The Long Island Surf were a professional basketball team based in Long Island , New York. They played 14 seasons in the United States Basketball League (USBL).
17-651: The franchise was established in 1985 as the Long Island Knights, and played in the first USBL season, finishing with a 9–15 record. The team did not participate in the 1986 season but did return for the 1987 edition, ending the regular season as the 4th ranked team and qualifying for the Postseason Festival (the USBL playoffs), during which they reached the semifinals, where they lost to the Rhode Island Gulls . In
34-584: A 14–10 record and qualified for the Postseason Playoffs, where they were eliminated by the Westchester Stallions . Point guard David Cain led the USBL in assists with 9.4 per game. By 1994, the New York Times reported that the franchise had doubled its value. The team ended the 1994 season with a 13–14 record, progressing to the Postseason Festival quarterfinals where they were eliminated by
51-709: A rookie, Williams averaged just under ten points and five rebounds per game for the Bullets. He improved significantly his second season, and started 37 of 82 games. The 1988–89 NBA season , his third, was clearly his best, as he achieved career-high season totals in almost every statistical category, despite coming off the bench in all but one game. Williams' productivity declined in the five injury-plagued seasons that followed. He missed more than half of four of those five seasons due to various injuries, which, though not necessarily caused by his weight, were certainly aggravated by it. His eight-year NBA career included five seasons with
68-633: The Liga ACB . His girth earned him the nickname "Hot Plate" Williams, in part to help distinguish him from John "Hot Rod" Williams of the Cleveland Cavaliers who likewise played college basketball in Louisiana (at Tulane University ) and who also entered the NBA in 1986. Despite his size, in which he ballooned to close to 260 pounds by the time he was drafted, Williams was a highly skilled basketball player. He
85-468: The 1987 season, female player Nancy Lieberman played for the Long Island Knights. In the 1988 season the Knights ended at the bottom of the table with a 3–27 record. After the season, the franchise was disbanded. In 1991, a group of 31 Long Island investors coordinated by Ed Krinsky re-established the team under the new name Long Island Surf and a starting budget of a 100,000 US$ . In their first season back in
102-799: The Bullets, two with the Los Angeles Clippers , and one (his final season) with the Indiana Pacers . He left the NBA in 1995, but went on to play 132 games over 6 seasons in the Spanish Liga ACB , averaging 15.6 points and 7.3 rebounds. Williams' eating problems and weight issues were as a result of stress and depression. By the time he entered the draft, he lost his grandmother, two childhood friends, while supporting his mother, grandfather, and children from previous marriages. His weight issues got so bad that Bullets and Clippers put him on weight reduction programs, and suspended him with no pay. By
119-579: The Connecticut Skylarks. Surf point guard Jean Prioleau led the league in assists with 10.3 a game. In 1995 the team improved its record to 14–12, but missed the playoffs (only the first three teams qualified); in 1996, ranking 3rd in the re-established Northern Division, the Surf reached the playoffs, where they lost to the Portland Mountain Cats. Former St. John's center Shawnelle Scott led
136-640: The NBA with the Washington Bullets , was named the USBL's Rookie of the Year; he and Bol were also named to the league's All-Star team. The Gulls folded at the end of the 1985 season, but a new team in Rhode Island joined the USBL in 1987. In the USBL draft, the Gulls drafted 5-foot-3 Muggsy Bogues second overall. Bogues was named the league's Rookie of the Year, averaging 22.2 points and 8.4 assists per game and leading
153-709: The Northern Division with an 18–7 record, and again reached the USBL finals after beating the Columbus Cagerz in the second round, and the Connecticut Skyhawks in the Final Four; they lost the finals to the Atlantic City Seagulls for the second consecutive year, 96–100. In 1999 the Surf finished second in the division behind the Connecticut Skyhawks, and reached the playoff semifinals, where they lost to
170-522: The Skyhawks, 92–99. The franchise reached the playoffs again in 2000 after finishing 3rd in their division; they lost to the New Jersey ShoreCats, 103–116. The Long Island Surf played their final USBL season in 2001: in their last appearance they made the playoffs and advanced to the semifinals, where they lost to eventual champions Pennsylvania Valleydawgs . The team was then disbanded after the end of
187-551: The USBL in attendance, the team disbanded again, this time for good. This article about a basketball team in Rhode Island is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . John Williams (basketball, born 1966) John Sam Williams (born October 26, 1966) is an American former basketball player who played professionally for several seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and
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#1732887023101204-522: The USBL in rebounding (13.5 per game) playing for the Surf. In 1997 the Surf had a successful season: they ranked 2nd in their division with a 19–7 record, and advanced to the USBL finals after defeating the Connecticut Skyhawks in the quarterfinals and the Atlanta Trojans in the semifinals. The Surf faced the Atlantic City Seagulls in the USBL finals, losing 112–114. In 1998, the Long Island franchise won
221-472: The USBL, the Surf ended with a 7–13 record in the Northern Division. Forward Anthony Mason led the league in rebounds at 11.2 per game. In 1992 the Surf finished with the second best record of the division (13–13) and qualified for the Postseason Festival, where they lost to the Philadelphia Spirit in the division finals. In 1993 the divisions were abolished; the Surf ended 4th in the league table with
238-481: The league in minutes per game before an ankle injury ended his season. (Hank McDowell was also named to the USBL's second All-Star squad.) The Gulls finished third in the eight-team league with a 17-13 record, then defeated Philadelphia and Long Island in the playoffs to qualify for the USBL championship game. The Miami Tropics (led by former NBA All-Star World B. Free 's 30 points) beat the Gulls, 103-99, in what would prove to be Rhode Island's last game; despite leading
255-526: The season. Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA -sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed. To appear in this section a player must have either: Rhode Island Gulls The Rhode Island Gulls was a team in the United States Basketball League (USBL) based in Warwick, Rhode Island during the 1985 and 1987 seasons. In what
272-415: Was in particular an exceptionally good passer, and averaged over 4 assists per game in 3 separate seasons, an excellent average for a player his size. He was frequently used as a point forward , handling the ball and conducting the offense. Williams played collegiately for LSU , and was drafted into the National Basketball Association by the Washington Bullets in 1986 with the 12th overall pick. As
289-533: Was the USBL's inaugural season, the Gulls finished fourth in the seven-team circuit with a 11-14 record. No playoffs were held, and the Springfield Fame were declared USBL champions. The Gulls featured 7-foot-7 Manute Bol and 5-foot-6 Spud Webb ; the two future NBA stars were often on the court together. Their difference in height (25 inches) is believed to be one of the largest between two teammates in pro basketball history. John Williams , who later played in
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