Florida Sharks
| Florida Sharks | |
|---|---|
| League | USBL |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Dissolved | 1997 |
| History | Florida Sharks 1995-1997 |
| Arena | Manatee Civic Center |
| Capacity | 4,000 |
| Location | Bradenton, Florida |
| Team colors | celeste, black, white[1] |
| Championships | 2 USBL (1995, 1996) |
| Conference titles | 1996 |
The Florida Sharks was a professional basketball club in the United States Basketball League (USBL) from 1995 to 1997. They won two USBL titles during their three seasons with league.
History
The team was based in Bradenton, Florida.[2] The team debuted in 1995, winning the USBL title by defeating the Atlanta Trojans 109 - 104 in the final.
In 1996 the Sharks won the USBL again, after beating Atlantic City Seagulls 118 - 115 in the final. Depite their back-two-back championships the team showed up weakened in 1997 without their key players. As a result, they did not qualify to the USBL play-offs for the first time. The Sharks disbanded at the end of the 1997 season.
They played their home games at the Manatee Civic Center, now known as the Bradenton Area Convention Center, in Bradenton, Florida.[3]
Notable players like former NBAers, Terence Stansbury, Charles Smith, Sylvester Gray, Irving Thomas, Nate Johnston and Wes Matthews played for the franchise.
Seasons
| Stagione | League | Name | W | L | % | Place | Play-off | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | USBL | Florida Sharks | 25 | 2 | 92,6 | 1º | Champions | Eric Musselman |
| 1996 | USBL | Florida Sharks | 28 | 1 | 96,6 | 1º | Champions | Eric Musselman |
| 1997 | USBL | Florida Sharks | 9 | 17 | 34,6 | 4º | - | Rory White |
Notable players
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.
| Criteria |
|---|
|
To appear in this section a player must have either:
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Rosters
1995 season
- Charles Smith, Jay Edwards, Sylvester Gray, Larry Lewis, Jesse Salters, Stanley Jackson, Wes Matthews, Louis Rowe, Kevin Salvadori, Travis Williams.[4]
1996 season
- Jarvis Lang, Tom Kleinschmidt, Larry Lewis, Dwayne Morton, Charles Smith, Louis Rowe, Daniel Watts, Howard Porter, Jesse Salters, Phil Handy, Roger Crawford, Darvin Ham.[5][6]
1997 season
- James Hunter, Artie Griffin, Mark Neal, Dennis Edwards, Keenan Jourdon, Lorenzo Pearson, Craig Buchanan, Chris Ward, Terence Stansbury, Louis Rowe, Chuck Evans, Howard Porter, Johnny Tyson.[7][8]
References
- ↑ "USBL Team-By-Team Capsules". The Salina Journal. April 30, 1999. p. C5. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "History of the USBL". APBR.org. Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- ↑ Bradenton Area Convention Center - bradentongulfislands.com
- ↑ 1995 Florida Sharks Roster - statscrew.com
- ↑ 1996 Florida Sharks Roster - statscrew.com
- ↑ 1996 Florida Sharks Stats per player - statscrew.com
- ↑ 1997 Florida Sharks Roster - statscrew.com
- ↑ 1997 Florida Sharks Stats per player - statscrew.com
External links
- USBL at atapbr.org
- United States Basketball League 1985-2007 at funwhileitlasted.net
- Florida Sharks at usbasket.com
- Florida Sharks Basketball at oursportscentral.com
