The Rapid City Thrillers were a semi-professional basketball team in Rapid City, South Dakota, that competed in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) beginning in the 1987 season.[1] They were reincarnated in 1998 as an International Basketball Association franchise. One of the many notable players of the team was Keith Smart, who played for the Indiana Hoosiers when they won the NCAA tournament in 1987.[2]

The Thrillers had some very notable head coaches in its time. First, Bill Musselman coached the team to three consecutive CBA titles during the 1980s.[3] Musselman then moved to the NBA as coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Later, Flip Saunders coached the Thrillers for a season and later became head coach of the NBA's Washington Wizards. Keith Fowler coached the team during one of their only losing seasons. Eric Musselman (son of Bill Musselman) coached the team successfully for seven years but was never able to bring the championship back to the franchise, although the team was runner-up three separate times during its existence.[4]

This team traced its history back to the Tampa Bay Thrillers of the Continental Basketball Association. They won consecutive CBA titles in their first two seasons. However, the team never drew well, and abruptly changed cities in 1987. The Thrillers moved to Rapid City at the conclusion of the regular season, but didn't stop the team's momentum, as they won their third consecutive title.

After eight and a half seasons, the team moved to West Palm Beach where they became the Florida Beach Dogs. The Beach Dogs lasted only two seasons folding after losing the championship series to the Oklahoma City Cavalry.

After the Thrillers left Rapid City, professional basketball continued in the form of the Black Hills Posse of the International Basketball Association. In 1998 the Black Hills Posse were sold to John Tuschman (former owner of the original Thrillers). Tuschman tried to spark the old spirit the Thrillers had from the late 1980s and early 1990s, by renaming the Posse to the Thrillers and bringing back the original "flaming basketball" logo. Tuschman was unsuccessful and the new Thrillers folded after the end of the 1998–99 season. The IBA continued for one more season in Rapid City, as the Black Hills Gold played in the 1999–2000 season for one year, before moving to Mitchell, South Dakota and becoming the South Dakota Gold. Rapid City has been without professional basketball since.

Season-by-season

Year League GP W L Pct. Finish Playoffs
1984/85 CBA 48 35 13 .729 2nd, Eastern Won Eastern Division Semi Finals 3–0 Vs Lancaster Lightning, Won Eastern Division Finals 3–2 Vs Albany Patroons, Won CBA Championship 4–3 Vs Detroit Spirits
1985/86 CBA 48 34 14 .708 1st, Eastern Won Eastern Division Semi Finals 4–3 Vs Albany Patroons, Won Eastern Division Finals 4–1 Vs Bay State Bombardiers, Won CBA Championship 4–1 Vs La Crosse Catbirds
1986/87 CBA 48 34 14 .708 1st, Eastern Won Eastern Division Semi Finals 4–1 Vs Pensacola Tornados, Won Eastern Division Finals 4–0 Vs Albany Patroons, Won CBA Championship 4–1 Vs Rockford Lightning
1987/88 CBA 54 16 38 .296 6th, Western did not qualify
1988/89 CBA 54 38 16 .704 1st, Western Won Western Division Semi Finals 4–1 Vs Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets, Lost Western Division Finals 4–2 Vs Rockford Lightning
1989/90 CBA 56 42 14 .750 1st, National Midwest Won National Conference Semi Finals 3–2 Vs San Jose Jammers, Won National Conference Finals 4–2 Vs Santa Barbara Islanders, Lost CBA Championship 4–1 Vs La Crosse Catbirds
1990/91 CBA 56 27 29 .482 2nd, American Midwest Lost American Conference First Round 3–2 Vs Omaha Racers
1991/92 CBA 56 37 19 .661 1st, National Northern Won National Conference Second Round 3–1 Vs Wichita Falls Texans, Won Western Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Omaha Racers, Lost CBA Championship 4–3 Vs La Crosse Catbirds
1992/93 CBA 56 44 12 .786 1st, National Midwest Won National Conference First Round 3–0 Vs Tri-City Chinook, Lost National Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Omaha Racers
1993/94 CBA 56 37 19 .661 1st, National Midwest Won National Conference First Round 3–2 Vs Wichita Falls Texans, Lost National Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Omaha Racers
1994/95 CBA 56 31 25 .554 4th, National West Lost National Conference First Round 2–0 Vs Tri-City Chinook
1995/96 CBA 56 41 15 .732 1st, National Southern Won National Conference First Round 3–0 Vs Omaha Racers, Lost National Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Sioux Falls Skyforce
1996/97 CBA 56 38 18 .679 1st, American Won American Conference First Round 3–0 Vs Rockford Lightning, Won American Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Grand Rapids Hoops, Lost CBA Championship 4–2 Vs Oklahoma City Cavalry
1998/99 IBA 34 16 18 .471 3rd, West Lost West Division Finals 2–1 Vs Magic City Snowbears
Totals CBA 700 454 246 .649 – 3 CBA Championships
Totals IBA 34 16 18 .471 – 1–2 Playoff Record
Totals Franchise 734 470 264 .640 –

Notable players

References

  1. ^ Aust, Scott (April 23, 2008). "Pro basketball could return to the city". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  2. ^ Bordelon, Scottie (May 12, 2021). "Musselman hires Keith Smart to coaching staff". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  3. ^ Rosen, Charley (2018). Sugar: Micheal Ray Richardson, Eighties Excess, and the NBA. University of Nebraska Press pg.98. ISBN 978-1-4962-0216-1.
  4. ^ George, Dave (March 20, 2018). "The wildest man in March Madness may be Eric Musselman, who once coached a CBA team in West Palm Beach". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_City_Thrillers
No tags for this post.