| Butte Daredevils | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | CBA |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Folded | 2008 |
| History | 2006-2008 |
| Arena | Butte Civic Center |
| Location | Butte, Montana |
| Team colors | Red, White, and Blue |
| Head coach | Justin Wetzel, Pat O'Heron |
| Ownership | Apex Sportstainment, LLC |
The Butte Daredevils were a basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) that played from 2006 to 2008. They played their home games at the Butte Civic Center in Butte, Montana. The franchise hosted the 2007 CBA All-Star Game.
The Butte Daredevils were named in honor of Butte native Evel Knievel. Their logo, featuring a motorcycle helmet and patriotic flag, makes reference to him. [1] The team was owned by Apex Sportstainment, who also owned the Utah Eagles and Great Falls Explorers in 2006. [2]
In January 2008, it was announced that the franchise was in an undisclosed amount of debt due to low crowd figures and business sponsorships. [3]
The team folded in August 2008 via a letter to the Montana Standard newspaper after months of speculation.
Robert Craig Knievel, known professionally as Evel Knievel, was an American stunt performer and entertainer. Throughout his career, he attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps. Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. He died of pulmonary disease in Clearwater, Florida, in 2007, aged 69.
The Pioneer Baseball League is a professional baseball league based in the Western United States. It operates as one of four Major League Baseball (MLB) Partner Leagues in the American independent baseball league system without MLB team affiliations. The league contested by twelve teams from the Northern California and Rocky Mountains regions, who play a regular season split into two halves. The top two teams at the end of each half qualify for a postseason tournament that determines the overall champion. The league's naming rights are owned by its primary ticket outlet TicketSmarter, as the Pioneer Baseball League Presented by TicketSmarter.
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) was a men's professional basketball minor league in the United States from 1946 to 2009.
Butte is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers 718 square miles (1,860 km2), and, according to the 2020 census, has a population of 34,494, making it Montana's fifth-largest city. It is served by Bert Mooney Airport with airport code BTM.
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Robert Edward Knievel II was an American motorcyclist and stunt performer. He had also used the stage name Kaptain Robbie Knievel.
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The Butte Civic Center is a 7,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Butte, Montana, USA. Opened in 1952, it hosts locals sporting events and concerts as well as political events. It was the home of the Continental Basketball Association's Butte Daredevils, who played there from their founding in 2006 until they folded in 2008. The arena's current primary tenant is the Butte Roughriders of the Northern Pacific Hockey League. In December 2007 it played host to the funeral of local hero Evel Knievel.
The Great Falls Explorers were a team in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) founded in 2006. The team played their home games at the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls, Montana. The franchise was branded 'Explorers' in honor of Lewis and Clark traveled through the area. The Explorers, previously coached by Steve Aggers, was coached by Scott Wedman for the 2007–2008 season. The team's front office is led by General Manager Ryan Acra.
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Butte High School is a public high school in Butte, Montana. It was established in 1896.
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Richard Hammond Meets Evel Knievel is a one-off television documentary presented by Richard Hammond and first broadcast on 23 December 2007 on BBC Two. The show was produced by Visual Voodoo and the executive producer was Ben Devlin.
The Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year Award, officially known as the Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Most Valuable Player Award, is an annual basketball award given to the Big Sky Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1978–79 season. Only one player, Larry Krystkowiak of Montana, has won the award three times (1984–1986). Three others have been two-time winners: Orlando Lightfoot of Idaho, and Weber State's Harold Arceneaux and Damian Lillard. Weber State has the most all-time awards (11) and individual winners (9). Montana and Eastern Washington are tied for second in total awards with seven apiece.
Nicholas James VanderLaan is an American former professional basketball player. He played three seasons of Division I college basketball for California and Virginia before completing his college career at Concordia-Irvine in 2004. As a senior in 2003–04, he was named an NAIA All-American First Team honoree. He played professionally for three seasons, spending time in the American Basketball Association (ABA), Continental Basketball Association (CBA), NBA Development League and in the Spanish second-tier league (LEB). His best season came in 2007, when he led the CBA in rebounding and helped Ricoh Manresa win the LEB championship.
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