Minnesota Ripknees

Last updated
Minnesota Ripknees
MinnesotaRipkneesABA.PNG
Founded2006
League ABA (2006-07)
PBL (2007)
ABA (2007-08)
Team history2006-2008
Based in St. Paul, Minnesota
Arena Roy Wilkins Auditorium
ColorsGold, blue, brown
OwnerJohn Jurewicz (2006-07)
Jam Entertainment (2007-08)
Head coachLarry A. McKenzie
Championships0
Division titles1

The Minnesota Ripknees were an American basketball team of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The Ripknees briefly joined the Premier Basketball League after starting playing one season in the ABA.

Contents

The team gets its unusual name after "Ripknee", a character in stories (with a hole in the knee of his blue jeans) which former co-owner John Jurewicz used to tell his son, William (also a former co-owner) on long car trips. The team ceased operations after 2008.

History

Playing their home games at the Gangelhoff Center, Minnesota finished their inaugural 2006-07 season 24-8, good for first place in their division. However, a financial dispute prevented the team from participating in the playoffs.

After the season, the team announced they would switch their affiliation to the Premier Basketball League [1] and would now be playing at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium (which previously served as the alternate home of the Minneapolis Lakers) next to the Xcel Energy Center [2] in St.Paul.

Before the Ripknees could ever take a shot in the PBL, [3] they were sold to Jam Entertainment (owners of the Rochester Fire, Peoria Kings, and Rome Legions). The Ripknees returned to the ABA to play the 2007-08 season. [4]

According to a report on Our Sports Central, the Ripknees ceased playing in the ABA before the end of the 2007-08 season. [5]

Players from Minnesota on the Ripknees

Related Research Articles

American Basketball Association defunct professional basketball league in the United States, merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976

The original American Basketball Association (ABA) was a men's professional basketball league, from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to several teams joining the National Basketball Association and to the introduction of the 3-point shot in the NBA in 1979.

Minnesota Muskies basketball team

The Minnesota Muskies were a member of the American Basketball Association, born with the league's creation on February 2, 1967. L.P. Shields and Fred Jefferson were the owners after paying a franchise fee of $30,000. The team then played one season in Minnesota before moving to Miami, Florida to become The Floridians. The team colors were blue and gold and games were played in the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota.

George Mikan American basketball player, coach, commissioner

George Lawrence Mikan Jr., nicknamed "Mr. Basketball", was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Invariably playing with thick, round spectacles, the 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), 245 lb (111 kg) Mikan is seen as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, as well as one of the pioneers of professional basketball, redefining it as a game of so-called big men with his prolific rebounding, shot blocking, and his talent to shoot over smaller defenders with his ambidextrous hook shot, the result of his namesake Mikan Drill. He also utilized the underhanded free-throw shooting technique long before Rick Barry made it his signature shot.

Washington GreenHawks

The Washington GreenHawks were a team of the Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League (ACPBL) based in Washington, D.C.. As the Maryland Nighthawks they were formerly part of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and a founding member of the Premier Basketball League (PBL), in which they later played as the Maryland GreenHawks. The team began play in the fall of 2004.

American Basketball Association (2000–present) American semi-professional mens basketball minor league founded in 1999

The American Basketball Association (ABA) is an American semi-professional men's basketball minor league that was founded in 1999.

Sports in Louisville, Kentucky

Sports in Louisville, Kentucky include amateur and professional sports in baseball, football, horse racing, horse shows, ice hockey, soccer and lacrosse. The city of Louisville and the Louisville metropolitan area have a sporting history from the mid-19th century to the present day.

Augusta Groove

The Augusta Groove was a team in the Premier Basketball League that previously played in the Continental Basketball Association and the modern American Basketball Association. Formerly, the team was known as the Charlotte Krunk in the ABA, where they played at Charlotte, North Carolina's Cricket Arena, and the Atlanta Krunk of the CBA.

Jacksonville Jam

The Jacksonville Jam was a basketball team based in Jacksonville, Florida that was a member of the modern American Basketball Association and the Premier Basketball League. They played their home games at the University of North Florida. Thirteen of their eighteen home games were to be played on Friday nights, while the remainder were to be played on Sundays. The team planned to move to Veterans Memorial Arena for the 2008-2009 season, but it did not survive its transition into the PBL.

Sports in Minnesota include professional teams in all major sports, Olympic Games contenders and medalists, especially in the Winter Olympics, collegiate teams in major and small-school conferences and associations and active amateur teams and individual sports. The State of Minnesota has a team in all five major professional leagues. Along with professional sports, there are numerous collegiate teams including the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in the NCAA Division I, Minnesota State Mavericks in NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II and many others across the Minnesota public and private colleges and universities.

Wilmington Sea Dawgs

The Wilmington Sea Dawgs are a professional basketball team and founding member of the Tobacco Road Basketball League. The team is based in Wilmington, North Carolina, and began play in 2006 as a member of the American Basketball Association. The team later played as a founding member of the Premier Basketball League and a founding member of the Continental Basketball League. In 2013, they will play at Blizzard Athletics, having previously played at the Joe and Barbara Schwartz Center on the campus of Cape Fear Community College.

Quad City Riverhawks

The Quad City Riverhawks were a team of the Premier Basketball League that previously played in the modern American Basketball Association (ABA).

Halifax Rainmen Former basketball team in Halifax, Canada

The Halifax Rainmen were a professional basketball team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. They played in the Atlantic Division of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and their home games took place at the Scotiabank Centre, formerly known as the Halifax Metro Centre. Andre Levingston was the owner of the Rainmen since he helped establish the team in 2006. The team played their first season in the American Basketball Association (ABA). However, after becoming unhappy with the ABA, they moved to the Premier Basketball League (PBL) for the next three seasons. In 2011, they joined the NBL Canada as one of the original seven teams. Despite showing success in the four seasons they spent in the Canadian league, making two Finals appearances, the Rainmen filed for bankruptcy in July 2015. The team was coming off a controversial loss in the 2015 NBL Canada Finals against the Windsor Express and forfeited Game 7 after taking part in a pre-game brawl. The Halifax Hurricanes, with a larger ownership group than the Rainmen's single owner, replaced the Rainmen in NBL Canada for the 2015–16 season.

Premier Basketball League sports league

The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is an American professional men's basketball minor league that began play in January 2008. The league folded after the 2017 season. It was announced that the league would be revived under new management for the 2020 season. The league announced due coronavirus outbreak the season would be put on hold.

Minnesota Golden Gophers mens basketball NCAA Division 1 Mens Basketball Program

The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team represents the University of Minnesota in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Golden Gophers competes in the Big Ten Conference and play their home games at the Williams Arena.

Saint John Riptide Canadian professional basketball team based in Saint John, New Brunswick

The Saint John Riptide are a dormant Canadian professional basketball team based in Saint John, New Brunswick, that had home games at Harbour Station. They are a member of the National Basketball League of Canada in the Atlantic Division. The team was one of two professional basketball teams from the province of New Brunswick, the other being the Moncton Magic.

Buffalo Stampede

The Buffalo Stampede was a basketball team in the Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League (ACPBL) that started as a franchise in the Premier Basketball League (PBL) in the 2009 season. The team was originally the NexxNow Buffalo Dragons The team was first owned by NexxNow Inc. However, Vincent Lesh, the owner of the modern American Basketball Association Buffalo Sharks folded that club, left the ABA, and bought the Dragons from NexxNow, renaming them the Buffalo Stampede.

Detroit Panthers (PBL) American minor-league basketball team

The Detroit Panthers were an American minor-league basketball team in the Premier Basketball League. Formerly a member of the American Basketball Association, the team was previously known as the Detroit Dogs and the Detroit Wheels. The Panthers were one of the charter franchises of the ABA and won the league's first championship as the Detroit Dogs.

Continental Basketball League

The Continental Basketball League (CBL) was a men's basketball minor league in the United States that began play in April 2010. The league is headquartered in Florida.

This is the year-to-year membership and makeup of the Premier Basketball League, including league divisional alignment and the circumstances of teams no longer in the league.

References

  1. "Minnesota Ripknees Join Premier Basketball League". Our Sports Central. 2007-06-14. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
  2. "Ripknees Update". Our Sports Central. 2007-06-13. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
  3. "Premiere Basketball League Wishes Ripknees the best". Our Sports Central. 2007-10-23. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
  4. "Minnesota Ripknees Set to Play". ABALive.com. 2007-10-24. Archived from the original on 2008-01-10. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
  5. Reeths, Paul (2008-01-18). "Frustrations mount in ABA". Our Sports Central. Retrieved 2008-01-21.