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Florida Basketball Association Launching this Summer

January 11, 2012 - Continental Basketball League (CBL)
Florida Flight News Release


(Orlando, FL) - This summer will see the launch of a new independent professional basketball league in the state of Florida: the Florida Basketball Association (FBA).

The FBA will establish a middle market professional basketball option in the state of Florida aimed at helping players develop their skills and gain the exposure necessary to advance their professional basketball careers. The league will also serve as a development platform to help sports career-minded individuals obtain the practical experience necessary to compete for future major league sports career opportunities.

Establishing a charitable culture will also be at the core of the league. FBA teams will host theme night games regularly where various charities and non-profit organizations are featured to help raise awareness and funds for their respective causes.

The league will boast four charter teams for its inaugural season: the Tampa Bay Rebels, the Miami Stars, the Palm Beach Titans, and the Florida Flight (Orlando). The regular season will run May through July, with each team remaining moderately active throughout the year.

"We are proud to be a charter member of the FBA," said Mark King, Owner and Head Coach of the Florida Flight. "We are looking forward towards building a solid brand of professional basketball that complements the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat here in the state of Florida!"

The Commissioner of the FBA will be retired NBA player Greg Kite. A former Orlando Magic alum, Kite boasts an 11 year NBA career that includes two NBA Championships with the Boston Celtics ('84 and '86). Upon his retirement from the NBA, Kite has remained in the Orlando, Florida area, dabbling in a plethora of business initiatives ranging from real estate to financial investments, enabling him to bring a diverse background filled with both basketball and business experience.

"Basketball has been a huge part of my life," said Kite. "I've been waiting for the right opportunity to come my way. The timing is perfect, and I'm excited to have found a leadership opportunity that enables me to merge my business and basketball experience together to help create something with a tremendous amount of potential here in Florida."

The FBA will play a minimum 12 game schedule, and utilize a hybrid of NBA, NCAA and FIBA rules and regulations. Each team is granted the freedom to schedule additional games with various opponents in leagues outside of the FBA, with FBA-sanctioned games being the sole deciding factor for league playoff positioning at the end of the season.

The mission of the FBA is to create a platform that provides development, branding and exposure opportunities for basketball athletes, and practical experience opportunities for individuals seeking to further their career in professional sports. For more information regarding the FBA, visit www.thefba.com.

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