KANSAS CITY, Mo - Professional basketball is returning to Kansas City. Today, Coach and General Manager Calvin “Pony” Thompson introduced the KC Buzz.
The team will play in the new North American Premier Basketball League. The season begins in January 2018. The Buzz will play its home games at Municipal Arena, which it plans to rename “The Hive” on game days.
Thompson announced some of the players on the roster. They include former University of Kansas players Sherron Collins and Kevin Young. Jacob French, an Overland Park native who played at MidAmerica Nazarene University, is also on the team.
NAPBL Commissioner David Magley said the league’s inaugural season will include eight teams. Many are in cities that used to have NBA franchises like Seattle, Vancouver and Rochester. Teams will play 32 games between January and May.
Next year, the league plans to add eight more teams.
Magley said what sets this league apart is its involvement with the community. Some games will take place in the morning and the Buzz will encourage schools to take field trips to The Hive. Before and after those games, players and community activists will teach students about bullying and self confidence.
Ticket prices will range from about $8 for student and senior discounts to approximately $50 for seats near the sidelines.
The NAPBL is hosting a combine Saturday in Kansas City. It is basically a time for interested men to try out for a spot on a team’s roster. Magley said roughly 40 people have signed up thus far. For more information, click here.