Oklahoma City Cavalry
Encyclopedia
The Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry is a professional basketball
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 based in Lawton
Lawton, Oklahoma
The city of Lawton is the county seat of Comanche County, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Located in the southwestern region of Oklahoma approximately southwest of Oklahoma City, it is the principal city of the Lawton Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

. They played in the Premier Basketball League
Premier Basketball League
The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is a men's professional basketball minor league in the United States that began play in January 2008. The league had ten teams for the 2008 season and thirteen teams for the 2009 season. Nine teams from Canada and the United States...

 after having been in the Continental Basketball Association
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 :...

. They have one PBL championship and also are the two time champions of the CBA. The original team was known as the Oklahoma City Cavalry
Oklahoma City Cavalry
The Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry is a professional basketball team based in Lawton, Oklahoma. They played in the Premier Basketball League after having been in the Continental Basketball Association. They have one PBL championship and also are the two time champions of the CBA...

, which competed in the CBA in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...

 from 1990 to 1997 - when they were League Champions. Rochester won the first game of the best of three 2011 championship series 105-101 (in Rochester on April 15, 2011).

The new Oklahoma Cavalry, which incidentally was originally supposed to be a reincarnation and called Oklahoma City Cavalry, began play in 2007. The team was originally scheduled to play in the American Basketball Association. The team wanted to play at Abe Lemons Arena
Abe Lemons Arena
Abe Lemons Arena is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Oklahoma City University in Midtown Oklahoma City.It is the home arena of the OCU Stars athletic teams, and in 2007 was to be home to the Oklahoma City Cavalry of the Continental Basketball Association. The arena seats 3,500.- External...

 on the campus of Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...

 however the university backed out. Due to the lack of support from Oklahoma City and city official's desire for a permanent NBA franchise, the owners decided to look elsewhere to place the new Cavalry franchise. The team then decided to move operations to Lawton, OK, and to play at the Great Plains Coliseum
Great Plains Coliseum
The Great Plains Coliseum is a 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Lawton, Oklahoma, USA. It hosts local sporting events and concerts.It is home to the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry, who started play in 2007 as the Oklahoma Cavalry.-External links:*...

. http://newsok.com/article/3079995

Less than two years later, Oklahoma City got their NBA team, the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....

.

Head Coach

The team is coached by Micheal Ray Richardson
Micheal Ray Richardson
Micheal Ray "Sugar" Richardson is an American former professional basketball player and currently the head coach of the London Lightning of the National Basketball League of Canada. Richardson played college basketball for the Montana Grizzlies...

. Richardson was a former Albany Patroons
Albany Patroons
The Albany Patroons were a professional basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association ....

 coach and was fired for his stereotypical Jewish comments in the first year. Cliff Levingston
Cliff Levingston
Clifford Eugene Levingston is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. Levingston starred at Wichita State University before being drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1982...

 was hired as the new coach. After an ownership change during the season, Richardson was rehired.

2007 - 2008 Season

In their inaugural season, the Cavs compiled a 30-18 record and made the playoffs as the #2 seed in the Western Conference. Following an upset win in the Western Conference championship game over the two-time defending CBA champion Yakama Sun Kings
Yakama Sun Kings
The Yakama Sun Kings were a Continental Basketball Association franchise located in Yakima, Washington, United States, covering the central Washington sports market of Yakima, Tri-Cities and Ellensburg...

, the Cavalry earned a bid in the CBA Finals against the Eastern Conference champion Minot SkyRockets
Minot SkyRockets
The Minot SkyRockets were a team in the Continental Basketball Association. They played their home games at the Minot Municipal Auditorium. The team began play in 2005 as the San Jose Skyrockets of the American Basketball Association. The team had a very successful first season, finishing first...

, where they won the series three games to two.

Starting with the CBA Finals, the team changed its name to the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry to better associate the team with the city they play in.

2008 - 2009 Season

Due to economic hardships, the 2008-2009 CBA season was shortened to February 3. The best of 3 CBA Finals pitted the #2 seeded Albany Patroons against the #1 seeded Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry. However, due to the economy, all the games would be played in Albany. The Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry won their 2nd straight CBA championship 2 games to 1. This CBA championship was won in overtime to the score of 109-107. This was the first time in 16 years that a CBA championship was decided in overtime.
http://www.okcavs.com/schedule/game032208.html http://www.okcavs.com/schedule/game032608.html

2009 - 2010 Season

In August of 2009, the Cavalry announced they would join the Premier Basketball League
Premier Basketball League
The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is a men's professional basketball minor league in the United States that began play in January 2008. The league had ten teams for the 2008 season and thirteen teams for the 2009 season. Nine teams from Canada and the United States...

 for the 2010 season. They would compile a record of 19-2, and enter the playoffs the #1 seed. First, they dispatched the Halifax Rainmen in 2 games. Then, they would advance to play the Rochester Razorsharks
Rochester Razorsharks
The Rochester Razorsharks are a professional basketball team based in Rochester, New York. They are members of the Premier Basketball League and play their home games at the Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester. The Razorsharks were founded in 2005 as a member of the American Basketball...

, who had just eliminated the #2 seed Puerto Rico Capitanes, for the PBL Finals. They lost Game 1 in Rochester 110-106, and would also have C Oliver Miller
Oliver Miller
Oliver J. Miller is an American former professional basketball player.-Career:After graduating from the University of Arkansas, Miller, who is known as "The Big O" because of his large size , was selected by the Phoenix Suns as the 22nd overall pick of the 1992 NBA Draft...

 ejected and suspended for the remainer of the series for entering the stands to confront fans that were throwing items at Micheal Ray Richardson, who was moments earlier ejected from the game. However, the Cavalry would recover, easily taking the final 2 games of the series. With this Championship, the Cavalry have now won 3 Championships in their 3 years of existence in Lawton, having won 2 previous titles in the CBA.

2010 - 2011 Season

The Lawton-Ft.Sill Cavalry finished the 2010-2011 regular season with a 17-2 record. The team advanced to the first round of the PBL playoffs vs. the Halifax Rainmen. A loss to the Halifax Rainmen in the PBL first round of playoffs on April 7, 2011 ended the Cavalry home win streak at 33 games dating back to when they played in the CBA. The Cavalry won the next two games advancing to the PBL finals which set up a rematch of the 2010 PBL finals vs. Rochester Razorsharks.

The Rochester Razorsharks won the first game of the best of 3 championship series 105-101 in Rochester on April 15, 2011. Suspect officiating had marred the Razorsharks's ascent to the championship, which continued in the series. Rochester eventually won the PBL Championship two games to one, prompting the Lawton Constitution to report that the Cavalry had dropped out of the PBL.

On April 19, 2011 the Cavalry announced that the team would not be returning to the PBL for a third season. The next day the Cavalry owners announced that they were suspending operations, with not being able to find a suitable league to continue as one of the factors.

Notable former players

  • Voshon Lenard
    Voshon Lenard
    Voshon Kelan Lenard is an American professional basketball player. He is a former American professional basketball player who last played for the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA . He was listed as 6' 4" and 215 lbs, and was born in Detroit, Michigan...

  • John Starks
    John Starks (basketball)
    John Levell Starks is a former American professional basketball shooting guard. Starks was listed at 6'5" and 190 pounds during his NBA playing career...

  • Isaac Austin
    Isaac Austin
    Isaac Edward "Ike" Austin is a retired American professional basketball player. He is also the uncle of the top 2012 college basketball recruit, Isaiah Austin....

  • Richard Dumas
    Richard Dumas
    Richard Wayne Dumas is a retired American professional basketball player.Dumas, a 6'8" small forward from Oklahoma State University, was selected with the 46th pick of the 1991 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. During the 1991-92 season, however, Dumas was suspended from the NBA for violating its...

  • Ryan Minor
    Ryan Minor
    Ryan Dale Minor is a retired American professional baseball third baseman and college basketball player. He played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1998-2001, with the Baltimore Orioles and Montreal Expos. He is currently the manager of the Delmarva Shorebirds of the...

  • Elmer Bennett
    Elmer Bennett
    Elmer James Bennett is a retired American professional basketball player. He was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2nd round of the 1992 NBA Draft. Bennett played in 21 career games in the NBA in a span of three seasons. A 6'0" and 170 lb point guard, he averaged 2.3 points per game...

  • Doug Smith
    Doug Smith
    Doug Smith may refer to:*Doug Smith , former MLB baseball player*Doug Smith , English flat racing jockey*Doug Smith , American former basketball player...

  • Jimmy Oliver
    Jimmy Oliver
    Jimmy Allen Oliver is an American professional basketball player who was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2nd round of the 1991 NBA Draft.-1987-1989:...

  • Erick Strickland
    Erick Strickland
    Demerick Montae Strickland is an American professional basketball player formerly in the NBA....

  • James Martin
    James Martin
    -Actors, musicians, and other performers:*James Martin , saxophonist, singer, and record producer*James Martin , actor on EastEnders*James Martin , actor on Still Game...

  • Sam Mack
    Sam Mack
    Sam Mack is a retired American professional basketball player, formerly of the NBA.The 6'7" shooting guard from Iowa State University, Tyler Junior College and the University of Houston played with five different NBA teams over a 10-year span...

  • Oliver Miller
    Oliver Miller
    Oliver J. Miller is an American former professional basketball player.-Career:After graduating from the University of Arkansas, Miller, who is known as "The Big O" because of his large size , was selected by the Phoenix Suns as the 22nd overall pick of the 1992 NBA Draft...

  • Gabe Freeman
    Gabe Freeman
    Gabriel Freeman is an American professional basketball player who plays for the London Lightning of the National Basketball League of Canada...

  • Elvin Mims
  • Kermit Holmes

External links

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