Q and A with Duane "Spyder" Hughes

by Chris Rouhier, www.ABAsite.tk
Published on July 14, 2005 under American Basketball Association (ABA)
Charlotte Krunk


Duane "Spyder" Hughes is the owner of the Charlotte Krunk, a franchise in the American Basketball Association. Thanks to Mr. Hughes for agreeing to this Q and A, and good luck to the Krunk!

- Why did you join the ABA?

I was originally going to be the GM for a different franchise, but things didn't work out. ABA CEO Joe Newman, said he'd keep his eyes open for another situation, if one came up. Sure enough, Brian Rowsom, former Head Coach of the Carolina Thunder, contacted Joe in regards to locating new owners for the franchise. I met with Coach Jaye Floyd and Cricket Arena manager, Eric Scott on my first visit to Charlotte, and the vibe was there. My partner, Lisa Dillard and I made a gut decision, based on the vibes the people in Charlotte sent out to us. In my heyday as a rapper, I played in front of a sold out Charlotte Coliseum, and got the biggest ovation of my career as an opening act for Whodini. I obviously think it's a great city.

-Did you explore other minor leagues (basketball or otherwise)?

Honestly. No. I was in the process of finishing off my autobiography, and farewell rap CD, when I basically dropped everything for this. Up until last year, I didn't know the ABA had been resurrected. I grew up watching Dr. J and the Nets winning the ABA title. I loved the ABA then, and want to be instrumental in helping restore some of that glory.

-What is your background in sports?

I was somewhat of a "playground legend" growing up in Hollis, Queens, NYC. That's where I got the nickname "Spyder". I was always spinnining around like my idol, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe. I had skinny arms and legs, so, I guess I looked like a spider. Somebody called that out when I hit a game winning jumper after one of my patented "spinning fadeaways". The name stuck. I changed the spelling when I became a rapper at the age of 19. I was captain and an all-city honorable mention point guard for Richmon Hill H. S. In my senior year. I had to give the game up in college, at Eastern Michigan University, when my knees gave out from all of the playground battles.

-The "Krunk" may be the most unique name in pro sports. What led you to this name choice?

I chose to name the team the Krunk, because my oldest Son Terrell used the word all the time, to describe different dunks and moves he'd seen or done himself. He'd say, "...did you see that ill dunk Vince Carter did? That joint was Krunk Yo!" I don't know what everybody thinks the true meaning of the word is....in fact, there is no true meaning of the word, except in the context that you use it. When used in basketball terms, as the example of how my son uses it, it obviously means "hyped", exciting, spectacular! That is the brand and style of ball our organization is bringing to the City of Charlotte.

-What do you think is the biggest obstacle to achieving success with your team?

I think the biggest obstacle to our success is getting people to forget about last year. This is not the Carolina Thunder. We have some remnants of that team as far as personell, with all-star Brett Harper returning, Brian Rowsom, and Coach Floyd....but after last season, I feel those guys deserve a fresh start. I had to turn investors down because they wanted me to blow the whole team up and start completely fresh. I wouldn't do it, so I have to now, remove some of the stigma related with the poor attendance, and debts left behind by the other team. People listen to me....! We are the Charlotte Krunk. The name and the game will speak for itself!

-How will your team approach that obstacle?

The way we hope to overcome that obstacle is to be very accessible to the public. Our mantra is "The People's Team". We mean every word of it. We will be doing girls and boys camps, we've partnered with the Book Bank Foundation www.thebookbankfoundation.org to help teach kids to want to read. We are going to be in the community, big time. Add that to the fact we will be doing concerts and having special half time guests, and we have a very positive relationship with Power 98 FM, and, last but not least, we will play some awesome B-Ball this year. You add all that up, then top it off with the best play-by-play man in the game, Derrick Pearson, joining us to do our radio and webcasts.... I wish the season started tomorrow!

-What will define a successful year for your team off the court?

A successful year for our organization off the court to me, would be to reach all of our planned goals in the community. I plan on moving to Charlotte after the New Year. I want to become part of the fabric of the city. Not in an egotistical "look at me" way, but in a way where I feel I make a positive difference in peoples lives.

-Attendance at some Carolina Thunder games was in three digits. How can the Krunk succeed where the Thunder didn't?

I do not want to cast any negative remarks about last years regime, because I wasn't here, but what happened to them could happen to us, or anybody, but, I am not going to allow it. I expect a lot of myself, and I will hold everyone in this organization up to those same lofty standards. I can tolerate honest mistakes, but I won't tolerate lazyness or softness. If people don't cut the mustard so to speak, I'll find a replacement for them. Nobody's job is safe. If we're all on point, we'll get the fans in the seats and paly winning basketball.

-There is no question that the NBA is the #1 pro basketball league in the world. How can the Krunk and the ABA carve out their own niche in the pro sports world?

We have already carved our own niche in the sports world. We were mentioned in a Dime magazine piece, on Fox Sports Net, just before game 4 of the NBA finals! In the NBA section! Above the headline about the Pistons and Spurs!

-What are your impressions of the new regulations the ABA has implemented?

I don't really know the difference between the new regulations versus the old ones since I am just getting on the ABA scene, but I am sure they were put in place to improve the league. Every sports league tweaks their product, every year.

-Are there any you would like to have seen added, but were not?

Once again, I'm an ABA rookie, so I wouldn't know yet. I'd like to see a rule that let's the owners suit up for a game though! Then I could catch a Spyder from back in the day flashback, and drop a quick 20 pt., 10 assist night on somebody!

-How do you view the ABA vs. other minor league basketball (CBA, NBDL, etc.)?

The CBA used to be the cream of the crop. The NBDL seems to have the stronghold now. This is a key year for the ABA. With former NBA stars like Tim Hardaway and Dennis Scott in the league now, it adds a lot of credibility and stability to the league.

-Have you secured a venue for the upcoming season?

I am very pleased to say that we are playing at the Cricket Arena this season. I didn't want to play anywhere else. If I couldn't reach an accord with them, we were not going to play this season. We hope to be very successful tenants with them, for a long time.

-Do you have any closing thoughts?

My closing thoughts would be directed towards the people of Charlotte, who have so far, embraced us, and the ideology that we bring to their sports market. We will be respectful of all that it means to be a Charlottean, and the rest God will take care of. Thanks for having me on your site, and keep up the good work.

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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American Basketball Association Stories from July 14, 2005


The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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