AMERICAN BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Mega Force tip off in ABA at last
AFTER A FEW delays, the Hawaii Mega Force appear ready to finally take the court for their American Basketball Association debut.
The team is scheduled to begin its inaugural season tomorrow and Saturday against Beijing Aoshen at the Brigham Young University-Hawaii campus in Laie. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. both nights.
"People here have been waiting a long time to see us play," Mega Force owner Orrys Williams said. "All of us are ready to go and I'm sure the people who are waiting to see what this thing is all about will be out there to see us and cheer us along."
The team is also scheduled to play at Blaisdell Arena on Dec. 5 and 7 against Southern California before embarking on a 16-day road trip.
"I'm more excited for the guys who have never played (professional basketball)," coach George Gilmore said. "I'm happy for them."
The team had been in search of a home site and Williams said the team could play in various gyms on dates when Blaisdell Arena isn't available.
The Mega Force was originally scheduled to start the season last month, but Williams said the mainland teams weren't ready and the games were rescheduled for later in the season.
"We have dates for them to come back and they all agree they'll be back here," Williams said.
The team has had about 17 players attending practices at Damien Memorial School's gym this week and 12 will be kept on the active roster. The Mega Force players got a chance to face someone other than each other last night with a scrimmage against a military team.
Among the local players who have signed with the team are former Hawaii Pacific University standout Kawika Smith, Kaiser graduate Kaunaoa McGee and former University of Hawaii guard Jason Carter.
They join a group of players from the mainland, a few of whom have previous experience in the league.
Gilmore said it's been a challenge to try to keep the players focused while the logistics of the season were ironed out, and he's been trying to mesh the various talents and personalities on the court during practices.
"I'm trying to get these guys as a group to play together," Gilmore said. "We've been going up and down five-on-five trying to get these guys in the right places."
Gilmore admits he doesn't know much about the team from Beijing that is playing its home games in California. Beijing, coached by former professional player LaShaun McDaniel, is due to arrive today with a 3-0 record, having defeated the Orange County Buzz 104-92 on Monday.
A league official is in town to train local referees on some of the intricacies of the league. Along with the red, white and blue ball, one of the ABA's signature traits is the 3-D rule. If the defensive team steals the ball before the offense establishes possession in the front court, a point will be added to any ensuing basket. Also, shots beyond halfcourt are worth four points.
The league encourages up-tempo play with a 24-second shot clock and the offenses have 7 seconds to get the ball past halfcourt.
Williams said the team secured a sponsorship with Hawaiian Airlines to help defray some of the travel costs.
"We just have to have the heart and belief that this is needed here in Hawaii and people are going to support us," Williams said. "We're not quitters, we'll bring it out there and it's going to last."