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T-Spoon's ABA Team to Face Sound in Preseason Game October 20

October 15, 2007 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Strong Island Sound News Release


Patchogue, NY- The Strong Island Sound will get an early start on the 2007-08 ABA season with a preseason contest on Saturday, October 20 versus the Westchester Phantoms at the Southbay Sportsplex in Calverton. Tip off is at 7 p.m. and admission is free.

The Westchester franchise is playing their first season in upstate, New York after moving from Brooklyn at the completion of the 2006-07 season. The former Comets are owned by Daisy Brand, the mother of the Los Angeles Clipper forward, and the general manager is her oldest son, Artie McGriff.

The Phantoms recently named Teresa Weatherspoon head coach, and the longtime New York Liberty legend does not anticipate a problem coaching a team of men. "This is something I wanted to do even before I was out of the league," the four-time WNBA All-Star said to reporters. "Once I was asked, I immediately said yes. Regardless of what I've done in the past, or how I've played the game, I have to earn respect in a different way."

The 41 year-old Weatherspoon played in New York for seven seasons before joining the Los Angeles Sparks and has been retired for three years. She also won an Olympic gold medal in 1988. She will have to form a roster from a group of 25 players that will compete for a spot, which the team plans on carrying 10 active and 5 on a standby 'taxi squad.' One of those players is Weatherspoon's brother, Tim Gittens, who is known by 'Headache' on the Harlem street-ball scene.

"He's getting the same treatment as everybody else," 'Spoon said to reporters. "He's got to bring it. He's got to fight for his life on the court like everybody else.

The Sound opened veteran's camp on October 2 and are preparing for the November 4 opening game against the Phantoms at Peekskill High School. They will then travel to Delaware on November 9 to face the expansion First State Fusion before hosting them in a home-at-home set on Sunday, November 11 at 7:15 p.m. at Suffolk Community College. It will be the Sound's home opener for the 2007-08 season.

Season ticket packages and single-game seats are available by visiting www.strongislandsound.com.

All Long Island basketball fans are invited to come down to Southbay Sportsplex, the 2007 home of Sound Training Camp, to watch these two New York area ABA teams take the court for the first time this season.

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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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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