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Brooklyn Kings

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Brooklyn Kings
Brooklyn Kings logo
LeagueUSBL 1999–2007
Founded1999
HistoryBrooklyn Kings
(1999–2007)
ArenaSchwartz Athletic Center
LocationBrooklyn, New York
Team colorsBlack, white, & gold
OwnershipBrooklyn Kings Basketball Club, LLC
Websitethebrooklynkings.com

The Brooklyn Kings were a United States Basketball League franchise in Brooklyn, New York. They played in Downtown Brooklyn, on the main campus of Long Island University. Formed in 1999, the league suspended operations after the 2007 season and the team has been inactive since then. The team took their name from Kings County, which is a name coextensive with the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

History

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On March 25, 1999, the USBL announced that the league would add a new franchise based in Brooklyn.[1] The team was officially announced on April 19, 1999 by the New York City Mayor's office; the owner was Mohammed A. Nur and the first coach was Sam Worthen.[2][3] The team played their games at the Schwartz Athletic Center in Brooklyn;[4] among the members of the team's inaugural roster were Tremaine Fowlkes, Gordon Malone, Brian Reese and Ed "Booger" Smith.[5] The Kings ended their first season with a 10–16 record, ranking third in the USBL Northern Division.[6] Junie Sanders was selected in the All-USBL First Team.[6]

In 2000, the team appointed Ken Charles as their new head coach,[3] and they finished the season as second-to-last in the Northern Division with an 11–19 record. In 2001 the record improved to 12–17 (.414), but in 2002 the team had their worst season, and finished with a 7–23 record (.233). In 2003 the team had former St. John's alumni Anthony Glover and Chudney Gray in their roster, in addition to former NBA players Charles Jones and Rodrick Rhodes, and former top high school player Lenny Cooke.[7][8] The team finished with a 12–18 record in the regular season and advanced to the postseason for the first time in their history: they lost to the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs, 116–122.[8] Cooke was the league leader in scoring (28.8 points), steals per game (2.8) and offensive rebounds per game (4.7): he was named the USBL Rookie of the Year, while Anthony Glover made the All-Rookie team.[8]

In 2004, the team won the Eastern Division with a 20–10 record, and advanced to the playoffs. They beat the Oklahoma Storm in the quarterfinals[9] and the Kansas Cagerz in the semifinals, reaching the USBL championship game.[10] In the USBL final game the Kings lost to the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs, 116–118.[11] Kings player Chudney Gray was named USBL Player of the Year and was selected in the All-USBL First Team, together with teammates B. J. Mc Farlan and Jason Lampa.[12]

The Brooklyn Kings topped the East Division again in 2005 with the best record of their history (21–9, .700): they again qualified for the playoffs, where they were eliminated by the Nebraska Cranes, 117–110. Coach Ken Charles was named USBL Coach of the Year and Anthony Glover, who led the USBL in steals, was named in the All-USBL First Team along with teammate B. J. McFarlan.[13] The 2006 season saw the Kings rank first in the East Division once again, this time with an 18–12 record; the team was eliminated in the quarterfinal game of the playoffs by the Kansas Cagerz. In 2007, the final USBL season, the Kings made the playoffs with an 8–8 record, and advanced to the championship game, where they lost to the Kansas Cagerz, 92–95.[14] Kings player Abdul Mills was named in the All-USBL First Team.[15]

Season-by-season records

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Year Wins Losses Win % Head coach
1999 10 16 .385 Sam Worthen
2000 11 19 .367 Ken Charles
2001 12 17 .414 Ken Charles
2002 7 23 .233 Ken Charles
2003 12 18 .400 Ken Charles
2004 20 10 .667 Ken Charles
2005 21 9 .700 Ken Charles
2006 18 12 .600 Ken Charles
2007 8 8 .500 Ken Charles
Source:[3][6]

Notable players

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Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

References

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  1. ^ "Brooklyn lands USBL team". New York Daily News. March 26, 1999. p. 652.
  2. ^ "MAYOR GIULIANI AND CONGRESSMAN EDOLPHUS TOWNS ANNOUNCE NEW UNITED STATES BASKETBALL LEAGUE EXPANSION TEAM, THE BROOKLYN KINGS". New York City Mayor's Office. New York: New York City Government. April 19, 1999. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "TeamHistory and Year-by-Year Results". thebrooklynkings.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  4. ^ "USBL Team-By-Team Capsules". The Salina Journal. April 30, 1999. p. C5. Retrieved February 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "ShoreCats' week ahead". Asbury Park Press. June 6, 1999. p. 138.
  6. ^ a b c "History of the United States Basketball League". APBR.org. Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  7. ^ "2003 Statistics". thebrooklynkings.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c "2003 Season in Review". thebrooklynkings.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  9. ^ "USBL completes day one of Post-Season Festival". oursportscentral.com. June 26, 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  10. ^ "Kings end Cagerz' season Kansas battles back from early deficit, but Campbell, Brooklyn prove too much". The Salina Journal. June 27, 2004. p. 17.
  11. ^ "Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs win the 2004 USBL Championship". oursportscentral.com. June 28, 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  12. ^ "USBL honors All-USBL Teams". oursportscentral.com. July 6, 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  13. ^ "USBL reveals All-USBL teams". oursportscentral.com. July 5, 2005. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  14. ^ "Cagers win USBL title". Enid News & Eagle. July 2, 2007. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  15. ^ "USBL Reveals 2007 "All-USBL" Teams". oursportscentral.com. July 10, 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
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