|
|
August 2001 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
 Birmingham
is named as one of eight cities in the Southeast
as a member of the new American Basketball
Alliance. Only five other cities were named;
Atlanta (GA), Macon (GA), Savannah (GA), Augusta
(GA) and Chattanooga (TN). The remaining two
cities will be announced in the future if owners
can be found.
A thirty-six game schedule is set to begin on
November 17th. Each team will have ten players
and a two-player taxi squad. Half of each team
will be comprised of "territorial" players from
local colleges.
The ABA is the creation of Don "Moose" Lewis,
an Atlanta-based businessman and owner of
professional boxing and professional wrestling
entities.
Owners in the new league will pay only a
league/licensing fee and a television production
package instead of the usual, and larger,
franchise/membership fee.
The Birmingham team, tentatively named the
Bandits, is owned by the Justice Basketball
Group, Inc. Principal investors in the Justice
Group were not named. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
September 2001 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
 Lewis
issues a statement to the media stating the ABA
will delay the start of the 2001-02 season from
November 19, 2001 to January 4, 2002. The season
will now be played from January through May
2002. The 2002-03 season will begin in November
2002 on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving
and complete its season and playoffs in April
2003.Lewis claims the reason for the delay is
due to the terrorist attacks on New York and
Washington, DC on September 11.
The Alliance also announces that a percentage
of all fees from player tryouts, ticket sales,
and sponsor revenues will be donated to aid the
families of firemen and emergency personnel who
lost their lives in New York. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
The ABA issues a press release stating it is
"pleased to announce" a fourteen city exhibition
tour featuring four teams from player tryouts
October 20-21, 2001 instead of having a 2001-02
season. The four teams are Birmingham, Atlanta
(GA), Savannah (GA) and Macon (GA). |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
October 2001 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
Lewis states that the Alliance will sport a
return to the classic look of 1970's basketball.
His uniforms, being finished now, will have the
retro 70's look of ABA-style uniforms. "We've
also told the players that we'll pay the white
guys extra for [wearing] crew cuts, and the
black guys extra for [wearing] afros," Lewis
said. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
November 2001 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
 Lewis
announces that the Birmingham team would be
named the BreakOuts. No explanation why the name
was chosen was given.Lewis also announces
that players will be able to wear their
nicknames on the back of their jerseys. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
 Lewis
announces the ABA has been restructured into a
single entity limited liability corporation.
With this change came a new name, the Global
Basketball Alliance, still to be known as "the
Alliance".
"After lengthy discussions with league
officials and counsel, it was decided without
dissent to change the name to reflect both our
present and future growth as well as to
acknowledge the fact that our player talent is
not just 'American' but from the global
community. The Alliance has also chosen new
colors for our basketball making us unique with
our black, blue and yellow pattern. These colors
of black and blue signify the bumps and bruises
we have endured while the yellow is for the sun
since our future is so bright!" Lewis said.
A fifth team from Johnson City (TN) has been
added. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 2001 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Lewis announces that Kerry J. Kirby, will be the
BreakOuts head coach and Managing Partner. Kirby
has an extensive background of coaching ranging
from Youth Basketball of America to college to
setting up free agent camps for various NBA
teams. On the 13th, it was announced that
Mexico City and Tijuana have agreed to join the
league, expanding the number of teams to eight.
The other cities are currently Birmingham,
Augusta (GA), Atlanta (GA), Macon (GA),
Chattanooga (TN) and Kingsport (TN).
Lewis said the two Mexican teams will pick up
the travel expenses for the visiting teams as
part of the agreement.
The season will now run from the first week
of April to the middle of March. Each team will
play a thirty-four game schedule with games on
Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The
season was supposed to start on February 9, but
the league was having difficulty getting sites
because of the conflict with high school and
college basketball. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
February 2002 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
The league announces that the Birmingham and
Macon (GA) franchises are now considered to be
expansion teams for the 2003 season. According
to the league, "both these markets need
substantially more work and promotion". |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
March 2002 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
John Jordan resigns as head coach of the
Breakouts. The lack of a confirmed facility,
staff or schedule were reasons cited for his
decision. "I wish the GBA founder, Moose Lewis,
all the best but could no longer sit in limbo as
to whether Birmingham was going to have a team
or not. I traveled to Birmingham in good faith
with the understanding that the arena deal was
done. Much to my dismay after the press
conference announcing me as coach I found out
that no arena deal was set. The league dates and
locales have been changed several times and with
it this close to the announced season I feel it
is in my best interest to no longer be involved
with this league." It is rumored that Jordan
is planning to start his own league that would
begin play in May. Jordan refuses comment,
saying only that "the next few days should bring
an announcement of some sort, the nature of what
that announcement may or may not be I cannot
even speculate on." |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
April 2002 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
After having only played a single game, the
Global Basketball Alliance announces a change in
format in the league’s inaugural season. The GBA
claims they now won't be simply a professional
basketball game, but rather fans will witness a
"professional basketball event". Their press
release says it best: "Mix in the best of the
Harlem Globetrotters, the XFL and its
cheerleaders, and professional wrestling - and
you have the red, hot, GBA! You will see players
"high-fiving" each other, teams with their
respective music, disc jockeys spinning club
music, players at the end of the game tossing
their jerseys into the stands, players screaming
after a successful shot or key play, players in
the stands at halftime, music artists at
intermission, and ticket stubs redeemable for
discounts on merchandise and admission to
entertainment establishments. The GBA’s founder,
Don "Moose" Lewis will be drawing from his years
of professional wrestling, professional boxing,
and television production to bring this to the
people. The GBA offers beautiful and shapely
cheerleaders for dad, handsome basketball
players for mom, tee shirts and giveaways for
the children, the hippest music for the young
adults, and exciting memories for all who
attend. The schedule is changed to twenty-four
(24) games with the following teams: the
Birmingham (Alabama) BreakOuts, the Harlem (New
York) Hammer, the Savannah (Georgia) Ragin’
Rebels, the Atlanta (Georgia) Moose, the Florida
(Tallahassee) Thrill, and the Tri-State Zombies.
Ticket prices have been reduced to $6.50 for
general admission and $12.50 for VIP tickets
with multiple game packages available." |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epilogue |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Details of how many league games were actually
played are sketchy. At least one was played,
which makes the Global Basketball Alliance
better than most leagues. Unfortunately, lack of
funding forced the league to suspend operations. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
