The Springfield Fame were a men's spring-professional basketball team in the United States Basketball League from Springfield, Massachusetts, the hometown of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which gave the inspiration of the team name.
History The Springfield Fame were founded in 1985. In their inaugural season, they finished with a record of 19-6 and were the first USBL Champions. The league did not add a playoff system until the 1987 season. In their second season, the Fame made national headlines by signing 27-year-old women's basketball legend Nancy Lieberman. Lieberman thus became the first female basketball player to play regular season minutes in a men's pro league. They would finish second with a 23–10 record and 0.5 game behind the Tampa Bay Flash. The Fame would fold following the 1986 season.
Season-by-season records Year GP W L Win % GB Head coach 1985 25 19 6 .760 .. Gerald Oliver 1986 33 23 10 .697 0.5 Henry BibbyTotals584216.724––
Honours USBL Player of the Year +SeasonPlayer1985Tracy Jackson
USBL Coach of the Year +SeasonCoachWL1985Gerald Oliver1961986Henry Bibby2310
All-USBL Teams
First Team +SeasonPlayerPosition1985Tracy Jackson1986Billy Goodwin Tracy Jackson (1985) Billy Goodwin (1986)
Second Team +SeasonPlayerPosition1985Larry LawrenceMichael AdamsPoint Guard1986Jerome HendersonCenter/Power Forward Larry Lawrence (1985) Michael Adams (1985 and 1986) Jerome Henderson (1986)
USBL All-Rookie Team +SeasonPlayerPosition1985Andre GoodeMichael Adams1986Dominic Pressley Andre Goode (1985) Michael Adams (1985) Dominic Pressley (1986)
USBL All-Defensive Team Michael Adams (1985 and 1986) Jerome Henderson (1986)
References