truebluefan

There no longer is an echo in the Continental Basketball Association following Friday's announcement that its board of directors has approved Apex Sportstainment, L.L.C. for four new franchises.

Last month, the nine-team CBA was set back on its heels briefly when the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Idaho Stampede, Dakota Wizards and expansion Colorado 14ers jumped ship to join the National Basketball Developmental League.

But reinforcements are on the way.

The highly-respected ABA San Jose Skyrockets, 31-6 last season, will play in the 2006-07 CBA season. Other new venues under consideration are Great Lakes, Montana, Reno, Nevada and Spokane, Wash.

"Based on our success in the ABA, we felt it was time for us to move up to the next level of professional basketball -- the CBA," said Joe Clark, managing partner and CEO of Apex Sportstainment. "Our objective is to build franchises in major minor-league cities and to become the premier teams in those cities."

Jewell Harris Jr., chief counsel for the CBA Eastern Conference champion Gary Steelheads, believes the aggressive marketing of Japanese-owned Apex Sportstainment will greatly benefit the 60-year-old league.

"That team ownership group is in discussion with several markets," he said. "They identify the market and bring it to the CBA for approval. Several other markets that the CBA is talking to are former ABA markets that are not happy with the way the ABA is run."

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