by Chris Becicka
photograph by Todd Rundstrom
The Los Angeles Stars were one of many teams the Kansas City Knights faced in the ABA 2000's inaugural season.
After the American Basketball Association completed its first season of play in April and its owners met in May, their consensus was "Let's keep going!"
Tom Cheatham, general manager for the Kansas City Knights, one of the eight teams in the newly revived league, attributes the decision to an existing need and a long-term vision. "We looked at professional basketball and saw two prevalent things," he says. "First, the NBA game is too expensive for the average family. So we're making it affordable. Second, our game is, and our fans have, more fun."
These two conclusions fuel the league. The average ticket price at a NBA game is $50; a night out for a family of four is $300. The most expensive Knights' ticket is $45, but tickets are available for as low as $6. "You can bring your family, have good seats, see great basketball and still have money in your pocket," enthuses Cheatham. Nearly 600 season tickets were sold, a great start, he says.
The one-year-old ABA is a start-up, though not in the traditional sense of the word. As old basketball fans know, its predecessor existed from 1967 to 1976, fighting with the well-established National Basketball Association for players, fans, and media attention. In June of its final year, the leagues merged as four of the strongest ABA teams (New York, Denver, Indiana, and San Antonio) joined the NBA, and the other remaining ABA teams vanished, along with the ABA itself.
Cheatham says that league executives learned much the first year. They confirmed that people will come to see good basketball if it's affordable. Since basketball is still America's # 1 participatory sport and has virtually no economic barriers, the fun aspects the ABA adds, like the 3D rule, zone defense, and an average score of 115 points, definitely attract fans. The league also shortened training camp as most of the players are already in shape from other out-of-country leagues. League execs expect better game dates and believe that their shorter season, 42 games from 56, will heighten the importance of each game. They also know they need to do a better job of promoting themselves.
Cheatham wants to double the number of fans at each game next season, which begins in early December, to 6,000 or 7,000. These numbers will basically fill the lower bowl at Kemper. "That generates the noise and excitement and makes it more fun," he says. An example he cites is the playing of "YMCA" at half time—a song to which the fans come out on the floor to dance. "The first time we did that, there were maybe 12 teenagers gyrating. By the last game, the court was covered — with kids from 3 to 60!"
Although the Knights finished third in the Western division, they had the third best record in the league. Testament to their prowess is the fact that seven of their players have been picked up by the NBA—definitely good news, bad news scenario. But Cheatham points out there's no shortage of talented basketball players both locally and nationally. Since the Knights pay some of the highest salaries in the league, and since they are one of the very few teams anywhere that gives players bonuses every time they win a game, Cheatham feels he has a recruiting advantage.
Bottom line, he says, "It is great basketball at an economical price. It also gives Kansas City a huge marketing advantage. We're providing fun in the winter, making Kansas City a more attractive place to live and to visit. Everyone who comes to a game says they had a great time. We ask them."
"And," he smiles, "We're getting better and better!"
Want tickets? Call 816.471.4222 or go to www.kcknights.com. Player draft is mid-July, and the game schedule should be complete by then.