Treasure Coast Tropics
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1987-1988, 1991-1995
Treasure Coast Tropics
1996
| Treasure Coast Tropics | |
|---|---|
| League | USBL |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Dissolved | 1996 |
| History | Miami Tropics 1987-1988, 1991-1995 Treasure Coast Tropics 1996 |
| Location | Port St. Lucie, Florida |
| Team colors | blue, red, white[1] |
| Championships | 3 USBL (1991, 1992, 1993) |
| Conference titles | 1991, 1992 |
The Treasure Coast Tropics, originally known as the Miami Tropics, was a professional basketball club in the United States Basketball League (USBL) from 1987 to 1996.
The team was originally based in Miami.[2] The team debuted in 1987 as the Miami Tropics, winning the USBL title by defeating the Rhode Island Gulls 103-99 in the final. After a two-year hiatus, the club resumed operations in 1991, reaching the championship three years in a row. In 1991, they lost 110-108 to the Philadelphia Spirit. In August 1991, the club was bought by John Lucas.[3]
Back-to-back titles followed in 1992 (116-114 to the Philadelphia Spirit) and 1993 (139-127 to the Westchester Stallions).
For the 1996 season, they moved to Port St. Lucie, Florida, changing their name to the Treasure Coast Tropics. The Tropics disbanded at the end of the season.
Notable players like former NBAers, Richard Dumas, Chuck Nevitt, Mario Elie, Roy Tarpley and World B. Free played for the franchise.
A new franchise under the name Miami Tropics was founded in 2006 and it joined the ABA.[4][5]
Seasons
| Stagione | League | Name | W | L | % | Place | Play-off | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | USBL | Miami Tropics | 18 | 12 | 60,0 | 2º | Champions | Sam Worthen |
| 1988 | USBL | Miami Tropics | 13 | 17 | 43,3 | 6º | did not qualify | George Whittaker |
| 1991 | USBL | Miami Tropics | 13 | 7 | 65,0 | 1º | Final | Eric Dennis Kevin Mackey |
| 1992 | USBL | Miami Tropics | 22 | 4 | 84,6 | 1º | Champions | John Lucas II |
| 1993 | USBL | Miami Tropics | 14 | 10 | 58,3 | 3º | Champions | John Lucas II |
| 1994 | USBL | Miami Tropics | 18 | 9 | 66,7 | 2º | Semifinals | Dirk Minniefield |
| 1995 | USBL | Miami Tropics | 8 | 18 | 30,8 | 7º | - | Kevin Mackey |
| 1996 | USBL | Treasure coast Tropics | 8 | 18 | 30,8 | 5º | - | Ken Bannister |
Notable players
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
| Criteria |
|---|
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To appear in this section a player must have either:
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Home arenas
Miami Tropics
- Gibson Center at Miami Dade South Community College (Miami, Florida) 1991
- Golden Panther Arena - Florida International University (Westchester, Florida) 1992-93
- Gibson Center at Miami Dade South Community College (Miami, Florida) 1994
Treasure Coast Tropics
- Miami Dade Kendall (Kendall, Florida) 1996
Rosters
1991 season
- Steve Bucknall, Lloyd Daniels, Ron Matthias, Chris Harris, Chuck Nevitt, Lorenzo Williams, Derek Strong, Shelton Jones, Ricky Jones, Ken McFadden, Sean Gay.[6][7]
1992 season
- Richard Dumas, Ken Bannister, Treg Lee, Sheldon Owens, David Robinson, Dana Hardy, Roy Tarpley, Jerome Scott, Grant Gondrezick, Gerald Williams.[8][9]
1993 season
- Ken Bannister, Luther Burks, Cliff Robinson, Johnny McDowell, Grant Gondrezick, Dwight Stewart, Anthony Lawrence, Ricky Calloway, Chris Childs, Freeman Williams, Duane Washington.[10][11]