An ABA team trying to help its community

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robster2001
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An ABA team trying to help its community

Post by robster2001 » Mon Jan 04, 2016 1:43 pm

This goes to show that there are ABA teams that can rise above the muddle of their league...

http://wtvr.com/2016/01/04/richmond-eli ... s-to-play/
The Richmond Elite ABA Basketball team is making headlines, and not just because of the team’s #3 national ranking.

The semi-pro team is stepping up efforts to fight violence in the Richmond community. On Sunday night, the team extended an invitation to the families of victims of violent crime, to join law enforcement and first responders as the team played the Jersey Express.

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Sam Hill
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Post by Sam Hill » Sat Mar 12, 2016 8:39 pm

Haven't these people suffered enough already?
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Post by dmbishop » Sun Mar 13, 2016 3:12 pm

No. Congrats to them for getting it.

The ABA is the great incubator for pro basketball. Don't take that to mean I like it. Most teams fail spectacularly and leave a legacy of burned cities, unpaid bills, and opportunities behind them. But a few owners have what it takes and rise above the rest and can become successful (and usually move up to another, better league).

Maybe Richmond is one of those teams...

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Post by BRIDGEPORT BLUES » Sat Mar 26, 2016 6:25 pm

If twelve or sixteen of these franchises ::cough:: markets were to break away and form their own minor league circuit, it could work. Richmond, Jax, etc. together in a real functioning league.

Do you think Richmond actually has what it takes to have staying power in this league? In any other league?

robster2001
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Post by robster2001 » Sun Mar 27, 2016 12:55 pm

[quote=""BRIDGEPORT BLUES""]Do you think Richmond actually has what it takes to have staying power in this league? In any other league?[/quote]

They've completed 5 seasons in the ABA (and I mean that literally - they played every team that didn't fold before gametime).

I don't know if they have the drive to try to move up to a "real" league. I think they like being a big fish in the ABA pond.

They did just announce that one of their players moved up to a higher level -- the Harlem Globetrotters. I kid you not. :)

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Sam Hill
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Post by Sam Hill » Sun Mar 27, 2016 4:07 pm

[quote=""BRIDGEPORT BLUES""]If twelve or sixteen of these franchises ::cough:: markets were to break away and form their own minor league circuit, it could work. [/quote]

How come it's never worked?

I mean, the CBA was working, back in the day, before Isaiah.

The NBDL is working now.

Both had NBA involvement.

So, no, breaking away and forming their own minor league circuit, while actually having already been tried (is the PBL still around?), would not, actually, work. Minor league basketball hasn't "worked" in any meaningful sense of the word, outside of the recent NBDL, since the pre-Isaiah CBA.
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turbocamyes
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Post by turbocamyes » Mon Mar 28, 2016 3:51 pm

Sam is right about the state of basketball here in the states. I know there are good people out there, both at the team and league level, but in the end they are re-inventing a wheel that is small and rusty and, unfortunately, will have little impact on professional basketball.

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