| Albany Patroons | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leagues | Continental Basketball Association 1982–1992, 2005–2009 United States Basketball League 2006–2007 The Basketball League 2018–present |
| Founded | 1982 |
| History | Albany Patroons 1982–1992 Capital Region Pontiacs 1992–1993 Albany Patroons 2005–2009 Albany Patroons 2018–present |
| Arena | Washington Avenue Armory |
| Location | Albany, New York |
| Team colors | gold, green |
| Vice-presidents | Michael Corts, Rocco Ricchiuti |
| Head coach | Derrick Rowland |
| Ownership | Ben Fernandez |
| Championships | 3 (1984, 1988, 2019) |
| Website | Official website |
TheAlbany Patroons are a professional basketball team that plays inThe Basketball League (TBL). Previously, the team competed in theContinental Basketball Association (CBA) and in theUnited States Basketball League (USBL). The Patroons won CBA championships in 1984 and 1988[1] as well as a TBL championship in 2019.[2] The team's name derives frompatroon, the term for a large landholder inNew Netherland, theDutch colony that once included the Albany region.
Formed in 1982,[1] the Patroons' original home arena was theWashington Avenue Armory,[3] a former New York National Guard armory.[4] The team later moved from this location toMVP Arena, then known as the Knickerbocker Arena.[5][6] The franchise was renamed the Capital Region Pontiacs in 1992[7] and was relocated to Connecticut in 1993.[6]
The Patroons rejoined the CBA in 2005.[8] When the CBA ceased its operations in 2009, the team went defunct.[9]
The Patroons became a member ofNorth America Premier Basketball (NAPB) in the2018 season, once again playing at the Washington Avenue Armory.[9][8] The league was later renamed to The Basketball League prior to the2019 season.[10]
Future NBA head coachPhil Jackson won his first championship ring as a coach when he guided the Patroons to the 1984 CBA championship. Andre Gaddy was named MVP of the series. Jackson later wonNBA championships with theChicago Bulls andLos Angeles Lakers.
In 1988, the Patroons won a second championship, this time under head coachBill Musselman. Musselman later coached theMinnesota Timberwolves, and several Patroons from the 1987–88 championship year, includingScott Brooks,Tod Murphy,Tony Campbell, andSidney Lowe, played on early Timberwolves squads.
In the 1990–91 season, the Patroons completed a 50–6 regular season, winning all 28 home games, withGeorge Karl as head coach. Future NBA playersMario Elie andVincent Askew were part of that squad.
The Patroons won two CBA championships and five Eastern Division regular season titles. For the 1992–93 season, they were renamed the Capital Region Pontiacs, as the team received sponsorship from local car dealerships. After that season, the franchise was relocated to Connecticut, where it played for1+1⁄2 years as theHartford Hellcats and then6+1⁄2 years as theConnecticut Pride before folding in 2001.
The CBA ceased operating and filed for bankruptcy in February 2001.[11]
After a decade-long absence, a new Patroons joined the CBA as an expansion team for the 2005–06 season with the original name and colors (gold and kelly green), as well as returning to the oldWashington Avenue Armory. Former NBA starMicheal Ray Richardson, who played for the Patroons in the 1987–88 season, became the head coach, while the Patroons' career scoring leader, Derrick Rowland, was named assistant coach. The Patroons finished the season with a 20–28 record, good for third place in the CBA Eastern Conference. Albany qualified for the playoffs, but lost in the first round of the CBA round-robin style playoffs.[12]
On June 14, 2006, the Patroons purchased the rights to aUnited States Basketball League team, also to be called the Patroons, and play in the Washington Avenue Armory. The team replaced thePennsylvania ValleyDawgs. After only two years of very low attendance at their home games, the Patroons ended their USBL affiliation on June 19, 2007.[13]
In the 2006–07 season, the Patroons won the CBA American Conference championship and advanced to the best-of-fiveCBA Finals against the Yakima SunKings. The Patroons lost game one at the Armory. The next day, Coach Richardson was suspended for the rest of the season for firing expletives at hecklers during games and saying in an interview with theAlbany Times Union newspaper that Jews are "crafty [because] they are hated worldwide."[14][15] Without Richardson, the Patroons dropped the next two games of the finals, as the Sun Kings won their second consecutive championship. Three days after the conclusion of the series, it was announced that Richardson would not return.[16] He was replaced byVincent Askew.[17]
On July 10, 2007, former PatroonJamario Moon signed a two-year contract with theToronto Raptors.[18] Moon had a strong rookie campaign, averaging 8.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Both the Patroons and the CBA folded after the 2009 season, citing the economic recession.
On August 30, 2017, it was announced that the Patroons would return to the Washington Avenue Armory in January 2018. The new team became one of the inaugural members ofNorth American Premier Basketball (NAPB).[19]
The Patroons' roster included former NBA playersMaurice Taylor,Smush Parker, andJamario Moon. After the first season, the NAPB rebranded asThe Basketball League (TBL).
On May 3, 2019, the Patroons defeated theYakima SunKings in the third game of a best-of-three series to win the TBL championship.[20]
On September 4, 2019, the ownership of the Patroons was transferred to Dr. Tim Maggs for the 2020 season.[21] They started the 2020 season at 6-3 before the season was canceled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The Patroons opted to sit out the 2021 season as well. The Washington Avenue Armory was being used as a vaccination site, and the team would have had to play the seasonwithout fans in attendance in any case. Maggs considered temporarily moving to the Times Union Center, but decided against it after recalling how the CBA Patroons saw their attendance figures fall through the floor when they played there.[22]
Former UAlbany Basketball Coach and Albany Legend Will Brown was named the Head Coach and General Manager of the Patroons. He led UAlbany to 5 America East Championships and is a former America East Coach of the Year. On December 7, 2021, Will Brown announced his coaching staff of Brian Beaury,Julie McBride and Marc Rybczyk for the 2022 season.[23][24]
In the 2022 season, the Patroons finished with a league best 21-3 record in the regular season. Albany would clinch the TBL's East Region, but would ultimately lose the Championship to theShreveport Mavericks in a best-of-three series.[25]
| Albany Patroons roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated: April 3, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Former Albany Patroons players who went on to play in the National Basketball Association includeVincent Askew,[26]Scott Brooks,[26]Mario Elie,[26]Jamario Moon,[27]Scott Roth.[26] and[26]Xavier Moon.
Former Patroons players and/or coaches who went on to coach in the National Basketball Association include Scott Brooks,Rick Carlisle,Phil Jackson,George Karl,Derrick Rowland,Sidney Lowe,Bill Musselman,Kenny Natt, Scott Roth, andTerry Stotts.[28]
Former Patroons players who later coached the Patroons includeMicheal Ray Richardson[29] andDerrick Rowland.[30]
| Year | League | GP | W | L | Pct. | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982/83 | CBA | 44 | 16 | 28 | .364 | 4th, Eastern | did not qualify |
| 1983/84 | CBA | 44 | 25 | 19 | .568 | 2nd, Eastern | Won Eastern Division Semi Finals 3-2 VsBay State Bombardier,Won Eastern Division Finals 3–1 VsPuerto Rico Coquis,Won CBA Championship 4–1 VsWyoming Wildcatters |
| 1984/85 | CBA | 48 | 34 | 14 | .708 | 1st, Eastern | Won Eastern Division Semi Finals 3–2 VsToronto Tornados, Lost Eastern Division Finals 3–2 VsTampa Bay Thrillers |
| 1985/86 | CBA | 48 | 24 | 24 | .500 | 4th, Eastern | Lost Eastern Division Semifinals 4–3 VsTampa Bay Thrillers |
| 1986/87 | CBA | 48 | 26 | 22 | .542 | 2nd, Eastern | Won Eastern Division Semi Finals 4–0 VsJacksonville Jets, Lost Eastern Division Finals 4–0 VsRapid City Thrillers |
| 1987/88 | CBA | 54 | 48 | 6 | .889 | 1st, Eastern | Won Eastern Division Semi Finals 4–1 VsSavannah Spirits,Won Eastern Division Finals 4–0 VsPensacola Tornados,Won CBA Championship 4–3 VsWyoming Wildcatters |
| 1988/89 | CBA | 54 | 36 | 18 | .667 | 1st, Eastern | Lost Eastern Division Semifinals 4–2 VsWichita Falls Texans |
| 1989/90 | CBA | 56 | 41 | 15 | .732 | 1st, American Eastern | Won American Conference Semi Finals 3–2 VsPensacola Tornados, Lost American Conference Finals 4–3 VsLa Crosse Catbirds |
| 1990/91 | CBA | 56 | 50 | 6 | .893 | 1st, National Eastern | Won National Conference First Round 3–2 VsGrand Rapids Hornets, Lost National Conference Finals 4–2 VsWichita Falls Texans |
| 1991/92 | CBA | 56 | 24 | 32 | .429 | 3rd, American Eastern | Lost American Conference 1st Round Shootout 131–122 VsBirmingham Bandits |
| Capital Region Pontiacs | |||||||
| 1992/93 | CBA | 56 | 28 | 28 | .500 | 2nd, American Eastern | did not qualify |
| Albany Patroons | |||||||
| 2005/06 | CBA | 48 | 20 | 28 | .417 | 3rd, Eastern | Placed 2nd in Eastern Round Robin |
| 2006 | USBL | 29 | 2 | 27 | .068 | 4th, Eastern | Lost First Round 97–92 toNebraska Cranes |
| 2006/07 | CBA | 48 | 30 | 18 | .625 | 1st, American Eastern | Lost CBA Finals 3–0 VsYakima SunKings |
| 2007 | USBL | 21 | 15 | 6 | .714 | 2nd | Withdrew from league |
| 2008 | CBA | 48 | 21 | 27 | .438 | 4th, Eastern | did not qualify |
| 2009 | CBA | 20 | 13 | 7 | .650 | 2nd | Lost CBA Finals 2–1 VsLawton-Fort Sill Cavalry |
| 2018 | NAPBL | 29 | 19 | 10 | .655 | 2nd | Won Semi Finals 2–0 Vs Ohio Bootleggers, Lost NAPBL Finals 2–0 VsYakima SunKings |
| 2019 | TBL | 27 | 16 | 11 | .593 | 4th | Won East division Semi Finals 2–1 VsRaleigh Firebirds,Won TBL Championship 2–1 VsYakima SunKings |
| 2020 | TBL | 9 | 6 | 3 | .667 | 5th | No playoffs held due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | TBL | – | – | – | – | Opted out of season due to COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2022 | TBL | 23 | 20 | 3 | .870 | 1st Northeast | Won Northeast Division Finals 2–1 VsAtlantic City Gambits,Won Eastern Conference Finals 2–0 Vs Huntsville Hurricanes,Won TBL Semi Finals 2–1 Vs Kokomo BobKats, Lost TBL Finals 2–1 VsShreveport Mavericks |
| 2023 | TBL | 24 | 20 | 4 | .833 | 5th | Won Northeast Division Final 2–0 VsAtlantic City Gambits,Won Eastern Conference Finals 2–0 VsNewfoundland Rogues, Lost TBL Semi Finals 2–1 Vs St Louis Griffins |
| 2024 | TBL | 23 | 17 | 6 | .739 | 3rd Atlantic Northeast | Won Atlantic Northeast Play in round 131–120 VsReading Rebels,Won East round of 16 2–0 Fredrick Flying Cows, Lost Quarter Finals 2–1 VsRaleigh Firebirds |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
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