ABA names 2004-05 award winners
August 9, 2005 - American Basketball Association (ABA) News Release
Indianapolis, IN. The American Basketball Association (ABA) today announced its league awards for the 2004-2005 season. Awards were presented for Executive of the Year, General Manager of the Year and Coach of the Year in the three ABA divisions, plus Awards for the overall league.
Bellevue Blackhawks President, Michael Tuckman, was named "2004-2005 American Basketball Association Executive of the Year. Tuckman, who guided the expansion team to the ABA Championship Game from a #13 playoff seeding, signed all local players and delivered his team to a record 23 road games in which the team traveled over 22,000 miles, believed to be a minor league record. Tuckman owns the Blackhawks and expansion Tacoma Navigators, and is the former President and General Manager of KONG-TV in Seattle and the founder and Chairman of the Puget Sound Sports Hall of Fame and Museum Foundation.
Harlem Strong Dogs General Manager, Kenny Charles, was named "2004-2005 American Basketball Association General Manager of the Year." An ownership change in mid-season could have created havoc for this new expansion team in one of the US's toughest markets - New York City. But Charles, with a law degree and the confidence that comes from experience, kept things together and met every challenge - and there were many. With the support of a great ownership group, the team and organization operated smoothly and professionally. Charles spent five years in the NBA in the mid-70's and now has his sights set on the ABA championship this season.
Bellevue Blackhawks Head Coach and Director of Basketball Operations, Rick Turner, was named "2004-2005 American Basketball Association Coach of the Year." Turner guided the expansion team to the ABA Championship Game from a #13 playoff seeding using all local players. His seeding would have been considerably higher had he had more home games, but Rick took his team "on the road" throughout most of the season. Turner worked in the Seattle Supersonics front office for nine years and was head basketball coach and athletic director at Bellevue Community College prior to joining the Blackhawks.
The Red Division Winners were: Executive of the Year: Michael Tuckman, Bellevue
General Manager of the Year: Oliver Binns, Ontario
Coach of the Year: Rick Turner, Bellevue
The White Division Winners were: Executive of the Year: Charles Key, Texas
General Manager of the Year: Morris Britton, Mississippi
Coach of the Year: Kevin Keathley, Kentucky
The Blue Division Winners were: Executive of the Year: Tom Doyle, Maryland
General Manager of the Year: Kenny Charles, Harlem
Coach of the Year: Brian Rowsom, Carolina
The official awards ceremony will be held at the League Meeting in September.
Note: OurSports Central no longer actively covers the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a professional league due in part to its inability to publish and play a schedule and the transitory nature of many of its teams. For information on professional minor leagues, please see OSC's basketball section.
American Basketball Association Stories from August 9, 2005
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- ABA names 2004-05 award winners - ABA
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- Slam announce dance team and mascot tryout - Bellingham Slam
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