The Fort Worth Flyers were a minor league

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team in the

NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...

(D-League) based in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

. They began play in the 2005–06 season and were shut down for the 2007–08 season.

Franchise history

In 2005, Southwest Basketball, LLC led by David Kahn was granted permission by the recently rebranded

(NBA D-League) to operate four new teams. Southwest Basketball then purchased and relocated three existing franchises while launching one expansion team, the Fort Worth Flyers. The team introduced its logo of a blue capital "F", reminiscent of a

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

, over a basketball. The team began play in 2005–06 as an expansion franchise. They were the D-League's regular season champions, finishing 28–20, but lost the championship game to the

Albuquerque Thunderbirds Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

by a score of 119–108. The following season, they finished in third place in the Eastern Division with a 29–21 record and lost the Eastern Division semifinal game to 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 ...

128–105. The team did not return for the 2007–08 season as they were not profitable for Southwest Basketball, LLC. There was talk of the Flyers moving to

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

, and of the D-League placing another team in Fort Worth, citing their proximity to the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

.http://www.star-telegram.com/287/story/135183.htm The D-League returned to the metroplex in 2010 with the

Texas Legends The Texas Legends are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Frisco, Texas, and are affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks. The Legends play their home games at the Comerica Center. The team began as the Colorado ...

, affiliated with the Mavericks.

Season-by-season

Notable players

Maurice Ager Maurice Darnell Ager (born February 9, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played at the collegiate level for the Michigan State Spartans from 2002 until 2006, and earned a spot on the 19-and-under USA basketball team ...

Deji Akindele Akindele Jeleel Ayodeji (born April 2, 1983) is a Nigerian professional basketball player for the Halcones de Xalapa of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). Collegiate career Akindele chose Chicago State over Rutgers, St. Peters ...

Kelenna Azubuike Kelenna David Azubuike (born 16 December 1983) is a British-Nigerian-American former professional basketball player and currently the Golden State Warriors television analyst on NBC Sports Bay Area. Born in London, England and raised in Tulsa, ...

Jose Juan Barea José Juan Barea Mora (born June 26, 1984) is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for Northeastern University before joining the Mavericks in 2006 and becoming only the seventh Puerto Ri ...

Chris Copeland Christopher Stephen Copeland (born March 17, 1984) nicknamed "The X-Factor" is an American former professional basketball player who last played for MoraBanc Andorra of the Liga ACB. He played college basketball for the University of Colorado Bo ...

* Bobby Jones *

Pops Mensah-Bonsu Nana Papa Yaw "Pops" Mensah-Bonsu (born 7 September 1983) is a British basketball executive and former player. He played college basketball for George Washington University and professionally for five NBA teams as well as clubs in Spain, France, ...

Jamario Moon Jamario Raman Moon (born June 13, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for one season at Meridian Community College and began his professional career with teams in the United States Basketball ...

Jeremy Richardson Jeremy Terrell Richardson (born March 1, 1984) is an American professional basketball player. He is a 6'7", 210 lb. swingman and he has played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, Memph ...

Luke Schenscher Luke Dean Schenscher (born 31 December 1982) is an Australian former professional basketball player. He played four years of college basketball for Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball, Georgia Tech before having stints in the National B ...

Ime Udoka Ime Sunday Udoka ( ; born August 9, 1977) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA), currently suspended by the team for the ...

Martell Webster Martell Webster (born December 4, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player who played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The sixth player taken in the 2005 NBA draft, Webster played for Portland, Minnesota ...

* Louis Williams *

Ha Seung-jin Ha Seung-Jin (born August 4, 1985) is a South Korean former professional basketball player who has played in the NBA and the NBA D-League. He was a second round draft pick (46th overall) of the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2004 NBA Draft. At 7 ...

NBA affiliates

Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populou ...

(2006–2007) *

(2005–2007) *

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

(2005–2006) *

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

(2005–2006) *

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

(2006–2007) *

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

(2005–2006)

References

External links

Fort Worth Flyers HomepageOfficial NBA Development League websiteBoston Globe Article on JJB
{{Defunct D-League Basketball teams established in 2005 Basketball teams disestablished in 2007 Basketball teams in Texas 2005 establishments in Texas 2007 disestablishments in Texas Sports in Fort Worth, Texas