Sioux Falls Skyforce

The Sioux Falls Skyforce is an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and is affiliated with the Miami Heat. The team plays its home games in the Sanford Pentagon, a place it has called home since the 2013–14 season. The Sioux Falls Skyforce is the longest-running minor-league basketball team in the United States.[4]

Sioux Falls Skyforce
Sioux Falls Skyforce logo
ConferenceWestern
LeagueNBA G League
Founded1989
HistorySioux Falls Skyforce
1989–present
CBA: 1989–2000; 2001–2006
IBL: 2000–2001
NBA D-League/G League: 2006–present
ArenaSanford Pentagon
LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota
Team colorsBlack, red, yellow[1][2]
     
Team managerJeremy DeCurtins
Head coachKasib Powell[3]
OwnershipMiami Heat (Micky Arison)
Heineman family (Managing Partner)
Affiliation(s)Miami Heat
Championships2 CBA (1996, 2005)
1 NBA D-League (2016)
Conference titles4 CBA (1996, 1998, 1999, 2005)
1 NBA D-League (2016)
Division titles1 CBA (1996)
2 NBA D-League (2015, 2016)
Websitesiouxfalls.gleague.nba.com

The Skyforce began in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) in 1989, playing its home games at Sioux Falls Arena from then until the move to the Pentagon in 2013. It participated in four CBA championship finals, winning the championship trophy in 1996 (defeating the Fort Wayne Fury, four games to one) and 2005 (defeating the Rockford Lightning three games to one).

History

The team's name was chosen from two entries in a contest to name the team in 1989 which yielded 1,045 suggestions. The names "Sky" and "Force" were combined to create the "Skyforce".[5]

The Skyforce also hosted the CBA All-Star Game three times: in 1996, 2000, and 2003.

In 2006, the Skyforce joined the D-League. In its first two seasons in the D-League, it was a playoff contender. In 2009, the team suffered a 2–1 series loss in the first round to the Tulsa 66ers. In 2014, it fared a bit better, sweeping the Canton Charge in the first round before being swept by the eventual champion Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the semifinals. In 2016, the Skyforce won its first D-League championship, defeating the Los Angeles D-Fenders 2 games to 1. The Skyforce also finished the 2016 season 40–10, the winningest regular season record in D-League history.[6]

On June 10, 2013, the Miami Heat announced that it had entered into a single affiliation partnership with the Skyforce, beginning with the 2013–14 season.[7] The Miami Heat signature red/yellow color scheme was adopted into the Skyforce's jerseys, logo, and merchandise following this announcement. On June 1, 2017, the Heat purchased a controlling interest in the Skyforce with the Heineman family retaining its minority share.[8] The former ownership group of Bob Correa, Greg Heineman, Roger Larsen, and Tom Walsh had purchased the Skyforce from the Kemper Lesnik Organization in May 1993.[9]

Year-by-year record
SeasonLeagueConferenceDivisionFinishWinsLossesPct.Postseason results
Sioux Falls Skyforce
1989–90CBANationalMidwest3rd2036.357
1990–91CBAAmericanMidwest3rd2630.464
1991–92CBANationalNorthern4th2432.429
1992–93CBANationalMidwest3rd2630.464
1993–94CBANationalMidwest3rd2432.429
1994–95CBANationalWestern2nd3422.607Lost First Round (Omaha) 1–2
1995–96CBANationalNorthern1st3224.571Won First Round (Oklahoma City) 3–1
Won Conf. Championship (Florida) 3–2
Won CBA Championship (Fort Wayne) 3–2
1996–97CBANational1st479.839Lost First Round (Omaha) 2–3
1997–98CBANational2nd3125.554Won Semifinals (Yakima) 3–2
Won Conf. Championship (Fort Wayne) 3–0
Lost CBA Championship (Quad City) 3–4
1998–99CBANational1st3224.571Won First Round (Idaho) 3–2
Won Conf. Championship (Quad City) 3–2
Lost CBA Championship (Connecticut) 1–4
1999–00CBANational3rd3026.536Won First Round (Connecticut) 109–90
Lost Semifinals (La Crosse) 90–99
2000–01[lower-alpha 1]CBANational5th815.348
2000–01IBLWestern3rd1614.533Lost First Round (Rockford) 91–111
2001–02CBAAmerican2nd3323.589Lost Semifinals (Rockford) 1–3
2002–03CBANational4th1731.354
2003–04CBA5th2325.479
2004–05CBAWestern2nd3117.646Won Semifinals (Dakota) 3–2
Won CBA Championship (Rockford) 3–1
2005–06CBAWestern2nd3018.625Lost round-robin tournament 0–2
2006–07D-LeagueEastern2nd3020.600Won Division Semifinals (Fort Worth) 128–105
Lost Division Finals (Dakota) 113–115
2007–08D-LeagueCentral2nd2822.560Won First Round (Dakota) 101–89
Lost Semifinals (Austin) 93–99
2008–09D-LeagueCentral4th2525.500
2009–10D-LeagueEastern2nd3218.640Lost First Round (Tulsa) 1–2
2010–11D-LeagueEastern7th1040.200
2011–12D-LeagueEastern7th1535.292
2012–13D-LeagueCentral4th2525.500
2013–14D-LeagueCentral2nd3119.620Won First Round (Canton) 2–1
Lost Semifinals (Fort Wayne) 0–2
2014–15D-LeagueEasternCentral1st2921.580Lost First Round (Canton) 1–2
2015–16D-LeagueEasternCentral1st4010.800Won Quarterfinals (Westchester) 2–0
Won Semifinals(Canton) 2–0
Won D-League Championship (Los Angeles) 2–1
2016–17D-LeagueWesternSouthwest3rd2921.580
2017–18G LeagueWesternMidwest2nd2525.500
2018–19G LeagueWesternMidwest3rd2426.480
2019–20G LeagueWesternMidwest2nd2220.524Season cancelled by COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21G LeagueOpted out of single-site season
2021–22G LeagueWestern–12th1421.400
2022–23G LeagueWestern–5th2012.625Won Quarterfinals (Salt Lake) 115–107
Won Semifinals (Stockton) 98–97
Lost Conference Finals (Rio Grande Valley) 105–110
Regular season883766.5351989–2023
Playoffs5045.5261989–2023
  1. The CBA folded in the middle of the 2000–01 season.

Head coaches
# Head coach Term Regular season Playoffs Achievements
GWLWin%GWLWin%
1Nate Tibbetts2007–20091005347.530211.500
2Tony Fritz2009–2010503218.640312.333
3Mo McHone2010–20121002575.250————
4Joel Abelson2012–2013502525.500————
5Pat Delany2013–2014503119.620523.400
6Phil Weber2014–2015502921.580312.333
7Dan Craig2015–2016504010.800761.857NBA D-League Finals Champion: 2016
NBA D-League Coach of the Year: 2016
NBA D-League All-Star Game coach: 2016
8Nevada Smith2016–20191507872.520————
9Eric Glass2019–2020422220.524————
10Kasib Powell2021–present673433.507321.667

Current roster
Sioux Falls Skyforce roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
F 8 Cain, Jamal (TW) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 191 lb (87 kg) 1999–03–20 Oakland
G — Hampton, R. J. (TW) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1992–07–15 Little Elm HS (TX)
F/C 6 Jack, Kadeem 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1992–10–27 Rutgers
F 32 Johnson, Stanley 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1996–05–29 Arizona
F — Swider, Cole (TW) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1999-05-08 Syracuse
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (P) Prospects
  • (NBA) On assignment from NBA affiliate
  • (TW) Two-way affiliate player
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: September 27, 2023

NBA affiliates

See also

References
  1. "Staff Directory". SiouxFalls.GLeague.NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  2. "Sioux Falls Skyforce Reproduction Guideline Sheet". NBA Properties, Inc. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  3. "Kasib Powell Promoted to Head Coach of Sioux Falls Skyforce". GLeague.NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  4. "Sioux Falls Skyforce: A 30-Year Basketball Legacy | 605 Magazine". October 2018.
  5. "Sports Digest". United Press International. May 17, 1989.
  6. Kotloff, Brian (April 29, 2016). "2016 NBA Development League Champions, Sioux Falls Skyforce". SiouxFalls.GLeague.NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  7. "Miami HEAT Enter Into Single Affiliation Partnership With NBA Development League". NBA.com.
  8. "Miami Heat purchase controlling interest of Skyforce, keep Heinemans as chief business operators". KWSN. June 1, 2017.
  9. "Team History". SiouxFalls.GLeague.NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
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