{{short description|Basketball team}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox basketball club | name = Rapid City Thrillers | color1 = #FFFFFF | color2 = #3333FF | color3 = #ed1515 | logo = RCThrillers2.png | founded = 1984 | folded = 1999 | leagues = CBA 1984–1997<br />IBA 1998–1999 | history = '''Tampa Bay Thrillers'''<br />1984–1987 <br /> '''Rapid City Thrillers'''<br />1987–1995 <br /> '''Florida Beach Dogs'''<br />1995–1997<br /> '''Rapid City Thrillers'''<br />1998–1999 <br /> '''Black Hills Gold''' <br /> 1999–2000 | arena = Rushmore Plaza Civic Center | location = Rapid City, South Dakota | colors = red, white, blue<br />{{colorbox|#ed1515}} {{colorbox|#FFFFFF}} {{colorbox|#3333FF}} | owner = Pat Hall | coach = Bill Musselman 1985–1987<br />Tom Nissalke 1988<br />Flip Saunders 1989<br />Eric Musselman 1990<br />Keith Fowler 1991<br />Jim Calvin 1991<br />Eric Musselman 1992–1997 | championships = '''3''' (1985, 1986, 1987) | h_pattern_b = _thinredsides| h_body =ffffff| h_pattern_s =_redsides| h_shorts =ffffff | a_pattern_b = _thinbluesides| a_body =FF0000| a_pattern_s =_bluesides| a_shorts =FF0000 |division_champs='''9''' (1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997)}}
The '''Rapid City Thrillers''' were a semi-professional basketball team in Rapid City, South Dakota, that competed in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) beginning in the 1987 season.<ref name= "return">{{cite news |last=Aust |first=Scott |url= https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/top-stories/pro-basketball-could-return-to-the-city/article_30f58b24-bd10-576c-bd73-2745b45a0347.html |title=Pro basketball could return to the city |work=Rapid City Journal |date=April 23, 2008 |access-date=August 27, 2021}}</ref> They were reincarnated in 1998 as an International Basketball Association franchise. One of the many notable players of the team was Keith Smart, who played for the Indiana Hoosiers when they won the NCAA tournament in 1987.<ref name= "Smart">{{cite news |last=Bordelon |first=Scottie |url= https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/may/12/musselman-hires-keith-smart-coaching-staff/ |title=Musselman hires Keith Smart to coaching staff |work=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |date=May 12, 2021 |access-date=August 27, 2021}}</ref>
The Thrillers had some very notable head coaches in its time. First, Bill Musselman coached the team to three consecutive CBA titles during the 1980s.<ref name="Rosen">{{cite book |last=Rosen |first=Charley |title=Sugar: Micheal Ray Richardson, Eighties Excess, and the NBA |publisher=University of Nebraska Press pg.98 |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-4962-0216-1}}</ref> Musselman then moved to the NBA as coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Later, Flip Saunders coached the Thrillers for a season and later became head coach of the NBA's Washington Wizards. Keith Fowler coached the team during one of their only losing seasons. Eric Musselman (son of Bill Musselman) coached the team successfully for seven years but was never able to bring the championship back to the franchise, although the team was runner-up three separate times during its existence.<ref name= "Madness">{{cite news |last=George |first=Dave |url= https://www.palmbeachpost.com/2018/03/20/the-wildest-man-in-march-madness-may-be-eric-musselman-who-once-coached-a-cba-team-in-west-palm-beach/ |title=The wildest man in March Madness may be Eric Musselman, who once coached a CBA team in West Palm Beach |work=The Palm Beach Post |date=March 20, 2018 |access-date=August 27, 2021}}</ref>
This team traced its history back to the Tampa Bay Thrillers of the Continental Basketball Association. They won consecutive CBA titles in their first two seasons. However, the team never drew well, and abruptly changed cities in 1987. The Thrillers moved to Rapid City at the conclusion of the regular season, but didn't stop the team's momentum, as they won their third consecutive title.
After eight and a half seasons, the team moved to West Palm Beach where they became the Florida Beach Dogs. The Beach Dogs lasted only two seasons folding after losing the championship series to the Oklahoma City Cavalry.
After the Thrillers left Rapid City, professional basketball continued in the form of the Black Hills Posse of the International Basketball Association. In 1998 the Black Hills Posse were sold to John Tuschman (former owner of the original Thrillers). Tuschman tried to spark the old spirit the Thrillers had from the late 1980s and early 1990s, by renaming the Posse to the Thrillers and bringing back the original "flaming basketball" logo. Tuschman was unsuccessful and the new Thrillers folded after the end of the 1998–99 season. The IBA continued for one more season in Rapid City, as the Black Hills Gold played in the 1999–2000 season for one year, before moving to Mitchell, South Dakota and becoming the South Dakota Gold. Rapid City has been without professional basketball since.
==Season-by-season== {| class="wikitable" !Year !League !GP !W !L !Pct. !Finish !Playoffs |- |1984/85 |CBA |48 |35 |13 |.729 |2nd, Eastern |bgcolor="FFEBAD"|'''Won''' Eastern Division Semi Finals 3–0 Vs Lancaster Lightning, '''Won''' Eastern Division Finals 3–2 Vs Albany Patroons, '''Won CBA Championship''' 4–3 Vs Detroit Spirits |- |1985/86 |CBA |48 |34 |14 |.708 | bgcolor="B3B7FF" |'''1st''', Eastern |bgcolor="FFEBAD"|'''Won''' Eastern Division Semi Finals 4–3 Vs Albany Patroons, '''Won''' Eastern Division Finals 4–1 Vs Bay State Bombardiers, '''Won CBA Championship''' 4–1 Vs La Crosse Catbirds |- |1986/87 |CBA |48 |34 |14 |.708 | bgcolor="B3B7FF" |'''1st''', Eastern |bgcolor="FFEBAD"|'''Won''' Eastern Division Semi Finals 4–1 Vs Pensacola Tornados, '''Won''' Eastern Division Finals 4–0 Vs Albany Patroons, '''Won CBA Championship''' 4–1 Vs Rockford Lightning |- |1987/88 |CBA |54 |16 |38 |.296 |6th, Western |''did not qualify'' |- |1988/89 |CBA |54 |38 |16 |.704 | bgcolor="B3B7FF" |'''1st''', Western |'''Won''' Western Division Semi Finals 4–1 Vs Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets, Lost Western Division Finals 4–2 Vs Rockford Lightning |- |1989/90 |CBA |56 |42 |14 |.750 | bgcolor="B3B7FF" |'''1st''', National Midwest |'''Won''' National Conference Semi Finals 3–2 Vs San Jose Jammers, '''Won''' National Conference Finals 4–2 Vs Santa Barbara Islanders, Lost CBA Championship 4–1 Vs La Crosse Catbirds |- |1990/91 |CBA |56 |27 |29 |.482 |2nd, American Midwest |Lost American Conference First Round 3–2 Vs Omaha Racers |- |1991/92 |CBA |56 |37 |19 |.661 | bgcolor="B3B7FF" |'''1st''', National Northern |'''Won''' National Conference Second Round 3–1 Vs Wichita Falls Texans, '''Won''' Western Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Omaha Racers, Lost CBA Championship 4–3 Vs La Crosse Catbirds |- |1992/93 |CBA |56 |44 |12 |.786 | bgcolor="B3B7FF" |'''1st''', National Midwest |'''Won''' National Conference First Round 3–0 Vs Tri-City Chinook, Lost National Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Omaha Racers |- |1993/94 |CBA |56 |37 |19 |.661 | bgcolor="B3B7FF" |'''1st''', National Midwest |'''Won''' National Conference First Round 3–2 Vs Wichita Falls Texans, Lost National Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Omaha Racers |- |1994/95 |CBA |56 |31 |25 |.554 |4th, National West |Lost National Conference First Round 2–0 Vs Tri-City Chinook |- |1995/96 |CBA |56 |41 |15 |.732 | bgcolor="B3B7FF" |'''1st''', National Southern |'''Won''' National Conference First Round 3–0 Vs Omaha Racers, Lost National Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Sioux Falls Skyforce |- |1996/97 |CBA |56 |38 |18 |.679 | bgcolor="B3B7FF" |'''1st''', American |'''Won''' American Conference First Round 3–0 Vs Rockford Lightning, '''Won''' American Conference Finals 3–2 Vs Grand Rapids Hoops, Lost CBA Championship 4–2 Vs Oklahoma City Cavalry |- |1998/99 |IBA |34 |16 |18 |.471 |3rd, West |Lost West Division Finals 2–1 Vs Magic City Snowbears |- |Totals |CBA |700 |454 |246 |.649 |– |3 CBA Championships |- |Totals |IBA |34 |16 |18 |.471 |– |1–2 Playoff Record |- |Totals |Franchise |734 |470 |264 |.640 |– | |- |}
==Notable players== {{div col|colwidth=18em}} *Keith Smart *Brian Martin *Sidney Lowe *Ed Nealy *Freeman Williams *Richard Coffey *Shelton Jones *Stanley Brundy *"Jumpin'" Joe Ward *Larry Robinson *Fennis Dembo *Don Collins *Ledell Eackles *Craig Neal *Tony Dawson *Conner Henry *Mark Macon *Lorenzo Charles *Pearl Washington *Chris Jent *Manute Bol *Nate Johnston *Leon Wood *Alvin Robertson *Constantin Popa *Chris Whitney *George McCloud *Charles Smith *Corey Crowder {{div col end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19870305&id=rNIMAAAAIBAJ&sjid=i2ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=3881,6025438 Article Concerning the Thrillers move from Tampa Bay, FL to Rapid City, SD] *[http://www.cbamuseum.com/teams/tbthril.html Complete History of the Tampa Bay Thrillers]
Category:Continental Basketball Association teams Category:Defunct basketball teams in the United States Category:Basketball teams in South Dakota Category:Sports in Rapid City, South Dakota Category:1984 establishments in Florida