The Indy Naptown All Stars, an Indianapolis-based American Basketball Association (ABA) professional basketball team began their first season in late 2014 and have quickly made their mark in the city.
The new ABA team is known to provide a fast-paced game of basketball while pursuing their efforts in supporting the community.
The Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper sat down with the team’s head coach and owner, Kevin Jones, to talk about the team’s community involvement and future plans.
Indianapolis Recorder: The team roster was announced last fall. How has team support been since the start of the season?
Jones: To be honest, it hasn’t been where it needs to be. I look at it as, we may need to do a better job of marketing ourselves. We’re working on connecting with all of the elementary and middle schools to get students to attend games for free because you’ve got to start at the grassroots level. The ABA has tradition here in Indianapolis but there is no national commercial (platform) where the youth can actually see it.
How important was diversity when putting together the roster? There seems to be a good mix of ethnicities.
I thought it was important because I wanted to capture that type of audience. This is not a (solely) Black team. Also I wanted guys, no matter what race they were, to have good character and be good players. We had three tryouts with a large number of guys. We also had a veteran’s camp where we brought in the Top 20 and chose 13 from there.
You touched on marketing previously and you seem to have a long list of team sponsors. What is your plan moving forward?
We use social media and a nicely constructed website. We’re going to partner with (IPS) School 110, Julian Coleman where our players go in and mentor and give back to the community. To secure those sponsors, we got out early and those businesses saw our vision and wanted to help. Going forward, we plan on reaching out to a lot more.
You’ve been named Coach of the Year in the past and have been known to turn around many teams. How does it feel to coach and own an ABA team?
As the head coach I’ve been in situations like this before where you come into something new. It’s a challenge because it’s different from the collegiate level where you already have your budget and a fan base. Here you have to generate all of that. Where we are right now could be better, but I look at the future and I know it’s going to be bright.
How would you describe your coaching style?
I would say the two guys I really looked up to were Bob Knight and Greg Poporvich. As a youngster growing up, I admired Knight because he was a hard, firm guy but he really pushed his guys not only on the court but in the classroom and he only wanted the best for them. If you’re tough on your guys and you really care about them, then they can handle that.
What other ways does the team get involved in the community? I heard there are vendors present at the games and children get to shoot a few hoops before the game begins.
We try to be hands on where we let kids come into our locker room take pictures with our fans and provide interaction. Kids don’t get to do that many times with the Pacers.
Speaking of other sports teams, there has been talk about perhaps moving your season to the summer because you have to compete for an audience with the NBA and NFL. Have you ever thought about this idea?
I am a big advocate and I’ve already talked to the league office about that. I really think we should play the same time as the WNBA because not only is it less things you have to deal with, but you have a larger pool of players to choose from because they’re home for the summer months. You could have (more venues) if you wanted because school is out. I’m really trying to push for that.
Overall, what are your goals for the team?
I want this team to compete for the district playoffs and represent our district in the ABA Championships. I want to be more involved within the community and let people know we are here. Once you get the opportunity to watch us play, you’re going to want to come back. The game is totally different from the NBA and is much more exciting.
For more information on the Indy Naptown All Stars, visit Indynaptownallstars.com.
Team players talk their favorite game elements
Indianapolis Recorder: How would you describe the team chemistry?
Scott Rogers: It’s great and I love playing with these guys. I always look forward to practice and we all just have fun with each other.
How are the rules different?
KyRee Jones: First you have the 7-second backcourt violation. In high school and college it’s 10 seconds, in the NBA it’s 8 seconds but in ABA it’s 7 seconds. The game is much faster and we also have something called the 3D light. Your two point shots become threes and your threes become fours. It brings way more excitement to the game and when that light comes on, the place erupts because everyone wants to see us score. It can be a good thing or a bad thing. Just as quickly as you can lead, you can also be down. Also, the balls aren’t a solid color, they’re red, white and blue.
Rogers: A lot of the older people I talk to always ask if the ball is still red, white and blue.
