Montana Golden Nuggets
Encyclopedia
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 :...
that played from 1980/81 to 1982/83.
Montana reached the CBA finals in 1981 and 1983, with George Karl
George Karl
George Matthew Karl is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player. He is the current head coach of the Denver Nuggets. On December 10, 2010 he became the seventh coach in NBA history to record 1,000 wins.-Biography:Karl was born in Penn Hills,...
earning Coach of the Year honors both seasons.
Karl's 1980-81 team, led by John Douglas, Phil Taylor, Willie Smith and Geoff Crompton
Geoff Crompton
Jeffrey Crompton, often stylized as "Geoff" or "Geff" , was an American professional basketball player.A 6'11 Parade All-American center from Walter M. Williams High School in Burlington, North Carolina, Crompton attended the University of North Carolina to play for future Hall of Fame coach Dean...
, went 27-15. The Nuggets met a high scoring Rochester team in the championship, where they were swept, four games to none.
The club went 30-16 the next season with a roster featuring Ronnie Valentine
Ronnie Valentine
Ronnie L. Valentine is an American former professional basketball player.-College:A 6'7" forward, Valentine attended Old Dominion University from 1976 to 1980. He set a school record with 2,204 points in his college career and scored ten points or more in 101 consecutive games...
, U.S. Reed
Ulysses Reed
Ulysses Reed is a former college basketball player for the Arkansas Razorbacks, perhaps best known for the half-court buzzer beating shot he sank during the 1981 NCAA Tournament.-College career:...
, Robert Smith, Kenny Dennard and Terry Stotts
Terry Stotts
Terry Stotts is an American basketball assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. His most recent head coaching job was with the Milwaukee Bucks. Stotts was fired by the Milwaukee Bucks on March 14, 2007...
, but lost in the conference finals to in-state rival the Billings Volcanos.
A return to the championship marked the 1983 season, the team's last. Montana lost to Detroit in the league finals, four games to three.
In late 2006, the "Electric City" saw the return of the CBA in the form of the Great Falls Explorers
Great Falls Explorers
The Great Falls Explorers were a team in the Continental Basketball Association founded in 2006. The team played their home games at the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls, Montana. The franchise was branded 'Explorers' in honor of Lewis and Clark traveled through the area. The Explorers,...
.