Montana Golden Nuggets

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Montana Golden Nuggets
MontanaGoldenNuggets.png
Leagues CBA
Founded1980
Folded1983
Arena Four Seasons Arena
Capacity5,054
Location Great Falls, Montana
Team colorsGold, Brown, White
   
Head coach George Karl
Conference titles2 1981, 1983

The Montana Golden Nuggets are a former Continental Basketball Association (CBA) team that played from 1980 to 1983. They played their home games at Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls.

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Montana reached the CBA finals in 1981 and 1983, with George Karl earning Coach of the Year honors both seasons. Karl's 1980-81 team, led by John Douglas, Phil Taylor, Willie Smith and Geoff Crompton, went 27–15. The Nuggets met a high scoring Rochester team in the championship, where they were swept, four games to none.

The club went 30–16 the next season with a roster featuring Ronnie Valentine, Walter Jordan, U.S. Reed, Robert Smith, Kenny Dennard and Terry Stotts, but lost in the conference finals to in-state rival the Billings Volcanos. A return to the championship marked the 1983 season, the team's last. Montana lost to Detroit in the league finals, four games to three. In late 2006, the "Electric City" saw the return of the CBA in the form of the Great Falls Explorers.

Season by season record

SeasonGPWLPct.QWPointsFinishPlayoffs
1980–81422715.643
1st CBA Western DivisionLost CBA Finals to the Rochester Zeniths (0–4)
1981–82463016.6521041942nd CBA Western Division
1982–83443311.7501042031st CBA Western DivisionLost CBA Finals to the Detroit Spirits (3–4)

See also