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The Florida Flame was an NBA Development League team based in Fort Myers, Florida.
| Florida Flame | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | NBA Development League |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Folded | 2006 |
| History | North Charleston Lowgators 2001–2003 Charleston Lowgators 2003–2004 Florida Flame 2004–2006 |
| Arena | Germain Arena |
| Location | Fort Myers, Florida |
| Team colors | Apple green, blue, orange |
| Head coach | Jeff Malone |
| Ownership | Flame Ownership Group Scotty Gelt |
| Affiliation(s) | Boston Celtics Miami Heat Minnesota Timberwolves Orlando Magic |
| Championships | none |
The Flame announced they would temporarily shut down operations during 2006–07, due to not having a home arena in which to play. The team maintained its league membership in hopes of finding a venue for the next season. When that didn't happen, the Flame quietly folded all operations in late 2007.
Franchise history
editThe North Charleston Lowgators began play in the National Basketball Development League in 2001–02. Alex English served as the coach for the inaugural season. The team was renamed the Charleston Lowgators in the fall of 2003. The Charleston Lowgators relocated to Fort Myers in fall 2004 and became the Florida Flame. In September 2005, the NBA announced that the Flame would be affiliated with the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Orlando Magic for the upcoming season.
Players of note
editRoster at end of 2005–06 season
edit| Florida Flame Roster | ||||
| Head Coach: Jeff Malone | (Mississippi State) | |||
| Asst. Coach: Terry Thimlar | (Indiana State) | |||
| PF | 4 | 
|
Duane Erwin | (Memphis 2005) |
| C | 5 | 
|
George Leach | (Indiana 2004) |
| SG | 6 | 
|
Bracey Wright | (Indiana 2005) |
| SG/SF | 7 | 
|
Lenny Stokes | (Cincinnati 2003) |
| PF/C | 9 | 
|
Roman Brown | (Florida Gulf Coast 2004) |
| SG/SF | 10 | 
|
Austin Nichols | (Humboldt State 2004) |
| PG | 11 |
|
Andre Barrett | (Seton Hall 2004) |
| PG | 13 | 
|
T. J. Sorrentine | (Vermont 2005) |
| PG/SG | 22 |
|
E. J. Rowland | (St. Mary's 2005) |
| SG | 25 |
|
Jonathan Moore | (North Carolina Central 2005) |
| SG/SF | 33 | 
|
Reed Rawlings | (Samford 2001) |
| C/PF | 34 | 
|
Elton Brown | (Virginia 2004) |
Year-by-year record
edit| Season | Finish | Wins | Losses | Pct. | Postseason Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Charleston Lowgators | |||||
| 2001–02 | 1st | 36 | 20 | .643 | Won Semifinals (Mobile) 2–1 Lost D-League Finals (Greenville) 2–0 |
| 2002–03 | 2nd | 26 | 24 | .520 | Lost Semifinals (Mobile) 2–0 |
| Charleston Lowgators | |||||
| 2003–04 | 2nd | 27 | 19 | .587 | Lost Semifinals (Huntsville) 108–100 |
| Florida Flame | |||||
| 2004–05 | 6th | 17 | 31 | .354 | Missed playoffs |
| 2005–06 | 3rd | 25 | 23 | .521 | Lost Semifinals (Albuquerque) 80–71 |
| Regular season | 131 | 117 | .528 | ||
| Playoffs | 2 | 6 | .250 | ||
NBA affiliates
editFlorida Flame
edit- Boston Celtics (2005–2006)
- Miami Heat (2005–2006)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (2005–2006)
- Orlando Magic (2005–2006)
Charleston Lowgators
edit- None
References
edit"Florida Flame". FunWhileItLasted. 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
"Florida Flame". PROBALLERS BASKETBAL STATS. 2006. Retrieved 13 October 2023.