Louisville Catbirds
Encyclopedia
The Louisville Catbirds were a basketball
team of the CBA
who played in the mid 80s.
, in which the team would reach the CBA finals three times, winning twice 1990 and in 1992). Head coach Flip Saunders
led to the defeating Eric Musselman's Rapid City Thrillers team both times. Andre Turner
, Tony White
, Dwayne McClain
, Carlos Clark
, and Bill Martin helped the Catbirds achieve their franchise's first title in 1990. Two years later, David Rivers
, Mark Davis
, Kenny Battle
, Derrick Gervin
, and Brian Rahilly took La Crosse to a second championship. The team defected following the 1993-94 season.
, the first African-American basketball player at the University of Kentucky
. A New York Times article told a story of this player: "Tom Payne, a 7-foot-1-inch former professional basketball player who spent 11 years in a Kentucky prison after a rape conviction, is scheduled to make his boxing debut at Los Angeles on June 14 in a four-round bout against Nick DeLong of Long Beach, Calif. After his parole late last year, he played with the Louisville Catbirds of the Continental Basketball Association."http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E6D7123BF93BA35755C0A962948260
Another Louisville Catbirds player was Wiley Brown
, a player (and later assistant coach) at the University of Louisville
who played tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles
for two seasons.
Former University of Kentucky player Dirk Minniefield
played for the Louisville Catbirds after being cut by the NBA's New Jersey Nets
.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team of the CBA
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 :...
who played in the mid 80s.
History
The Catbirds played two seasons in 1983-85 in Kentucky before moving to La Crosse, WisconsinLa Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
, in which the team would reach the CBA finals three times, winning twice 1990 and in 1992). Head coach Flip Saunders
Flip Saunders
Phillip "Flip" Saunders is an American basketball head coach of the Washington Wizards. He previously coached the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.-High school and college player:Saunders was born in Cincinnati, Ohio....
led to the defeating Eric Musselman's Rapid City Thrillers team both times. Andre Turner
Andre Turner
Andre Devalle Turner is an American professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA. A 5'11", . point guard, he played collegiately at Memphis State University...
, Tony White
Tony White
Anthony Wilbur White is a former West Indian cricketer who played in two Tests in 1965....
, Dwayne McClain
Dwayne McClain
Dwayne Eddie McClain is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the 2nd round of the 1985 NBA Draft....
, Carlos Clark
Carlos Clark
Carlos R. Clark is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'4" guard from the University of Mississippi, Clark played two seasons in the National Basketball Association with the Boston Celtics...
, and Bill Martin helped the Catbirds achieve their franchise's first title in 1990. Two years later, David Rivers
David Rivers
David Lee Rivers is a retired American basketball player. An explosive point guard, he reached star status in the Euroleague, mostly playing for Olympiacos Piraeus under coach Dusan Ivkovic....
, Mark Davis
Mark Davis
-Entertainers:*Mark Davis , radio talk show host*Mark Davis , adult film actor*Mark Davis , former drummer of Ugly Kid Joe*Richard Cheese , comedic lounge singer...
, Kenny Battle
Kenny Battle
Kenneth R. "Kenny" Battle is an American retired professional basketball player.-High school career:...
, Derrick Gervin
Derrick Gervin
Derrick Gervin is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'8" forward from University of Texas at San Antonio , Gervin was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 4th round of the 1985 NBA Draft. He played two seasons in the NBA as a member of the New Jersey Nets...
, and Brian Rahilly took La Crosse to a second championship. The team defected following the 1993-94 season.
Statistics
| Info | Stat | Average | Seasons | |||
| ↓ | ↓ | |||||
| 1983–1985 | "W-L" | 19-29 | - | Louisville Catbirds | ||
| 1983–1985 | "Percentage" | -.396 | - | - | - | Louisville Catbirds |
| 1983–1985 | "Points" | -149.5 | Louisville Catbirds | |||
| 1983–1985 | "Seasons" | -1983-1985 | Louisville Catbirds | - |
Notable players
One of the notable Catbird players was Tom PayneTom Payne (basketball)
Thomas Robert "Tom" Payne is a former professional basketball player and a serial rapist.A 7-foot, 2-inch center, Payne played with the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA during the 1970-71 season. He was also the first African American ever to play basketball for the University of Kentucky...
, the first African-American basketball player at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. A New York Times article told a story of this player: "Tom Payne, a 7-foot-1-inch former professional basketball player who spent 11 years in a Kentucky prison after a rape conviction, is scheduled to make his boxing debut at Los Angeles on June 14 in a four-round bout against Nick DeLong of Long Beach, Calif. After his parole late last year, he played with the Louisville Catbirds of the Continental Basketball Association."http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E6D7123BF93BA35755C0A962948260
Another Louisville Catbirds player was Wiley Brown
Wiley Brown
Wiley "Carl" Brown is a retired NFL player, who lettered 2 years with the Philadelphia Eagles as a defensive end, before deciding to play professional basketball in the International Federation of Basketball where he traveled throughout the world. Brown spent one year with the CBA Louisville...
, a player (and later assistant coach) at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
who played tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
for two seasons.
Former University of Kentucky player Dirk Minniefield
Dirk Minniefield
Dirk DeWayne Minniefield is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently the Employee Assistance Professional for the NBA, managing drug aftercare programs for the league's players. While at Lafayette High School in Lexington, he was named the 1979 Kentucky "Mr...
played for the Louisville Catbirds after being cut by the NBA's New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
See also
- Continental Basketball AssociationContinental Basketball AssociationThe Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
- Portal:Basketball
- http://www.ssur.org/research/TeamColors/Basketball/ContinentalBasketballAssociation_02/ContinentalBasketballAssociation_02.htm
- http://perso.orange.fr/nba-history/min.htm
External links
- These links will show other information of the team's seasons:
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 2.