Saskatoon Slam

Last updated
Saskatoon Slam
League National Basketball League
Established1990
Folded1994
HistorySaskatchewan Storm (WBL) (1990–92)
Saskatoon Slam (NBL) (1992–94)
Arena Saskatchewan Place
Location Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Team colours   
Championships1 (1993)

The Saskatoon Slam were a Canadian professional basketball franchise based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, that played in the National Basketball League in 1993 and 1994. [1]

Contents

Team history

Saskatchewan Storm (WBL)

The Slam were founded in 1990 as the Saskatchewan Storm of the World Basketball League (WBL). The Storm narrowly lost their first game, 117–115 against the Las Vegas Silver Streaks, in front of a record crowd of more than 8,000. [2] The team did not win a championship but had some notable alumni, including Thomas Lyles, the father of Sacramento Kings player Trey Lyles, and current UC Davis Aggies men's basketball coach Jim Les. The WBL folded before the conclusion of the 1992 season, and the Canadian franchises opted to create a new national league, the National Basketball League (NBL). It was then that the Storm changed their name to the Saskatoon Slam.

Saskatoon Slam (NBL)

The Slam were a success in the only full NBL season. On 8 September 1993, they defeated the Cape Breton Breakers by a score of 109–107 in the fourth game of the championship final to win the league title. [3] This was the province's first professional basketball championship, and the only one until the Saskatchewan Rattlers won the inaugural Canadian Elite Basketball League title in 2019. [4]

The NBL struggled financially–for example, all games of the 1993 finals were played in Saskatoon to reduce travel costs–and the league folded in the middle of the 1994 season, along with the Slam. [2] This left the city and province without professional basketball until briefly hosting the Saskatchewan Hawks, from 2000 to 2002. [3]

Season by season results

= Indicates League Championship

Legend: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, GBL = Games Behind Leader

Saskatchewan Storm (WBL)

Season [5] GPWLGBLFinishPlayoffs
1990461927196thLost first-round to Las Vegas Silver Streaks, 2–0
1991512526126thWon first-round over Youngstown Pride, 2–0

Lost semi-final to Calgary 88's, 2–0

1992331221147thNone–League folded on 1 August 1992

Saskatoon Slam (NBL)

Season [6] GPWLGBLFinishPlayoffs
199346252153rdWon semi-final over Winnipeg Thunder, 3–2
Won finals over Cape Breton Breakers 3–1
199423101364thNone–League folded on 9 July 1994

All-time Slam roster

NameNumberPositionHeightWeightDate of birthCurrent/last known team
Alex Blackwell 11F6'7257 CD Universidad de Los Lagos (Chile) (2011)
Fred Cofield 4G6'3190January 4, 1962 Barangay Ginebra (Philippines) (1997)
Gary Collier GOctober 8, 1971
Mario Donaldson 34G/F6'4195 Marinos de Anzotegui (Venezuela) (2001)
Jerome Gaines 1G6'4190
Angelo Hamilton 23G/F6'5200 Dart Killester (Ireland) (2002)
Richard Lovelace 23G6'6200 Brandon Bobcats (CIS) (1999)
Roy Marble 30F6'6190December 13, 1966
Brian Martin F6'9212August 18, 1962
Jared Miller45F6'8225 Porto Ferpinta (Portugal) (2000)
James Moses
Darren Morningstar 50C6'10235April 22, 1969 Grand Rapids Hoops (CBA) (1999)
Michael Sims 1G5'11170
McKinley Singleton 5G6'4195October 29, 1961
John Spencer 44F6'8233CBA] (Sichuan China) (1998)
Greg Sutton 20G6'2170December 3, 1967 Proteus DaNoi AEL (Cyprus) (2002)
Troy Truvillion 20G6'4185 Basket Club Maritime Gravelines Dunkerque Grand Littoral (France) (2001)
Sean Tyson 22F6'7220 Winnipeg Cyclone (IBA)
Dean Wiebe 34G/F6'4195
Erik Wilson 55C7'0235 Defensor Sporting Club (Uruguay) (2001)

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References

  1. ↑ Romuld, Darrell (2022-10-04). "What pro sports teams used to exist in Sask.?". CTV News. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  2. 1 2 Mitchell, Kevin (2018-05-03). "City sports checkered pro basketball history". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  3. 1 2 Mitchell, Kevin (2019-05-09). "After a long, long absence, pro hoops is back in Saskatoon". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  4. ↑ Piller, Thomas (2019-08-26). "Saskatchewan Rattlers capture 1st CEBL championship". Global News. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  5. ↑ "History of the World Basketball League". Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  6. ↑ "National Basketball League (1993-1994)". Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved 2023-07-20.


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