MONROE — By the end of the 2009 International Basketball League season, Snohomish County Explosion owner Nathan Mumm knew it was time for a change.
After three seasons in the IBL, frustrations had built up over the operation of the league, Mumm said, and he and a few other owners didn’t see things getting any better.
Thus was born the National Athletic Basketball League. The six-team, pro league includes four former IBL franchises — the Explosion, the Salem Stampede, the Seattle Mountaineers and the Tacoma Thunder — and two expansion teams, the Portland Showtime and the Tualatin Rainmakers.
The league was co-founded by Joe Becerra, owner of the Stampede, and Mumm. Their goal, Mumm said, was to provide a league that offers the kind of stability among franchises and players that was lacking in the IBL.
“We don’t have to be international, we don’t have to be anything fancy, other than local teams that play really competitive basketball and be competitive every night,” said Mumm, whose team opens its season tonight in Salem.
The NABL regular season runs through mid-June. The rules are the same as in the NBA.
The Explosion may be competing in a new league, but the core of the team looks much the same as it did in 2009.
Chris Weakley, a former Explosion player, returns for his second year as head coach. Forward Devon Greene, last year’s IBL leading scorer at 37.1 points per game, also returns. Greene is joined again by forward Richard Ford, who was ninth in the IBL in scoring last year at 25.6 and third in rebounding (13.8 rebounds per game). Also back is point guard Anthony Slater, who led the IBL in assists last season at 13.8 per game.
Weakley said he expects Greene to pick up where he left off last year.
“Devon is going to be Devon,” Weakley said. “Out of all the competition I’ve seen Devon play against, I haven’t seen anyone guard him yet.”
Guards Jason Hicks and Chris Ferguson also are familiar faces to Explosion fans. They helped the team reach the IBL semifinals last season.
The rest of the Explosion roster includes point guard Mike Boyles, guard Sanjey Noriega, forward Patrick Mattson, forward Sean Carter, guard Tommie Tomsic, forward Shawn Wolters, center Mike Jones, guard Johnie Sarijus, guard Rob Usison, guard RJ Johnson, guard Caleb Law and guard Artem Tarasov.
Ford will start the season on the team’s inactive list as he finishes playing in Japan.
Despite being in a new league, the goal for the Explosion is the same, Weakley said: win a championship.
Mumm echoed that sentiment.
“My expectation is always the same,” he said. “We’re putting out a winner to win in the playoffs. My goal is to be champions.”
Accomplishing that goal will be a challenge for the Explosion as Salem and Seattle are expected to field strong squads.
That doesn’t worry an always confident Weakley.
“Honestly, I hate to be arrogant (but) I don’t really care about the rest of the teams,” he said. “They have to put their shorts and shoes on like everyone else.”
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