Continental Basketball Association (1980-1982)
Tombstone
Born: 1980 – CBA expansion franchise
Moved: 1982 (Las Vegas Silvers)
First Game: November 21, 1980 (L 139-126 @ Montana Golden Nuggets)
Final Game: March 13, 1982 (L 123-116 @ Montana Golden Nuggets)
CBA Championships: None
Arena
Canada Games Sportsplex (5,100)
Branding
Team Colors: Orange & Blue
Ownership
Owners: Jack Molcak, Bob Alexander, Fred Burton, Ed Klone, Ken Kotkas, Perry Kotkas, Bernie Norton and Kelly Robinson
Background
The Alberta Dusters were a short-lived minor league basketball operation based out of the Western Canadian city of Lethbridge, Alberta. At the time the Dusters played in the early 1980’s, they were the only pro basketball franchise in Canada.
In the spring of 1980, team founder Jack Molcak looked into the possibility of entering a Lethbridge team in a proposed new Canadian pro basketball circuit. The Canadian league never got off the drawing board, but Molcak connected instead with the Pennsylvania-based Continental Basketball Association. The CBA traced its roots back to 1946 as the Eastern Professional Basketball League. For most of its history, the Eastern League was a weekends-only minor league active in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and a few others neighboring states. But in 1978 the Eastern League re-branded and expanded nationwide, placing teams as far away as Anchorage and Honolulu.
Move To Las Vegas & Demise
The Dusters never made much of a mark in the league. They finished in last place (11-31) in their debut season in the winter of 1980-81. The next year wasn’t much better with a 12-34 mark.
The franchise left town for Las Vegas in 1982 under new ownership and later drifted to Albuquerque, New Mexico before folding for good in 1985.
Downloads
1981 Alberta Dusters fan correspondence on letterhead
Alberta Dusters Fan Correspondence 1981
Links
Continental Basketball Association Media Guides
Continental Basketball Association Programs
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