Albuquerque Thunderbirds
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| Albuquerque Thunderbirds | |
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| Founded | 2001 |
| History | Huntsville Flight 2001-2005 Albuquerque Thunderbirds 2005-Present |
| Arena | Tingley Coliseum |
| City | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Team Colors | Orange and Black |
| Head Coach | Jeff Ruland |
| Owner | David Kahn Southwest Basketball, LLC |
| Championships | 1 (2006) |
| Division Titles | 1 (2006) |
| Affiliations | Dallas Mavericks Miami Heat |
The Albuquerque Thunderbirds is the name of an NBA Development League minor league basketball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Their NBA affiliates are the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns. The games are broadcast in Albuquerque on 96.3 KBZU, produced by Roberto Gonzales.
Contents |
[edit] Franchise history
The team was established in Huntsville, Alabama in 2001 as a founding member of the NBDL, the affiliate minor league of the NBA. The team ended its tenure in Alabama at the conclusion of the 2005 season after finishing 3rd in the overall NBDL standings at 27-21. They became the Albuquerque Thunderbirds the following season. In 2006, the team also won the D-League Championship game over the Fort Worth Flyers in their first year of existence in Albuquerque. They are directly affiliated with NBA teams the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, and the Phoenix Suns. In the 2006-2007 season, along with the Tulsa 66ers (formerly the Asheville Altitude), the Austin Toros (formerly the Columbus Riverdragons), and the Florida Flame (formerly the Charleston Lowgators), who are not playing for the 2006-2007 season. The Albuquerque Thunderbirds (formerly the Huntsville Flight) are playing in their sixth season in the National Basketball Association Development League.
[edit] Season-By-Season
Huntsville Flight
| Year | GP | W | L | Pct. | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | 56 | 26 | 30 | .464 | 6th, League | Out of Playoffs |
| 2002-03 | 50 | 22 | 28 | .440 | 7th, League | Out of Playoffs |
| 2003-04 | 46 | 24 | 22 | .522 | 3rd, League | Won Semifinals (Charleston) Lost Finals (Asheville) |
| 2004-05 | 48 | 27 | 21 | .563 | 3rd, League | Lost in Semifinals (Asheville) |
Albuquerque Thunderbirds
| Year | GP | W | L | Pct. | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 48 | 26 | 22 | .542 | 2nd, League | Won Semifinal (Florida) Won Championship (Fort Worth) |
| 2006-07 | 50 | 24 | 26 | .480 | 3rd, Western | Lost in First Round (Colorado) |
| 2007-08 | 50 | 22 | 28 | .440 | 4th, Southwest | Out of Playoffs |
[edit] Players of note
[edit] Basketball Hall of Famers:
[edit] Not to be forgotten:
[edit] Current Roster
| Albuquerque Thunderbirds Current Roster |
|||||
| Head Coach: Jeff Ruland | |||||
| Associate Head Coach: John Coffino | |||||
| Athletic Trainer: Mark Shires | |||||
| 23 | F | 6'8 |  |
Serge Angounou | (Arizona State) |
| 17 | G | 6'5 |  |
Miguel "Ali" Berdiel | (Valparaiso) |
| 22 | F | 6'7 |  |
Ramon Dyer | (Houston) |
| 7 | F | 6'6 | |
Josh Gross | (UNC Greensboro) |
| 11 | F | 6'7 | |
Darvin Ham | (Texas Tech) |
| 18 | G | 6'3 | |
Daniel Horton | (Michigan) |
| 14 | G | 6'1 | |
Elijah Ingram | (New Mexico State) |
| 24 | G | 6'3 | |
Abdul Mills | (Nebraska-Omaha) |
| 34 | C | 7'0 | |
James Smith | (Marist) |
| 32 | F | 6'9 |  |
Ejike Ugboaja | (Nigeria) |
| 00 | G | 6'1 | |
DJ Strawberry | (University of Maryland) |
[edit] Players eligible for affiliation
Phoenix Suns:
Philadelphia 76ers:
[edit] External links
| NBA Development League | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Division | Southwest Division | West Division | Expansion | |
| Dakota Wizards | Albuquerque Thunderbirds | Anaheim Arsenal | Erie BayHawks | |
| Fort Wayne Mad Ants | Austin Toros | Bakersfield Jam | Portland | |
| Iowa Energy | Colorado 14ers | Idaho Stampede | Reno | |
| Sioux Falls Skyforce | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | Los Angeles D-Fenders | ||
| Tulsa 66ers | Utah Flash | |||
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