The Saskatoon Slam were a Canadian professional basketball franchise based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, that played in the National Basketball League in 1993 and 1994.
Team history
Saskatchewan Storm (WBL) The Slam were founded in 1990 as the Saskatchewan Storm of the World Basketball League (WBL). On May 11, 1990 The Storm narrowly lost their first game, 117–115 against the Las Vegas Silver Streaks, in front of a record crowd of more than 8,000. The team did not win a championship but had some notable alumni, including Thomas Lyles, the father of Sacramento Kings player Trey Lyles, and current UC Davis Aggies men's basketball coach Jim Les. The WBL folded before the conclusion of the 1992 season, and the Canadian franchises opted to create a new national league, the National Basketball League (NBL). It was then that the Storm changed their name to the Saskatoon Slam.
Saskatoon Slam (NBL) The Slam were a success in the only full NBL season. On 8 September 1993, they defeated the Cape Breton Breakers by a score of 109–107 in the fourth game of the championship final to win the league title. This was the province's first professional basketball championship, and the only one until the Saskatchewan Rattlers won the inaugural Canadian Elite Basketball League title in 2019.
The NBL struggled financially–for example, all games of the 1993 finals were played in Saskatoon to reduce travel costs–and the league folded in the middle of the 1994 season, along with the Slam. This left the city and province without professional basketball until briefly hosting the Saskatchewan Hawks, from 2000 to 2002.
Season-by-season results = Indicates League Championship Legend: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, GBL = Games Behind Leader
Saskatchewan Storm (WBL) Season GP W L Pct. GBL Finish Playoffs 1990 46 19 27 .413 19 6th Lost first-round to Las Vegas Silver Streaks, 2–0 1991 51 25 26 .490 12 6th Won first-round over Youngstown Pride, 2–0 Lost semi-final to Calgary 88's, 2–01992331221.364147thNone–League folded on 1 August 1992Totals1305674.4312-4 playoff record
Saskatoon Slam (NBL) Season Coach GP W L Pct. GBL Finish Playoffs 1993 Bill Klucas 46 25 21 .544 5 3rd Won semi-final over Winnipeg Thunder 3–2,Won finals over Cape Breton Breakers 3–1 1994 Bill Klucas 23 10 13 .435 6 4th None–League folded on 9 July 1994Totals693534.507 - -Playoff record 6-3
All-time Slam roster Name Number Position Height Weight Date of birth Current/last known team Alex Blackwell 11 F 6'7 257 CD Universidad de Los Lagos (Chile) (2011) Fred Cofield 4 G 6'3 190 January 4, 1962 Barangay Ginebra (Philippines) (1997) Gary Collier G October 8, 1971 Mario Donaldson 34 G/F 6'4 195 Marinos de Anzotegui (Venezuela) (2001) Jerome Gaines 1 G 6'4 190 Angelo Hamilton 23 G/F 6'5 200 Dart Killester (Ireland) (2002) Richard Lovelace 23 G 6'6 200 Brandon Bobcats (CIS) (1999) Roy Marble 30 F 6'6 190 December 13, 1966 Brian Martin F 6'9 212 August 18, 1962 Jared Miller 45 F 6'8 225 Porto Ferpinta (Portugal) (2000) James Moses Darren Morningstar 50 C 6'10 235 April 22, 1969 Grand Rapids Hoops (CBA) (1999) Michael Sims 1 G 5'11 170 McKinley Singleton 5 G 6'4 195 October 29, 1961 John Spencer 44 F 6'8 233 CBA] (Sichuan China) (1998) Greg Sutton 20 G 6'2 170 December 3, 1967 Proteus DaNoi AEL (Cyprus) (2002) Troy Truvillion 20 G 6'4 185 Basket Club Maritime Gravelines Dunkerque Grand Littoral (France) (2001) Sean Tyson 22 F 6'7 220 Winnipeg Cyclone (IBA) Dean Wiebe 34 G/F 6'4 195 Erik Wilson 55 C 7'0 235 Defensor Sporting Club (Uruguay) (2001)
References