Black Hills Posse

Summary

The Black Hills Posse was a professional basketball team based in Rapid City, South Dakota that competed in the International Basketball Association beginning in the 1995–96 season. The team was founded by George Daniel, an attorney from Pennsylvania. The Posse were created for Rapid City as a response to the departure of the Rapid City Thrillers of the Continental Basketball Association. They were the 1996–97 International Basketball Association champions with an all-time winning record of 85 and 37.

Black Hills Posse
Black Hills Posse logo
LeagueIBA 1995-1999
Founded1995
Folded1999
HistoryBlack Hills Posse
1995-1998
Rapid City Thrillers
1998-1999
ArenaRushmore Plaza Civic Center
LocationRapid City, South Dakota
Team colorsTeal, black, white
Head coachDuane Ticknor
Championships1 (1997)

In 1998, the Black Hills Posse were sold to John Tuschman (former owner of the original Rapid City Thrillers of the Continental Basketball Association). Tuschman tried to spark the old spirit the Thrillers had from the late 1980s and early 1990s, by renaming the Posse to the Thrillers and bringing back the original "flaming basketball" logo. Unfortunately, Tuschman was unsuccessful and the new Thrillers folded after the end of the 1998-99 season. The IBA continued for one more season in Rapid City, as the Black Hills Gold played in the 1999-00 season for one year. Rapid City has been without professional basketball ever since.

Year-by-year edit

Year League W L Pct. Reg. Season Playoffs
1995–96 IBA 20 4 .833 1st Finals
1996–97 IBA 26 4 .867 1st Champions
1997–98 IBA 23 11 .676 1st, West Finals
1998–99 IBA 16 18 .471 3rd, West Division Semifinals

Some notable players edit

  • Isaac Burton
  • Dennis Edwards (basketball)
  • Damon Jones
  • G.J. Hunter
  • Lonnie Cooper

External links edit

  • Black Hills Posse website archived on February 20, 1999 via the Wayback Machine