The Fort Worth Flyers were a

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

team in the

NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, ...

(D-League) based in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

. They began play in the 2005–06 season and were shut down for the 2007–08 season.

Franchise history

In 2005, Southwest Basketball, LLC led by David Kahn was granted permission by the recently rebranded

(NBA D-League) to operate four new teams. Southwest Basketball then purchased and relocated three existing franchises while launching one expansion team, the Fort Worth Flyers. The team introduced its logo of a blue capital "F", reminiscent of a

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

, over a basketball. The team began play in 2005–06 as an expansion franchise with Sam Vincent as coach. They were the D-League's regular season champions, finishing 28–20, but lost the championship game to the Albuquerque Thunderbirds by a score of 119–108. Vincent left after the season and was succeeded by

Sidney Moncrief Sidney Alvin Moncrief (born September 21, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player. As an NCAA college basketball player from 1975 to 1979, Moncrief played for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, leading them to the 1978 F ...

. The following season, they finished in third place in the Eastern Division with a 29–21 record and lost the Eastern Division semifinal game to the

Sioux Falls Skyforce The Sioux Falls Skyforce are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and are affiliated with the Miami Heat. The team has played its home games in the Sanford Pentagon since the 2013–14 ...

128–105. The team did not return for the 2007–08 season as they were not profitable for Southwest Basketball, LLC. There was talk of the Flyers moving to

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

, and of the D-League placing another team in Fort Worth, citing their proximity to the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...

.Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The D-League returned to the metroplex in 2010 with the

Texas Legends The Texas Legends are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Frisco, Texas, and are affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks. The Legends play their home games at the Comerica Center. The team began as the Colorado 14 ...

, affiliated with the Mavericks.

Season-by-season

Notable players

* Maurice Ager * Deji Akindele * Kelenna Azubuike * J. J. Barea *

Chris Copeland Christopher Stephen Copeland (born March 17, 1984) nicknamed "The X-Factor" is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Colorado, Boulder. Early life Copeland was born in Orange, New ...

* Bobby Jones * Pops Mensah-Bonsu *

Jamario Moon Jamario Raman Moon (born June 13, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for one season at Meridian Community College and began his professional career with teams in the United States Basketbal ...

* Jeremy Richardson * Luke Schenscher *

Ime Udoka Ime Sunday Udoka ( ; born August 9, 1977) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in the United States, he represented ...

* Martell Webster * Louis Williams * Ha Seung-jin

NBA affiliates

* Charlotte Bobcats (2006–2007) *

(2005–2007) *

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

(2005–2006) *

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

(2005–2006) *

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

(2006–2007) *

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

(2005–2006)

References

External links

Fort Worth Flyers HomepageOfficial NBA Development League websiteBoston Globe Article on JJB
{{Defunct D-League Basketball teams established in 2005 Basketball teams disestablished in 2007 Basketball teams in Texas 2005 establishments in Texas 2007 disestablishments in Texas Basketball in Fort Worth, Texas