World Basketball League (1989-1990)
Tombstone
Born: December 8, 1988 – The Chicago Express relocate to Springfield, IL
Folded: September 199011Oliver, Vance. “THE RIGHT STUFF: Halifax has jump on getting expansion team”. The Star-Phoenix (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan). October 22, 1990[/mfn]
First Game: May 12, 1989 (W 106-74 vs. Greece)
Last Game: August 28, 1990 (L 108-98 @ Memphis Rockers)
WBL Championships: None
Arena
Prairie Capital Convention Center (7,232)
Opened: 1979
Marketing
Team Colors: Scarlet Red, Royal Blue & White
Ownership
Owners:
- 1989-1990: Barry Fox
- 1990: World Basketball League*
*The World Basketball League assumed ownership of the Illinois Express on June 5th, 1990 after original owner Barry Fox relinquished the franchise in mid-season.2Oliver, Vance. “THE RIGHT STUFF: Halifax has jump on getting expansion team”. The Star-Phoenix (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan). October 22, 1990
Our Favorite Stuff
World Basketball League
Logo T-Shirt
Yes, the professional basketball league with a height limit! You had to be under 6′ 5″ tall to play in the run-and-gun World Basketball League during it’s 1988-1992 existence. The WBL was rather popular in Canada, but its American clubs struggled badly and an embezzlement scandal finally sunk this entertaining circuit in 1992.
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Background
The Illinois Express was a short-lived minor league basketball team in the funky World Basketball League (1988-1992). The WBL’s great gimmick was that all players had to 6′ 5″ tall or shorter, with the idea that this would lead to a fast-paced, guard heavy, run n’ gun style of play.
The franchise started out as the Chicago Express during the WBL’s first season in the summer of 1988. While in Chicago, the roster included Larry Jordan, older brother of Bulls superstar Michael. That was hardly enough to draw fans to the suburban Rosemont Horizon, where the Express toiled before paltry crowds of less than 2,000 spectators per game. Late in the season, Express owner Barry Fox took a game on the road to Springfield, Illinois’ Prairie Capital Convention Center and 4,400 fans showed up. A few months later, Fox announced the Express would move permanently to Springfield for the 1989 season.
Long-time ABA and NBA veteran Dave Robisch, who had local ties as a 1967 graduate of Springfield High School, was hired on as the Express’ head coach.
The Express had one of the best players in the World Basketball League in Alfredrick Hughes. Hughes finished 2nd in the nation in scoring at Loyola College of Chicago in 1985 and was the first round draft pick (#14 overall) of the San Antonio Spurs later that spring His NBA career lasted only a single season, but he became one of the top itinerant minor leaguers of the late 1980’s and early 90’s. Hughes was named to the All-WBL team in 1989 and 1990 for Illinois.
The Illinois Express played two seasons in Springfield, shutting down after the 1990 season. The WBL itself folded two years later in 1992.
Voices
“Alfredrick [Hughes] couldn’t get a sniff in the NBA because he was 6′ 5″ tall and played with his back to the goal. A lot of people when they took a look at him questioned whether he was really under 6′ 5″. He was probably right there on that edge and we might have given him the benefit of the doubt saying he was really under the height limit.”
-Jimmy Oldham, WBL Director of Public Relations 1991-1992 (2012 FWiL Interview)
Downloads
2012 FWIL interview with former WBL Director of Public Relations Jimmy Oldham
Links
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2 Responses
Do you still have a program of the Illinois Express from 1988-89 season? I was on the Lincoln Land CC bball team that year and we used to scrimmage them often. I would love a copy!
Hi Kevin,
No, I’m sorry, we don’t have that one any longer. It was sold several years back. We now offer a “First Look Service”, where you can reserve a permanent first look option on any memorabilia we may acquire for a particular team in return for a one-time $10 donation to support our work. This would mean you’d get the first opportunity to review and consider purchasing any Illinois Thunder memorabilia we come across before we offered it to anyone else or posted it to our e-Bay store.
Click here for more info: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2023/01/14/buy-and-sell/