National Championships 2015

After a long season the Albuquerque Kings once again qualified within the top 16 invitees to the 2015 National Wheelchair Basketball championships in Louisville Kentucky. We came in at #9 in the nation with our first matchup against #8 Austin.

In this game against Austin, the Kings started strong finishing the first half with a lead. However a clerical error at the scorers table forced us into a player lineup we weren't prepared for before the start of the 2nd half. We still played strong but the change in our player rotation was taking its toll. We  found ourselves in a tie game at the end of regulation but ended up losing at the end of overtime time. 

The clerical error wasn't fixed until after our 2nd game against Northern California. At this time we were 0-2 and doing our best with a lineup we hadn't worked with. It was challenging but we did the best we could.

At the start of Game 3, the clerical error was fixed and we were back out 100%;  it was a big difference. We finished off winning the last 2 games of the tournament which landed us a #13 spot in the nation. 


Junior

New Mexico Rollin LobosWe also got to support our New Mexico Junior team who had one of the most amazing and inspirational runs of the whole tournament. While New Mexico hasn't had a competing junior team in over 10 years, our kids practiced hard all year, really learned plays, chair skills and how to push through when things were hard. Dave and Lorraine did a great job as coaches and had them well prepared. The kids really stole the show this year finishing with at #4 in the Nation. Everyone was talking about how great they did and it was great having them come watch us and us watching them to support each other.  

 

 

 

 

 


We had a great trip, we learned a lot about ourselves and a lot about our team. We built great relationships with other teams, other players, and continue to grow New Mexico wheelchair basketball.

 

2014 NWBA Nationals

2014-champ-game

Tournament Overview

The road to the championship was not easy. We fought hard playing in several tournaments throughout the US. In the end it was worth it as we qualified and got invited to the 2014 NWBA national championship tournament. The best teams in from all of the NWBA divisions met up in Louisville Kentucky to compete. The Kings compete in the highest division, called the Championship division and of all the teams in our division only the top 16 are invited into the tournament.

We competed hard and ended up with a 2-2 record during the tournament losing both games 1 and 2 by a single possession. However we bounced back to win games 3 and 4.

Legends

We had a great time and learned a lot this season and during the championship tournament. We even had one of our team members, Kipp Elliot invited to play in the NWBA’s first ever Legends game. The legends game is reserved for players 45 and older who have positively impacted the league.

kipp-legends

Championship Game

Unfortunately we didn’t make it to the championship game. The NY Knicks and Dallas Mavs battled it out in the end. It was really a great game and the two best teams clearly stood out. As to not spoil the results, take a look at the recorded game below!

 

Video Clip from Nationals 2012

Hi Kings fans, here is a short clip of the Albuquerque Kings vs the Los Angeles Clippers. We’ll be bringing a tournament to Albuquerque in October 2012 and can’t wait for everyone to come down and enjoy.

Kings Wheelchair Basketball News

_DSC8799Lots of news coming from the Wheelchair Basketball program!

The Albuquerque Kings finish the season as the #5 team in the nation after heading to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Co. They competed in the NWBA National Championships from March 22-25. 16 teams where chosen from the highest division in the NWBA. The Kings finished the season with 14 wins and 3 losses and with a 3 win 1 loss showing at Nationals. Two Albuquerque Kings made the First and Second All tournament teams this year as well.

The Division III team continues to grow with each practice. Currently we graduated 2 junior Kings up to the Division III level. We hope to help promote D-III during the off season with goals of sending a competitive group out to tournaments.

The Junior Kings continue to grow! More kids than ever have joined the program far exceeding our expectations. Just last week (April 7th) the JR Kings had an Exhibition Game, assisted by Communication Students from the University of New Mexico. The JR Kings played an exhibition game today against some UNM Lobo basketball player volunteers. Final score was a tie 40-40. Good times!!! Thanks for all the volunteer, fan, and players who participated!

Whats next?
– Kings are working on a summer youth camp for wheelchair basketball.
– We begin off season practice, a great time for those interested in playing to come out and learn more about rules, learn wheelchair skills and basics, get a great workout.
– Fundraising, meet-and-greets, community service.
– Duke City Classic Tournament prep and planning – expected tournament date October 2012.
– Much more!

#3 Kings Heading to Nationals

KingsbadgeSmThe #3 ranked Albuquerque Kings will be heading to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Co to compete in the NWBA National Championships from March 22-25. 16 teams where chosen and the brackets have been set. #3 Albuquerque Kings will face the #14 L.A. Clippers in the first round of action. We’ll keep all our fans and supporters up to date via Twitter and Facebook.