Albany Patroons

CBA team
color1 = #FDD017
color2 = #347C17

pixels = 150px
founded = 1982
league = CBA 1982-1992
CBA 2005-Present
USBL 2006-2007
history = Albany Patroons
1982-1992
Capital Region Pontiacs
1992-1993
Albany Patroons
2005-present
arena = Washington Avenue Armory
city = Albany, New York
colors = Gold & Kelly Green
owner = Ben Fernandez
coach = Undecided
championships = 2 (1984, 1988)
titles = 6 (1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2007)
cheerleaders =
dancers = Emeralds
mascot = Lido the PandaThe Albany Patroons are a basketball team that play in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (and played in the United States Basketball League (USBL) from 2006 until 2007).

The Patroons' home arena is the 3,500-seat Washington Avenue Armory, a former New York National Guard armory with a castle-like exterior. In 1990, the Patroons moved from this location and into the newly constructed Times Union Center, then called the Knickerbocker Arena. When the team was re-established in 2005, it moved back into the Armory. Former Patroon Jamario Moon signed with the Toronto Raptors for 2 years.

Current roster

"As of May 29, 2008"

History

Originally entering the CBA as an expansion franchise in the 1982-83 season, the Patroons won league championships in 1984 and 1988, defeating the Wyoming Wildcatters in both instances.

NBA head coach Phil Jackson won his first championship ring when he guided the Albany Patroons to the 1984 CBA championship. Jackson would later win NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

In 1988, the Patroons won a second championship, this time under head coach Bill Musselman. Musselman would later coach the Minnesota Timberwolves, and several Patroons from the 1987-88 championship year - including Scott Brooks, Tod Murphy, Tony Campbell and Sidney Lowe - played on those early Timberwolves squads.

Three years later, the Patroons completed a 50-6 regular season, including winning all 28 of their home games; at that time, George Karl was the Patroons' head coach. Future NBA stars Mario Elie and Vincent Askew were part of that 50-6 squad.

During the Patroons' time in the CBA, they won two CBA championships and five Eastern Division regular season titles. For the 1992-93 season, the Patroons were renamed the Capital Region Pontiacs, as the team received sponsorship from the local car dealerships. After that season, the franchise was relocated to Connecticut, where it played for 1 1/2 years as the Hartford Hellcats.

As of July 10th, former Albany Patroons player Jamario Moon was signed to the Toronto Raptors.

Rebirth

After a decade-long absence, the Patroons rejoined the CBA as an expansion team for the 2005-06 season, with their original name, original colors (gold and kelly green), and a return to the old Washington Avenue Armory. Former NBA star Micheal Ray Richardson, who played for the Patroons in the 1987-88 season, became the team's head coach, while the Patroons' career scoring leader, Derrick Rowland, was named his assistant coach. In the Patroons' first year back, they finished with a 20-28 record, good for third place in the CBA Eastern Conference. Albany qualified for the playoffs, but lost in the first round of the CBA round-robin style playoffs. The Patroons were led by T.J. Thompson, who averaged a league-high 25.4 points per game, and local product James Thomas, who in two stints with the Patroons led the team in rebounds per game. On April 25, 2006, the CBA moved its league offices into the Patroon's home, the Washington Avenue Armory ( [http://www.cbahoopsonline.com/news_detail.html?newsid=768 News Brief] ).

In the 2006-07 season, the Patroons won the CBA American Conference championship and advanced to the best-of-five CBA Finals against the Yakama Sun Kings. The Patroons lost game one at the Armory, to the Sun Kings. However, this was overshadowed when the next day, coach Micheal Ray Richardson was suspended for the rest of the season for firing expletives at hecklers during games and his comments in an interview with the Albany Times Union newspaper, stating that Jews were "crafty (because) they are hated worldwide." [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2816356 CBA coach Richardson suspended for remarks] , March 28, 2007] [ [http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=575891&category=SPORTS&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=3/28/2007 Time for this coach to sit out] , March 28, 2007] Without Richardson, the Patroons dropped the next two games of the finals, as the Sun Kings won their second consecutive championship. Three days after the conclusion of the series, it was announced that Richardson would not be back to the coach the Patroons. [ [http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=577452&category=PATROONS&BCCode=&newsdate=4/5/2007 Patroons, Richardson part] , April 3, 2007] Richardson, now the coach of the Oklahoma Cavalry, was replaced by Vincent Askew [http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3518459] .

USBL

On June 14, 2006, the Patroons purchased the rights to a United States Basketball League team, which would also be called the Patroons, and would also play in the Washington Avenue Armory. The team replaced the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs. However, after only two years and very low attendance at their home games, the Patroons ended their USBL affiliation on June 19, 2007. [ [http://www.timesunion.com/ASPStories/Story.asp?StoryID=599331&Category=SPORTS&LinkFrom=RSS Patroons will not return to USBL] , June 20, 2007]

July 2008: It was announced by arena management and the Albany Times Union that the Patroons may not call the Washington Avenue Armory home next season. Jim Coyne, general manager of the Armory and commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association, told the newspaper that if the team doesn't sell 600 season tickets, by the end of July, the team will either fold or move. The Pats currently have about 50 season ticket holders.

In 2008-09, the Patroons will stay in the league. [http://www.cbahoopsonline.com/news.php]

Year-by-year

References

External links

* [http://www.albanypats.com/ Albany Patroons Official site]
* [http://www.cbahoopsonline.com/ CBA League Website]
* [http://www.usbl.com/ USBL League Website]
* [http://dodgecitylegend.com/forum/index.php/board,3.0.html USBL Patroons - Discussion Forum]