Cavalry returns to city
Cavalry, CBA returning to Oklahoma City

By Bob Hersom

Published: May 15, 2007

It will be announced at a news conference May 22 that the Continental Basketball Association is returning to Oklahoma City, and team owners are planning to call the team the Cavalry, or Cavs, in honor of the city's previous CBA team.

Majority owner Baron Hopgood had planned to bring an American Basketball Association team to Oklahoma City, but those plans have changed.

"We have transitioned from an ABA franchise and have been awarded a CBA franchise,” Hopgood said. "We have dissolved our ABA rights after further due diligence.

"We did not want to bring a league that isn't credible to the city, especially with the delicacy of where the city is right now with a tremendous run the last two years with the (NBA) Hornets.”

The original Oklahoma City Cavalry of the CBA played seven seasons at the Cox Convention Center, then the Myriad, from 1990-97.

"We're looking at coming back as the Cavs,” Hopgood said. "We looked at doing a Name the Team contest, but we thought we would celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Cavs' last season.”

The CBA's regular season last year began Dec. 1 and ended March 25, with playoffs running through April 3.

"I think we have locked in a home court, and we'll announce that at our press conference,” Hopgood said. "We're not playing at any high school or any college. It will be at one of the arenas in the Oklahoma City arena.”

Hopgood said the new Cavs would play at the Cox Center, Ford Center or State Fair Arena.

Player tryout camps will be held in the Dallas area, where Hopgood is headquartered, and the Oklahoma City area. The CBA draft is in September.

"We are trying to decide on which coach we will hire,” Hopgood said. "We do have some candidates that do want the job, and they're very well known, former NBA players.”

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