# Rapid City Thrillers

The Rapid City Thrillers were a semi-professional basketball team in Rapid City, South Dakota, that competed in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) beginning in the 1987 season. They were reincarnated in 1998 as an International Basketball Association franchise. One of the many notable players of the team was Keith Smart, who played for the Indiana Hoosiers when they won the NCAA tournament in 1987.
The Thrillers had some very notable head coaches in its time. First, Bill Musselman coached the team to three consecutive CBA titles during the 1980s. Musselman then moved to the NBA as coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Later, Flip Saunders coached the Thrillers for a season and later became head coach of the NBA's Washington Wizards. Keith Fowler coached the team during one of their only losing seasons. Eric Musselman (son of Bill Musselman) coached the team successfully for seven years but was never able to bring the championship back to the franchise, although the team was runner-up three separate times during its existence.
This team traced its history back to the Tampa Bay Thrillers of the Continental Basketball Association. They won consecutive CBA titles in their first two seasons. However, the team never drew well, and abruptly changed cities in 1987. The Thrillers moved to Rapid City at the conclusion of the regular season, but didn't stop the team's momentum, as they won their third consecutive title.
After eight and a half seasons, the team moved to West Palm Beach where they became the Florida Beach Dogs. The Beach Dogs lasted only two seasons folding after losing the championship series to the Oklahoma City Cavalry.
After the Thrillers left Rapid City, professional basketball continued in the form of the Black Hills Posse of the International Basketball Association. In 1998 the Black Hills Posse were sold to John Tuschman (former owner of the original Thrillers). Tuschman tried to spark the old spirit the Thrillers had from the late 1980s and early 1990s, by renaming the Posse to the Thrillers and bringing back the original "flaming basketball" logo. Tuschman was unsuccessful and the new Thrillers folded after the end of the 1998–99 season. The IBA continued for one more season in Rapid City, as the Black Hills Gold played in the 1999–2000 season for one year, before moving to Mitchell, South Dakota and becoming the South Dakota Gold. Rapid City has been without professional basketball since.

## Season-by-season

| Year | League | GP | W | L | Pct. | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1984/85 | CBA | 48 | 35 | 13 | .729 | 2nd, Eastern | Won Eastern Division Semi Finals 3–0 Vs Lancaster Lightning, Won Eastern Division Finals 3–2 Vs Albany Patroons, Won CBA Championship 4–3 Vs Detroit Spirits |
| 1985/86 | CBA | 48 | 34 | 14 | .708 | 1st, Eastern | Won Eastern Division Semi Finals 4–3 Vs Albany Patroons, Won Eastern Division Finals 4–1 Vs Bay State Bombardiers, Won CBA Championship 4–1 Vs La Crosse Catbirds |
| 1986/87 | CBA | 48 | 34 | 14 | .708 | 1st, Eastern | Won Eastern Division Semi Finals 4–1 Vs Pensacola Tornados, Won Eastern Division Finals 4–0 Vs Albany Patroons, Won CBA Championship 4–1 Vs Rockford Lightning |
| 1987/88 | CBA | 54 | 16 | 38 | .296 | 6th, Western | did not qualify |
| 1988/89 | CBA | 54 | 38 | 16 | .704 | 1st, Western | Won Western Division Semi Finals 4–1 Vs Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets, Lost Western Division Finals 4–2 Vs Rockford Lightning |
| 1989/90 | CBA | 56 | 42 | 14 | .750 | 1st, National Midwest | Won National Conference Semi Finals 3–2 Vs San Jose Jammers, Won National Conference Finals 4–2 Vs Santa Barbara Islanders, Lost CBA Championship 4–1 Vs La Crosse Catbirds |
| 1990/91 | CBA | 56 | 27 | 29 | .482 | 2nd, American Midwest | Lost American Conference First Round 3–2 Vs Omaha Racers |
| 1991/92 | CBA | 56 | 37 | 19 | .661 | 1st, National Northern | Won National Conference Second Round 3–1 Vs Wichita Falls Texans, Won Western Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Omaha Racers, Lost CBA Championship 4–3 Vs La Crosse Catbirds |
| 1992/93 | CBA | 56 | 44 | 12 | .786 | 1st, National Midwest | Won National Conference First Round 3–0 Vs Tri-City Chinook, Lost National Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Omaha Racers |
| 1993/94 | CBA | 56 | 37 | 19 | .661 | 1st, National Midwest | Won National Conference First Round 3–2 Vs Wichita Falls Texans, Lost National Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Omaha Racers |
| 1994/95 | CBA | 56 | 31 | 25 | .554 | 4th, National West | Lost National Conference First Round 2–0 Vs Tri-City Chinook |
| 1995/96 | CBA | 56 | 41 | 15 | .732 | 1st, National Southern | Won National Conference First Round 3–0 Vs Omaha Racers, Lost National Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Sioux Falls Skyforce |
| 1996/97 | CBA | 56 | 38 | 18 | .679 | 1st, American | Won American Conference First Round 3–0 Vs Rockford Lightning, Won American Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Grand Rapids Hoops, Lost CBA Championship 4–2 Vs Oklahoma City Cavalry |
| 1998/99 | IBA | 34 | 16 | 18 | .471 | 3rd, West | Lost West Division Finals 2–1 Vs Magic City Snowbears |
| Totals | CBA | 700 | 454 | 246 | .649 | – | 3 CBA Championships |
| Totals | IBA | 34 | 16 | 18 | .471 | – | 1–2 Playoff Record |
| Totals | Franchise | 734 | 470 | 264 | .640 | – | |

## Notable players

* Keith Smart
* Brian Martin
* Sidney Lowe
* Ed Nealy
* Freeman Williams
* Richard Coffey
* Shelton Jones
* Stanley Brundy
* "Jumpin'" Joe Ward
* Larry Robinson
* Fennis Dembo
* Don Collins
* Ledell Eackles
* Craig Neal
* Tony Dawson
* Conner Henry
* Mark Macon
* Lorenzo Charles
* Pearl Washington
* Chris Jent
* Manute Bol
* Nate Johnston
* Leon Wood
* Alvin Robertson
* Constantin Popa
* Chris Whitney
* George McCloud
* Charles Smith
* Corey Crowder