{{Short description|Dutch basketball club}}{{For|the active amateur basketball club from Almere|Almere Pioneers}}{{Infobox basketball club | name = Almere Sailors | color1 = white | color2 = #e20710 | color3 = black | logo = Almere Sailors logo.png | nickname = | leagues = | conference = | division = | founded = {{Start date and age|2020|7|16|df=y}} | dissolved = {{Start date and age|2021|10|13|df=y}} | history ='''Almere Sailors'''<br />2020–2021 | arena =Topsportcentrum Almere | capacity = 3,000 | location =Almere, Netherlands | colors = <!-- or | colours = --> | current = | sponsor =Flevo Makelaars | media = | chairman = | president =Rinus Balvert | vice-presidents = | manager = | coach = Gregory Tjin-A-Koeng | captain = | ownership = | championships = | conf_champs = | div_champs = | season ={{Basketball updater|AlmereSailors2}} | position ={{Basketball updater|AlmereSailors3}} | website ={{URL|https://almeresailors.nl/}} | 1_body = C5B358 | 1_pattern_b =_basket_in_white | 1_shorts =FFFFFF | 1_pattern_s =_redbottom | 2_body =000000 | 2_pattern_b =_basket_with_white | 2_shorts =000000 | 2_pattern_s =_redbottom }} '''Almere Sailors''' was a Dutch basketball club based in Almere. Established in 2020, the team played one season in the Dutch Basketball League (DBL), the highest level of basketball in the Netherlands. Home games are played in the Topsportcentrum Almere, which has a capacity of 3,000 people. A year later, the team left the league due to financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy a few months later.<ref name=flevoland>{{cite news |title=Basketbalclub Sailors failliet, doorstart onwaarschijnlijk |url=https://www.omroepflevoland.nl/sport/258710/basketbalclub-sailors-failliet-doorstart-onwaarschijnlijk |access-date=29 October 2021 |work=www.omroepflevoland.nl |language=nl}}</ref>
==History== [[File:TopsporthalTSC.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The Topsportcentrum, home arena of the Sailors]] In July 2020, the Almere Pioneers announced their plans to enter the Dutch Basketball League (DBL). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, entry requirements for the league were eased.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.omroepflevoland.nl/sport/183944/almere-pioneers-maakt-kans-op-profbasketbal|title=Almere Pioneers maakt kans op profbasketbal|language=nl|website=Omroepflevoland.nl|accessdate=28 August 2020}}</ref> Since its disappearance in the 2006–07 season, Almere had not played at the highest level. To separate its activities from the amateur club Pioneers, a new organisation was established. On 3 August, the name Almere Sailors was announced for the professional team.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://almeredezeweek.nl/article/details/profbasketbalclub-gaat-almere-sailors-heten|title=Profbasketbalclub gaat Almere Sailors heten|date=3 August 2020|accessdate=28 August 2020|website=Almeredezeweek.nl|archive-date=9 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201209224710/https://almeredezeweek.nl/article/details/profbasketbalclub-gaat-almere-sailors-heten|url-status=dead}}</ref> The name was chosen as the city of Almere was created after reclaiming land from the sea.
On 13 August, the Sailors announced Eric Kropf as their first head coach.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.omroepflevoland.nl/sport/188841/eric-kropf-hoofdcoach-almere-sailors|title=Eric Kropf hoofdcoach Almere Sailors|language=nl|date=13 August 2020|accessdate=28 August 2020|website=Omroepflevoland.nl}}</ref> On 27 August, the DBL announced the Sailors obtained a license for the 2020–21 season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dutchbasketballleague.nl/nieuws/hague-royals-en-almere-sailors-gaan-de-dbl/|title=The Hague Royals en Almere Sailors gaan de DBL in|date=27 August 2020|publisher=Dutch Basketball League|accessdate=28 August 2020|language=nl}}</ref> On 16 September, the Sailors signed their first player in Papito Hersisia.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dutchbasketballleague.nl/nieuws/almere-sailors-verwelkomt-papito-hersisia/|title=Almere Sailors verwelkomt Papito Hersisia|date=16 September 2020|accessdate=16 September 2020|language=nl|publisher=Dutchbasketballleague.nl}}</ref> The Sailors played their first ever DBL game on 3 October, losing 124–64 to power house Donar.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dvhn.nl/sport/Almere-Sailors-dient-bij-debuut-in-eredivisie-als-kanonnenvoer-voor-basketballers-Donar-26075490.html|title=Almere Sailors dient bij debuut in eredivisie als kanonnenvoer voor basketballers Donar|work=Dagblad van het Noorden|date=3 October 2020|accessdate=10 October 2020|language=nl}}</ref> The season was suspended and later resumed behind closed doors because of the ongoing pandemic. On 21 January 2021, the Sailors won their first ever DBL game against Apollo Amsterdam, 74–64 after overtime.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.omroepflevoland.nl/sport/213978/eerste-winst-voor-sailors-in-de-dutch-basketball-league|title=Eerste winst voor Sailors in de Dutch Basketball League|date=21 January 2021|work=Omroep Flevoland|language=nl|accessdate=25 January 2021}}</ref> Kropf was fired on 10 March 2021, assistant Gregory Tjin-A-Koeng was promoted to interim head coach.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.omroepflevoland.nl/sport/222941/basketbalclub-almere-sailors-ontslaat-coach-eric-kropf | title=Basketbalclub Almere Sailors ontslaat coach Eric Kropf }}</ref>
In the 2021–22 season, the Sailors applied to play in the BNXT League, in which the national leagues of Belgium and the Netherlands have been merged.<ref>{{cite web |title=Licenties BNXT League 2021-2022 toegekend |url=https://www.dutchbasketballleague.nl/nieuws/licenties-bnxt-league-2021-2022-toegekend/ |website=Basketball League |access-date=10 July 2021 |language=nl}}</ref> Tjin-a-Koeng remained as head coach.<ref>{{cite news |title=Almere Sailors verder met Tjin-a-Koeng |url=https://www.dutchbasketballleague.nl/nieuws/almere-sailors-verder-met-tjin-koeng/ |access-date=14 July 2021 |work=Basketball League |language=nl}}</ref> On 12 August 2021, the club however announced it decided not to join the new season due to the lack of necessary financial means.<ref>{{cite news |title=Almere Sailors geeft licentie BNXT-league terug |url=https://www.dutchbasketballleague.nl/nieuws/almere-sailors-geeft-licentie-bnxt-league-terug/ |access-date=13 August 2021 |work=Basketball League |language=nl}}</ref>
A few months later, on 13 October 2021,<ref>{{cite web |title=Faillissement Stichting Top Basketball Almere Sailors te Almere (F.16/21/233) - FaillissementsDossier.nl |url=https://www.faillissementsdossier.nl/nl/faillissement/1651267/stichting-top-basketball-almere-sailors.aspx |website=www.faillissementsdossier.nl |access-date=29 October 2021}}</ref> the Almere Sailors organisation was declared bankrupt.<ref name=flevoland />
==Players== ===Last roster=== The following was the Sailors roster that played in the 2020–21 Dutch Basketball League: {{Basketball roster header|team= Almere Sailors|wt=n}} <!-- list of players --> {{player3 | num = 4 | nat = NED | first = Brian | last = van de Weijenberg | pos = PG | m = 1.83 | year = 1996 | month = 12 | date = 24 }} {{player3 | num = 5 | nat = NED | first = Dolf | last = Veltman | pos = G | m = 1.87 | year = 2000 | month = 12 | date = 12 }} {{player3 | num = 6 | nat = USA | first = Dante | last = Lombardi | pos = SG | m = 1.83 | year = 1996 | month = 02 | date = 27 }} {{player3 | num = 7 | nat = NED | first = Edwin | last = Richmond | pos = SG | m = 1.84 | year = 1996 | month = 08 | date = 19 }} {{player3 | num = 8 | nat = NED | first = Mike | last = Osepa | pos = G | m = 1.91 | year = 1991 | month = 03 | date = 07 | note = C }} {{player3 | num = 9 | nat = NED | first = Job | last = Kayhan | pos = F | m = 2.02 | year = 2000 | month = 12 | date = 23 }} {{player3 | num = 12| nat = NED | first = Marnexson| last = Knepa | pos = F | m = 1.98 | year = 1996 | month = 03 | date = 19 }} {{player3 | num = 13| nat = NED | first = Papito | last = Hersisia | pos = C | m = 2.00 | year = 1990 | month = 10 | date = 12 }} {{player3 | num = 14| nat = NED | first = Livadjo | last = Olijfveld | pos = F | m = 1.97 | year = 2000 | month = 02 | date = 28 }} {{player3 | num = 15 | nat = USA | first = Eamonn | last = Joyce | dab= basketball | pos = C | m = 2.08 | year =1995 | month = 05 | date = 17 }} {{player3 | num = 16| nat = NED | first = Esebio | last = Sage | pos = G | m = 1.84 | year = 1996 | month = 06 | date = 13 }} {{player3 | num = 18| nat = NED | first = Ruben | last = Pot | pos = F | m = 2.00 | year = 2001 | month = 09 | date = 06 }} <!-- end list of players --> {{Basketball roster footer | head_coach = *{{flagicon|NED}} Gregory Tjin-A-Koeng | asst_coach = *{{flagicon|NED}} Timothy Donk | roster_url = https://www.dutchbasketballleague.nl/dbl/?&WHurl=%2Fcompetition%2F28678%2Fteam%2F134025%2Froster | accessdate = 11 December 2020 }} {{Basketball roster nationality note}}
===Top scorers by season=== The following players were the leading scorers for the Sailors in each DBL season:<ref>{{cite web |title=Almere Sailors Stats - RealGM |url=https://basketball.realgm.com/international/league/25/Netherlands-DBL/team/2427/Almere-Sailors/stats/2021/Averages/All/All/points/All/desc/1/Regular_Season |website=basketball.realgm.com |access-date=10 June 2021}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- ! style="{{basketball color cell|Almere Sailors}}"|Season ! style="{{basketball color cell|Almere Sailors}}"|Name ! style="{{basketball color cell|Almere Sailors}}"|PPG |- |2020–21||{{flagicon|USA}} Dante Lombardi |style="text-align:center;"|16.2 |- |}
==Season by season== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%" summary="Season (sortable), Team, Conference, Conference finish (sortable), Division, Division finish (sortable), Wins (sortable), Losses (sortable), Win% (sortable), GB (sortable), Playoffs, Awards and Head coach" |- !scope="col" rowspan=2 | Season !scope="col" rowspan=2 | Tier !scope="col" rowspan=2 | League !scope="col" colspan=5 | Regular season !scope="col" rowspan=2|Playoffs !scope="col" rowspan=2|NBB Cup !scope="col" rowspan=2|Head coach |- !scope="col"| Finish !scope="col"| Played !scope="col"| Wins !scope="col"| Losses !scope="col"| Win% |- class="sortbottom" | colspan="13" class="unsortable" align="center" style="border:2px solid black; background-color:#e20710;" | <span style="color:white;">'''Almere Sailors'''</span> |- |2020–21 |1 |'''DBL''' | 12th | 21 | 3 | 18 | 0.143 | DNQ | First Round | Eric Kropf <br /> Gregory Tjin-A-Koeng |}
== Sponsorship == {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! style="background:#e20710; color:white; border:2px solid #000000;"|Period ! style="background:#e20710; color:white; border:2px solid #000000;"|Kit manufacturer ! style="background:#e20710; color:white; border:2px solid #000000;"|Shirt sponsor ! style="background:#e20710; color:white; border:2px solid #000000;"|Ref. |- | 2020– | Erreà | Flevo Makelaars | |}
== Head coaches == {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! style="background:#e20710; color:white; border:2px solid #000000;"|Name ! style="background:#e20710; color:white; border:2px solid #000000;"|Nationality ! style="background:#e20710; color:white; border:2px solid #000000;"|Tenure |- | {{sortname|Eric|Kropf}} || {{flagu|Netherlands}} || 13 August 2020 – 10 March 2021 |- | {{sortname|Gregory|Tjin-A-Koeng}} || {{flagu|Netherlands}} || 10 March 2021 – 31 May 2021 |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://almeresailors.nl/ Official website] (in Dutch)
{{Dutch Basketball League}}
Category:Defunct basketball teams in the Netherlands Category:Basketball teams established in 2020 Category:Sports clubs and teams in Almere Category:Dutch Basketball League teams Category:Basketball teams disestablished in 2021