Tacoma Navigators
Tacoma Navigators | |
Founded | 2005 |
Team History | Tacoma Navigators (2005-current) |
Arena | Mt. Tahoma High School |
Team Colors | NA |
Championships | 0 |
Division Titles | 0 |
Owner | Michael Tuckman |
Head Coach | Vincent Askew |
Cheerleaders | None |
Mascot | None |
The Tacoma Navigators, are a professional basketball franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA), one of seven (7) pro sports franchises in three leagues owned by Seattle attorney and businessman and CEO of West Coast Sports, Michael Tuckman, located in Tacoma, Washington.
Tuckman bought his second ABA expansion franchise after his Bellevue Blackhawks played in the ABA Championship Game on March 26, 2005 at sold-out AllTel Arena in Little Rock, AR, losing to the Arkansas Rimrockers 118-103. The crowd of 14,922 was the largest to ever view an ABA game live.
Tuckman hired former Seattle SuperSonics guard, Vincent Askew, as head coach of the Navigators on August 15, 2005. Askew coached the Navigators to a 19-11 2005-06 regular season record and the 2006 ABA playoffs. Tacoma kicked off the 2005-06 regular season with back-to-back games with Tuckman's other ABA team, the Bellevue Blackhawks, at Bellevue's Meydenbauer Convention Center on Thanksgiving Night, November 24 and Friday, November 25, 2005.
Tuckman was quoted by the Seattle Times prior to the game on Thanksgiving Night as saying: "All I know for sure tonight is that I'm going to win one and lose one."
Bellevue won the first game 99-95; Tacoma won the second night 101-99. Tuckman rented a full basketball court and baskets from the Toyota Center in Kennewick, WA formerly belonging to the Golden State Warriors, and had the equipment brought over the Cascade Mountains during a snowstorm on three flatbed trucks and set up at the Meydenbauer Convention Center.
American Basketball Association.