The Gary Steelheads were a professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

team. They played in the

International Basketball League The International Basketball League (IBL) was a semi-professional men's basketball league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States. In 2010 the Albany Legends became the first team in the Northeastern United States to join. The I ...

, Continental Basketball Association, and the

United States Basketball League The United States Basketball League (USBL) was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985 and ceased operations in 2008. The USBL started in 1985 as one of the first basketball leagues to play a late-spring to ...

. They were based in

Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the sou ...

, United States, and played their home games at the

Genesis Convention Center The Genesis Convention Center is a 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Gary, Indiana, United States. It was home to the Gary Splash of the Independent Basketball Association from 2010 to 2013. It was also formerly home to the Gary Steelhe ...

. The Steelheads were the 2006 CBA Eastern Conference champions.

History

Gary was awarded a franchise in the CBA in 2000. The league folded so the Steelheads joined the IBL. Former CBA franchise owners purchased the CBA name from the bankruptcy court. The IBL and IBA combined to reform the CBA in 2001. After playing five seasons in the CBA the team announced on July 21, 2006, that they would be sitting out the 2006–07 CBA season. During that time former owner Jewell Harris Sr. was indicted on federal extortion and other charges unrelated to the team. He resigned from the team pending a sale. On October 24, the new ownership, Showtime Sports and Entertainment, LLC (headlined by Jewell Harris Jr.), announced they would be moving to the USBL for 2007. After one season in the USBL, which included multiple teams folding, the Steelheads joined the IBL (unrelated to the former IBL) for the 2008 season. The Steelheads sat out the 2009 season and eventually ceased operations.

Year-by-year

Roster

References

External links

Team page on IBL websiteGary Steelheads fan site
Sports in Gary, Indiana Basketball teams in Indiana Basketball teams established in 2000 Basketball teams in Chicago Continental Basketball Association teams Defunct basketball teams in the United States 2000 establishments in Indiana 2008 disestablishments in Indiana Basketball teams disestablished in 2008 International Basketball League (1999–2001) teams {{Indiana-basketball-team-stub