The Winnipeg Cyclone was a professional

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 ...

club based in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

that competed 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 ...

from 1995 to 2001. The Cyclone played its home games at the

Winnipeg Convention Centre The RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg (formerly the Winnipeg Convention Centre) is a major meeting and convention centre located in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It has five levels including indoor parking for 729 vehicles, and three levels ...

(dubbed the "Wind Tunnel"). However, the Cyclone did not enjoy significant popularity, usually playing before sparse crowds. The club was backed largely by local businessman Earl Barish.

Notable players

The Cyclone had several recognizable names on the roster and coaching staff during the franchise's short existence. From 1998-2000, Former NBA star

Darryl Dawkins Darryl R. Dawkins (January 11, 1957 – August 27, 2015) was an American professional basketball player. He was particularly known for his tenure with the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he als ...

served as a players coach for the franchise, winning Co-Coach of the Year for the 1999 season along with Mansfield Hawks coach Kevin Mackey. "

Hoop Dreams ''Hoop Dreams'' is a 1994 American documentary film directed by Steve James, and produced by Frederick Marx, James, and Peter Gilbert, with Kartemquin Films. It follows the story of two African-American high school students, William Gates an ...

" subject

Arthur Agee Arthur "Man" Agee Jr. (; born October 22, 1972) is a former high school basketball player from Chicago. Agee was one of two Chicago-area basketball players whose lives were chronicled in the 1994 documentary ''Hoop Dreams''. Early life Agee is ...

played on the team for a brief stint, as well as Andrell Hoard, who won back-to-back Most Valuable Player honors in 1998 and 1999.Robert Bradley
"International Basketball Association History"
/ref>

End of Franchise

After the 2001 season, it was announced that the IBA would cease operations. League leaders made the decision after failing to acquire commitments for the upcoming 2002 season from several franchises, having to push back the application deadline on several occasions. Four teams from the IBL (Dakota Wizards, Fargo Beez, Sioux Falls Skyforce, and Saskatchewan Hawks) would go on to join the Continental Basketball Association's eight-team expansion. For a time, Winnipeg was rumored to be joining the CBA as well, but ultimately decided against the move. In 6 seasons, the Cyclone won 90 games while losing 108. Darryl Dawkins finished as the franchise's winningest coach, tallying a 37-33 record in his two years as the head of the Cyclone.

Basketball in Winnipeg

Since the club folded, there have been no professional basketball teams based in Winnipeg. In 2013, the Canadian Basketball League, in conjunction with Cosmos Sports, conducted a feasibility study that showed Winnipeg could successfully host a professional basketball franchise if chosen. After a meeting with potential owners later in the year, it was decided that there wasn't enough interest to reach the expansion minimum of eight teams. In 2022, it was reported that Winnipeg was being looked at for an expansion team in the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Mike Sawatzky
"Talks on to bring Canadian Elite Basketball League to city"
/ref>

Franchise Record

References

{{IBA Defunct basketball teams in Canada Sports teams in Winnipeg Basketball teams established in 1995 Basketball teams disestablished in 2001