Austin Toros
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Austin Toros | |
 |
|
| Founded | 2001 |
| History | Columbus Riverdragons 2001-2005 Austin Toros 2005-Present |
| Arena | Austin Convention Center |
| City | Austin, Texas |
| Team Colors | Black, Silver |
| Head Coach | Quin Snyder |
| Owner | San Antonio Spurs |
| Championships | none |
| Division Titles | None |
| Affiliations | San Antonio Spurs |
The Austin Toros are a NBA Development League minor league basketball team based in Austin, Texas.
The team plays home games at the Austin Convention Center.
Their logo (pictured, right) is the design of a bull and basketball with the State of Texas in the background. After the San Antonio Spurs purchased the franchise, the team colors and logo were changed to reflect the silver and black motif used by the Spurs.
Contents |
[edit] Franchise history
The Columbus Riverdragons franchise from Columbus, Georgia was awarded to the city of Austin, Texas in mid-2005 and the new name was unveiled on August 10, 2005. The Toros began play during the 2005-2006 season. Their official colors are red, blue, and gold. The Toros name is currently the only NBA-associated team and first D-League team to possess a nickname of Spanish origin. Along with the Asheville Altitude and the Huntsville Flight sold to Southwest Basketball, LLC, the Columbus Riverdragons moved to Austin in 2005.
On February 22, 2007, head coach Dennis Johnson died of an apparent heart attack after a workout with his players. After an interim coach guided the team for the rest of that season, Quin Snyder was named as the team's head coach for 2007-08.
On June 28, 2007, the Toros were acquired by the four time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, becoming the second D-League team ever to be owned by an NBA team, after the Los Angeles D-Fenders were purchased by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2006.
[edit] Season-By-Season
Columbus Riverdragons
| Year | GP | W | L | Pct. | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | 56 | 31 | 25 | .554 | 3rd, League | Lost Semifinals (Greenville) |
| 2002-03 | 50 | 23 | 27 | .460 | 5th, League | Out of Playoffs |
| 2003-04 | 46 | 18 | 28 | .391 | 6th, League | Out of Playoffs |
| 2004-05 | 48 | 30 | 18 | .625 | 1st, League | Won Semifinals (Roanoke) Lost Finals (Asheville) |
Austin Toros
| Year | GP | W | L | Pct. | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 48 | 24 | 24 | .500 | 5th, League | Out of Playoffs |
| 2006-07 | 50 | 21 | 29 | .420 | 5th, Eastern | Out of Playoffs |
| 2007-08 | 50 | 30 | 20 | .600 | 1st, Southwest | Won Semifinals (Sioux Falls) Lost Finals (Idaho) |
[edit] Current Roster
| Austin Toros Current Roster |
||||||
| Head Coach: Quin Snyder | ||||||
| Associate Head Coach: Roy Rogers | ||||||
| Athletic Trainer: Daisuke Yamaguchi | ||||||
| 10 | G | 5'10 |  |
Carldell Johnson | (Alabama-Birmingham) | |
| 12 | G | 6'3 | |
Cheyne Gadson | (Oklahoma State) | |
| 13 | G | 6'1 |  |
Kenton Paulino | (Texas) | |
| 18 | F | 6'7 | |
Justin Bowen | (Illinois-Chicago) | |
| 22 | F | 6'6 | |
Sammy Monroe | (Newberry College) | |
| 24 | C | 6'11 | |
Anthony Fuqua | (Texas-San Antonio) | |
| 25 | F | 6'7 | |
Marcus Williams | (Arizona) | |
| 32 | C | 6'11 |  |
Ian Mahinmi | (France) | |
| 42 | F | 6'11 | |
Kris Lang | (North Carolina) | |
| 44 | F | 6'8 | |
Justin Reed | (Mississippi) | |
| 50 | F | 6'9 | |
Eric Dawson | (Midwestern) | |
[edit] Players of note
[edit] Retired numbers
- 3 Dennis Johnson (head coach)
[edit] Former
- Marcus Fizer
- Gerald Green
- Allan Ray
- Jay Williams
- James White
- Justin Reed
- Darius Washington Jr.
- Marcus Williams
[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 | |||
