Utah Snowbears
Utah Snowbears | |
Founded | 2004 |
Team History | Utah Snowbears (2004–2005) |
Arena | Lifetime Activities Center at the Salt Lake Community College |
Team Colors | NA |
Championships | 0 |
Conference Titles | 1 |
Owner | Isaac "Ike" Austin |
Head Coach | Isaac "Ike" Austin |
Cheerleaders | Snowbears Dance Team |
Mascot | None |
The Utah Snowbears were a basketball team in the revived American Basketball Association based in Taylorsville, Utah for the 2004-2005 season. The team played its home games in the Lifetime Activities Center on the Redwood Campus of Salt Lake Community College. The owner and head coach of the team was former NBA player Isaac Austin.
Led by guard Clay Tucker and forward Harold Arceneaux, the Snowbears finished the regular season with a 25-1 record, then won two playoff games to qualify for ABA's championship round. However, despite a 27-1 record, the franchise folded before the season ended. The new Snowbears were successful on the floor, but struggled in other ways: poor attendance, financial difficulties, and lack of coverage in local media outlets.
In 2005, a new ABA team in the Salt Lake City market was announced, the Salt Lake Dream scheduled to play the 2006-2007 season. But the Dream also folded before playing a single game after experiencing financial problems of its own. The prospects for a new ABA franchise appeared dim with a Continental Basketball Association franchise, the Utah Eagles, coming to Taylorsville and a NBA D-League franchise, the Utah Flash starting up in Orem, Utah prior to the 2007-08 season. But a third try at starting up an ABA team commenced with the entry of the Salt Lake City Saints into the league for the 2008-09 season.