Nashville team announces new ownership
May 9, 2005 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Nashville Rhythm News Release
Indianapolis, IN. The American Basketball Association (ABA) today announced that the professional basketball team will have new owners when they begin play in November.
According to Joe Newman, ABA CEO, "Nashville had its ups and downs last season and it created immense publicity for the league. One thing was certain, there was great interest in the ABA and the team there - and it was incumbent upon the league to find a way to continue to play there. In Derek Watkins, we have an owner who should do a terrific job there. He has a terrific understanding of the market and of basketball and should run a great operation there."
The prinicipal owner of the team will be Derek Watkins who played high school basketball at John Overton for 4 years and then played two years at Tennessee State University before transferring to Fisk University where he played for three years and made All-Conference each year. In 1992, Watkins was 9th in Division III scoring in the nation. He has coached at the high school and college level as well as AAU Basketball and has run college and pro summer leagues in Nashville for 6 years as well as adult and AAU tournaments. Watkins stated, "Owning a professional basketball team has been a life-dream for me. I am extremely excited and believe that we can put together a strong operation here. We recognize that we have some work to do - but we're prepared to do it - and we'll make Nashville proud - and we're also looking forward to the rivalry between Chattanooga and us. It'll be fun."
For more information, contact Derek Watkins at 615 445 5734 or email mrdsw03@hotmail.com or visit www.abalive.com.
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 May 9, 2005
- Clayton Shields to sign as coach of Gallup Talons - Gallup Outlaws
- Nashville team announces new ownership - Nashville Rhythm
- Long Beach team has new ownership, Latin flavor - Maywood Laguneros
- ABA to expand referee recruitment - ABA
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