Anchorage Northern Knights
Encyclopedia
The Anchorage Northern Knights were a team in the Continental Basketball Association
from 1977 to 1982.
At the time they joined the league then known as the Eastern Basketball Association, the franchise attracted national attention as perhaps the most misplaced franchise in the history of professional sports. They were 5,000 miles away from their nearest competitor, as all the other squads were located in the eastern Pennsylvania-New York-New Jersey area. League officials "began to see the publicity value a team in Alaska would have for the EBA, which, with an enlarged talent pool since the ABA folded, had been trying to upgrade its image from that of a nickel-and-dime Pennsylvania mill-town circuit—which is mostly what it had been—to something on the order of baseball's Triple-A leagues," wrote John Papnek in Sports Illustrated.
During the team's first two seasons, the Knights began their regular schedule with an extended homestand; then began a mid-season bus trip to every CBA team in the league; then finished out the season with another homestand.
The Knights experienced success from the outset of the franchise, leading the league in attendance and often playing before sellout crowds. They won the Western Division with a 24–7 record in their inaugural season, and advanced to the CBA Finals the following year, where they were swept in four games by the Rochester Zeniths
, with whom they had begun to develop an impassioned rivalry. The Northern Knights then captured the CBA Championship the following season by defeating Rochester in seven games.
Brad Davis
played for the Northern Knights in the 1978/79 and 1979/80 seasons, capturing the CBA Newcomer of the Year Award in 1978–79. Davis then embarked on a long NBA career, highlighted by twelve seasons with the NBA
's Dallas Mavericks
where he became the first player to have his jersey number retired by the NBA franchise. Future NBA Clipper Ron Davis was a two-time CBA Scoring Leader and 1979–80 CBA Most Valuable Player for the Anchorage squad.
Other favorite Northern Knights included Freeman Blade, Tico Brown
, Steve Hawes
, Arvid Kramer
, Steve Hayes, Brad Branson
, and Al Fleming. The Knights were coached by Bill Klucas.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1093370/index.htm
CBA Museum Anchorage Northern Knights page
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
from 1977 to 1982.
At the time they joined the league then known as the Eastern Basketball Association, the franchise attracted national attention as perhaps the most misplaced franchise in the history of professional sports. They were 5,000 miles away from their nearest competitor, as all the other squads were located in the eastern Pennsylvania-New York-New Jersey area. League officials "began to see the publicity value a team in Alaska would have for the EBA, which, with an enlarged talent pool since the ABA folded, had been trying to upgrade its image from that of a nickel-and-dime Pennsylvania mill-town circuit—which is mostly what it had been—to something on the order of baseball's Triple-A leagues," wrote John Papnek in Sports Illustrated.
During the team's first two seasons, the Knights began their regular schedule with an extended homestand; then began a mid-season bus trip to every CBA team in the league; then finished out the season with another homestand.
The Knights experienced success from the outset of the franchise, leading the league in attendance and often playing before sellout crowds. They won the Western Division with a 24–7 record in their inaugural season, and advanced to the CBA Finals the following year, where they were swept in four games by the Rochester Zeniths
Rochester Zeniths
The Rochester Zeniths was a professional basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association. They played in Henrietta, New York, a suburb of Rochester at the Dome Arena and in downtown Rochester, New York at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
, with whom they had begun to develop an impassioned rivalry. The Northern Knights then captured the CBA Championship the following season by defeating Rochester in seven games.
Brad Davis
Brad Davis (basketball)
Bradley Ernest Davis is a retired professional basketball player who spent the bulk of his National Basketball Association career with the Dallas Mavericks.-Biography:...
played for the Northern Knights in the 1978/79 and 1979/80 seasons, capturing the CBA Newcomer of the Year Award in 1978–79. Davis then embarked on a long NBA career, highlighted by twelve seasons with the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
where he became the first player to have his jersey number retired by the NBA franchise. Future NBA Clipper Ron Davis was a two-time CBA Scoring Leader and 1979–80 CBA Most Valuable Player for the Anchorage squad.
Other favorite Northern Knights included Freeman Blade, Tico Brown
Tico Brown
Quautico Brown is a former American professional basketball player.A 6-foot-5, 180-pound shooting guard, Brown began his college career in 1975 at Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia, before starring at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1976–79, averaging 16 points per game over...
, Steve Hawes
Steve Hawes
Steven Sherburne Hawes is a retired American basketball player.Hawes played high school basketball at Mercer Island High School....
, Arvid Kramer
Arvid Kramer
Arvid Kramer is a retired American basketball player, mostly known for being the first overall pick by the Miami Heat of the NBA in the 1988 expansion draft at the age of 31, and furthermore being the only player to be selected in two expansion drafts and never playing for the teams that drafted...
, Steve Hayes, Brad Branson
Brad Branson
Bradley Alexander Branson Maas is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He was a 6'10" and forward....
, and Al Fleming. The Knights were coached by Bill Klucas.
Year-by-year
| Year | League | Record | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977/78 | EBA | 24–7 | 1st, Western | Semifinals |
| 1978/79 | CBA | 27–22 | 2nd, Northern | Finals |
| 1979/80 | CBA | 29–16 | 2nd, Northern | Champion |
| 1980/81 | CBA | 25–17 | 2nd, Western | Western Division Semifinals |
| 1981/82 | CBA | 14–32 | 4th, Western | Did not qualify |
Home court
The Northern Knights played their home games in West Anchorage High School's Gymnasium for the all of their seasons. Here's an article from Sports Illustrated about their first game including two backboards that shattered.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1093370/index.htm
Further reading
"North For Sure but also East", Sports Illustrated, February 27, 1978CBA Museum Anchorage Northern Knights page