The Dakota Wizards were an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
team based in
Bismarck, North Dakota. They played in the
NBA Development League from 2006 until 2012. After the
2011–12 season, the team relocated to
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz ( Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 62,956. Situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is a po ...
, and now plays as the
Santa Cruz Warriors
The Santa Cruz Warriors are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Santa Cruz, California, and are affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors play their home games at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Prior t ...
. Prior to entering the D-League in 2006, the Wizards spent 11 years playing in minor American leagues such as the
International Basketball Association
The International Basketball Association (IBA) was founded in 1995 by a group of businessmen led by Tom Anderson. The original owners of franchises in the league were George Daniel (Black Hills Posse-Rapid City, SD), John Korsmo, Al Gardner, and A ...
and the
Continental Basketball Association.
History
Early years (1995–2006)
The Wizards began play in 1995 in the
International Basketball Association
The International Basketball Association (IBA) was founded in 1995 by a group of businessmen led by Tom Anderson. The original owners of franchises in the league were George Daniel (Black Hills Posse-Rapid City, SD), John Korsmo, Al Gardner, and A ...
(IBA), and in 2001, with
Dave Joerger
David Joerger ( AY-ger (born February 21, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach who serves as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the head coach of the Dakota Wizards fr ...
at the helm, they won the IBA championship in the league's final year of operation.
Following the 2000–01 season, the IBA merged with several teams from the
Continental Basketball Association (CBA), and in their first year in the new CBA, Joerger and the Wizards won the league title, defeating the
Rockford Lightning
The Rockford Lightning was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois.
History
The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses fro ...
. After making it to the semifinals in the 2002–03 season, the Wizards again won the league title in 2004 over the
Idaho Stampede
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
, giving Joerger his third title as the Wizards' head coach.
Following the 2003–04 season, coach Joerger left the Wizards for a coaching opportunity with the
Sioux Falls Skyforce
The Sioux Falls Skyforce are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and are affiliated with the Miami Heat. The team plays their home games in the Sanford Pentagon, a place they have call ...
. In his place, the Wizards appointed former assistant coach Casey Owens as head coach. The Wizards lost their opening two games against the Skyforce, but then cruised to a 12-game winning streak before losing to Sioux Falls on New Year's Eve, 2004. The Wizards also lost two potential all-stars,
Billy Keys and
Dickey Simpkins
LuBara Dixon "Dickey" Simpkins (born April 6, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player best known for his tenure with the Chicago Bulls in the late 1990s. He is currently a scout for the Washington Wizards.
A 6' 9" forward/ce ...
, who left the team mid-season to play overseas. The Wizards went on to clinch home court advantage throughout the 2005 playoffs with a league-best 32–16 record. Dakota split their first four playoff games with their first-round opponents, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, until Sioux Falls won Game 5 with a 102–97 victory, ending the Wizards' playoff run.
For the 2005–06 season, the Wizards replaced Casey Owens with former Baylor University head coach
Dave Bliss
David Gregory Bliss (born September 20, 1943) is an American basketball coach. He served as the head men's basketball coach at University of Oklahoma, Southern Methodist University, the University of New Mexico, Baylor University, and Southwester ...
. However, with the coaching change, the Wizards dropped from first in 2005 to out of the playoff race in 2006. Bliss resigned following the 2005–06 season, as season that saw the Wizards finish with a 19–29 record.
First season in the D-League (2006–2007)
In April 2006, the Wizards and three other teams (Colorado 14ers, Idaho Stampede and Sioux Falls Skyforce) withdrew from the CBA in order to join the emerging
NBA Development League.
For their first season in the D-League, the Wizards brought back head coach
Dave Joerger
David Joerger ( AY-ger (born February 21, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach who serves as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the head coach of the Dakota Wizards fr ...
. Joerger guided the Wizards to a 33–17 record in 2006–07, good for the first seed in the Eastern Division. He went on to lead them to the Championship Game, where forward
Darius Rice
Darius Lashaun Rice (born October 16, 1982) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Miami. He is the nephew of former professional football player, Jerry Rice.
College career
Rice played c ...
came off the bench to put together a record-setting night that led the Wizards to a 129–121 overtime victory over the Colorado 14ers. Rice scored 52 points and made 11 three-pointers, including one with 4.5 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime tied at 109. Rice's points and three-point field goal totals set D-League championship game records.
Steady decline (2007–2011)
With the departure of the Dave Joerger following the 2006–07 season, having been hired by the Memphis Grizzlies as an assistant coach, the Wizards hired
Duane Ticknor
Duane Ticknor He is a former assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies and a former NBA D-League head coach for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and Sioux Falls Skyforce and Sacramento Kings.
Biography
Ticknor is a native of Vermillion, South Dakota whe ...
to replace him. In July 2007, the Wizards became affiliated with the
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
and the
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
.
In 2007–08, the Wizards were again division champions, this time finishing as the first seed in the Central Division. They were, however, defeated in the first round of the playoffs by the arch rival, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. The Wizards continued to make the playoffs in 2008–09 and 2009–10, but with a missed playoff berth in 2010–11, the team missed the postseason for the first time since 2005–06, and just the second time since 1998–99. The Wizards concluded the 2010–11 season with a 19–31 record and in fourth place in the eight-team Eastern Conference.
Warriors ownership and return to the playoffs (2011–2012)
On June 28, 2011, the
Golden State Warriors, led by Co-Executive Chairmen Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, purchased the Wizards franchise from Bismarck Professional Basketball LLC. The Warriors became the fourth NBA team to own and operate their own NBA D-League affiliate, joining San Antonio, Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Wizards remained in Bismarck during the 2011–12 season, but the Warriors were open to relocating the team to Northern California in 2012. To reflect the new ownership, the Wizards debuted with a new color scheme, the Warriors' blue and gold, used as an alternative to the purple and green, which dates back to their IBA days. The old color scheme was still used with the team's road uniforms, while the blue and gold was used with the home uniforms and the logo. The Wizards were led by
Edwin Ubiles
Edwin Ubiles (born November 26, 1986) is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Siena College. A native of Poughkeepsie, New York, he averaged 14.8 points per game over his four seasons at Siena, wh ...
in 2011–12, as he helped the team return to the playoffs with a 29–21 record. However, they were unable to move on past the first round following a 2–0 defeat at the hands of the
Bakersfield Jam
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's pop ...
.
Relocation
Following intense off-season discussions regarding a move, on October 10, 2012, the Golden State Warriors announced that the Dakota Wizards would relocate to Santa Cruz beginning with the 2012–13 season. The team was subsequently renamed the
Santa Cruz Warriors
The Santa Cruz Warriors are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Santa Cruz, California, and are affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors play their home games at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Prior t ...
.
Season By Season
Retired numbers
* Kevin Rice (#32)
* Kevin Beard (#35)
* Willie Murdaugh (#41)
All-Time Team
In May 2012, with the Wizards' imminent move to Santa Cruz, long-time ''
Bismarck Tribune'' reporter, Lou Babiarz, chose an all-time 15-man Dakota Wizards team.
NBA affiliates
*
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...
(2006–2007)
*
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
(2007–2011)
*
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
(2006–2011)
*
Golden State Warriors (2011–present as the
Santa Cruz Warriors
The Santa Cruz Warriors are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Santa Cruz, California, and are affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors play their home games at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Prior t ...
)
References
{{IBA
Basketball teams established in 1995
Basketball teams disestablished in 2012
1995 establishments in North Dakota
Basketball in North Dakota
Basketball teams in North Dakota
2012 disestablishments in North Dakota
Sports in Bismarck, North Dakota