) - will be owned and operated by Southwest Basketball, LLC, led by former Indiana Pacers GM David Kahn.It is expected that the teams will make announcements regarding names, arenas, tickets and staff hirings over the next two weeks. Announcements are scheduled as follows:Forth Worth - Tuesday, March 22ndAustin - Wednesday, March 23rdTulsa - Tuesday, March 29thAlbuquerque - wednesday, March 30th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBGKon Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 cool...theyre finally getting out of the southeastern US Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac the Knife Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Guess the NBA's owners need a bigger tax write-off... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilbert Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Finally more than 6 teams! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waffles Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 From http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2018562NBA commissioner David Stern said Monday he's "optimistic" that the NBA and the players' association can work out a deal that would turn the National Basketball Developmental League into a true minor league.In a teleconference call with reporters, Stern said the league has proposed the issue as part of ongoing collective bargaining negotiations with the players."The absence of a firm-footed, successful development league is something that has gnawed at me over the years," Stern said. "I'm not here to say it's a guaranteed outcome of the collective bargaining process, but it's something put out by us with some forcefulness."Under the proposed model, NBA teams would be allowed to send their young players down to an affiliated NBDL team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilbert Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Finally more than 6 teams! I completely forgot that the NBDL once had 8 teams. Forgot about Greenville Groove and Mobile Revelers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilbert Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Albuquerque will play at Tingley ColiseumAustin will play at Austin Convention CenterFort Worth will play at Fort Worth Convention CenterTulsa will play at Expo Square Pavillionjust a FYI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBTV Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 From http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2018562NBA commissioner David Stern said Monday he's "optimistic" that the NBA and the players' association can work out a deal that would turn the National Basketball Developmental League into a true minor league.In a teleconference call with reporters, Stern said the league has proposed the issue as part of ongoing collective bargaining negotiations with the players."The absence of a firm-footed, successful development league is something that has gnawed at me over the years," Stern said. "I'm not here to say it's a guaranteed outcome of the collective bargaining process, but it's something put out by us with some forcefulness."Under the proposed model, NBA teams would be allowed to send their young players down to an affiliated NBDL team. To bad the NCAA is really the developmental league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralW91 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Two of those markets already have ABA teams, I wonder who will get treated better, NBDL or ABA? As a fan of the good ABA teams, I'm a little disappointed about Ft. Worth being named, as the Texas Tycoons play there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilbert Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 I actually heard somewhere that the Austin ABA team might not happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac the Knife Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Two of those markets already have ABA teams, I wonder who will get treated better, NBDL or ABA? Seriously? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJTank Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 I like the NBDL I think it should exapnd further and become a fully fuctional farm club for the NBA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralW91 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Two of those markets already have ABA teams, I wonder who will get treated better, NBDL or ABA? Seriously? No, not seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac the Knife Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Okay. You were worrying me for a sec there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBGKon Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 i see that the NBDL is doing what the AF2 should have done.....AF2 overexpanded too quickly. the NBDL is starting a foundation and going up from there....in the future the NBDL will prosper and will be like the AHL is to the defunct-NHL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discrim Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 i actually watched a couple D-league games when ESPN2 showed em a couple years ago. I'd like to see it expand further west and north...hey, at the very least Darko could actually get some PT for a change Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac the Knife Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 i see that the NBDL is doing what the AF2 should have done.....AF2 overexpanded too quickly. the NBDL is starting a foundation and going up from there....in the future the NBDL will prosper and will be like the AHL is to the defunct-NHL Nah. They draw more flies at NBDL games than fans. If the NBA ever expects it to be anything more than a write-off that periodically provides a talented 10th or 11th man for one of their squads, they're deluding themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omnivore Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 The NBA wants to turn it into a real minor league, but they'll never be able to. I mean, talented players who are good enough should go pro and the NCAA would not want players who are eligible - or who could get faux eligiblity - to be languishing in a minor pro league, rather than the national stage of the top college programs..which is a shame.I don't the NBDL will ever be anything much, but you have to figure that it at least provides some guys who'd play in worse leagues with a steady check and a better chance of getting an NBA look than these two-bit leagues out there.::shrug:: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VirginiaTechSucks Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I live in Roanoke home to the Dazzle and mad mac is right on, the average attendance league wide is about 1800. The original agreement was guaranteed avg attendance league wide of 4500 per team over a 3 year period. The agreement with the Roanoke Civic Center was to have Outback concerts promote and have 25 concerts over the 3 year period as well. Outback needless to day did a really crappy job on their end of the deal. Last week the UHL announced that Roanoke was getting professional hockey again this fall and the Dazzle are scared they might get booted from the league after this year. To be honest all the current franchises are in danger of either being moved or taken away from the league due to the promised numbers are coming nowhere close to the actual ones. I have been to my share of games over the years and the atmosphere sucks. It is no fun watching a professional sporting event when only 300 people are there. That is another problem too, the game I went to this year the announced attendance was 2500, the actual was only 500. I wish the league well but it Roanoke has proved it will not survive too much longer here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac the Knife Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Honestly the best thing the NBA could do to grow its game, and I know I'm going to be slammed for this, but they should EXPAND... Not quite ABA style, but they should grow from their current 30 teams to, say, 40 (including a European division of 5) over the course of the next ten years.Why?(1) The television contract they have, while adequate at the moment, is likely to be diminished in value next time around without expanding into new markets.(2) A European division guarantees greater television revenue as the NBA can market itself there in a more effective manner than it does currently.(3) There would be no, repeat NO dilution in the talent pool. Anyone who thinks there aren't enough solid basketball players in the world to fill an ABA-sized NBA is almost certainly wrong.(4) The league can tap markets which currently they don't (London, Paris, Italy and other European markets, and certain U.S. cities that probably deserve pro basketball but don't have it).There's no need for an NBDL, CBA, ABA, USBL, or any other minor league in the U.S. The NCAA provides the talent pool the NBA utilizes, while those who are a notch below the NBA usually go to Europe rather than the CBA or USBL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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