Magicians to Host Game in Dothan
January 16, 2006 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Birmingham Magicians News Release
Dothan, AL. With the purpose of gauging interest for possibly placing a team here, owner Reginald McDaniel of the Birmingham Magicians has booked the Dothan Civic Center for a regular season American Basketball Association game featuring his team on Thursday, Jan 26.
The Magicians are coached by Dothan native Jim Farmer, the former Houston Academy, Alabama and NBA player.
Though there are still some details to be worked out, McDaniel said the opponent scheduled to play in Dothan at this time is the Florida Pit Bulls, which feature former NBA all-star Tim Hardaway.
One of Birmingham's top players is former Alabama star Brian Williams, who averages 18 points per game.
McDaniel said a press conference will be scheduled for this upcoming week to announce more details.
"I'm 95 percent sure it's going to happen," McDaniel said on Saturday afternoon. "We're committed to it.
The ABA, now at the midway point in its season, has over 30 minor-league teams throughout the country.
McDaniel, who grew up in Headland and is now an attorney in Birmingham, said he has an interest in placing a team in Dothan next season if the response from the community is good.
He said there's even a possibility the team could return to Dothan again this season.
"If it works out well and we get a good response, we'd really look forward to coming back," McDanield said. "I'd personally like to see a team down here. We have so much (entertainment) competition in Birmingham, but we have a pretty strong core of fans."
Matt Parker, president of the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce, said preliminary discussions with McDaniel about locating a team here in the future were initiated during the summer.
"It's a good opportunity to get a feel for what having a team here would be like," Parker said of the proposed game. "I think folks would like to see something like this here. There is a lot of former college players in the league."
A spokesperson for the Dothan Civic Center reached Friday afternoon confirmed the arena has been booked by McDaniel for Jan 26, but said no other details had been forwarded by the Magicians at that point.
McDaniel said he has plans for tickets to be $12 for adults and $7 for children 12-under.
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.
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