Kentucky Retros

{{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox basketball club | color1 = white | color2 = blue | color3 = red | logo = KentuckyRetros.PNG | founded = 2007 | folded = 2008 | league = ABA 2007–08 | history = Kentucky Colonels<br>2007<br>Kentucky Retros<br>2007–08 | city = Louisville, Kentucky | colors = Red, white, blue, gold<br />{{color box|red}} {{color box|white}} {{color box|blue}} {{color box|gold}} | owner = Steve Van Waes | coach = Ron Greene }} The '''Kentucky Retros''' was a professional basketball team based in Louisville, Kentucky<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3489474 |title=Retros Move To Louisville, Kentucky, Name Director Of Marketing |publisher=OurSportsCentral.com |date=2007-06-17 |accessdate=2007-06-18}}</ref> that was scheduled to begin play in the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3411602 |title=ABA adds Murray, Kentucky to 2007 expansion lineup |publisher=OurSportsCentral.com |date=2007-01-04 |accessdate=2007-03-16}}</ref>

The team was originally located in Murray, Kentucky and named the Kentucky Colonels after the Louisville-based teams that had played in the ABA previously, but the name was changed in March 2007 in deference to the tradition of those teams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abalive.com/news/releases/?newsid=2007031406004 |title=Kentucky team announces name change |publisher=American Basketball Association |date=2007-03-14 |accessdate=2007-03-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930155448/http://www.abalive.com/news/releases/?newsid=2007031406004 |archivedate=September 30, 2007 }}</ref> The original Kentucky Colonels were a part of the ABA from 1967 to 1976. On July 17, 1976, owner of the Colonels, John Y. Brown Jr., agreed to a deal worth $3,000,000 that saw the end of the team just ahead of the 1976 ABA–NBA merger.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-12-15|title=ABA – NBA Merger – No Colonels {{!}} Sports Team History|url=https://sportsteamhistory.com/timeline/aba-nba-merger-no-colonels|access-date=2021-03-24|website=sportsteamhistory.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

Unlike their predecessors, the Retros did not stay around for a complete season. The team folded during the 2007–08 season.

== 2007–08 season == Before the team was set to play in the 2007-08 ABA season, they played in basketball tournaments all around the United States.

In June 2007, the team was set to participate in the 2007 Hoops Kentucky Pro Am.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-06-18|title=Retros To Compete In 2007 Hoops Kentucky Pro-am|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/retros-to-compete-in-2007-hoops-kentucky-pro-am/n-3489656|access-date=2021-03-24|website=OurSports Central|language=en}}</ref> There is no record available to know how the team fared in the tournament.

== Notable players ==

* Marco Killingsworth - played college basketball 2001–2006; played for Auburn University in his freshman through junior seasons; after the 2004 season, transferred to Indiana University, where he averaged 17.1 points per game.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

== Logo == The Retros' logo was designed by graphic design student DeWayne Esson while he was still a student at Murray State University.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}} The colors were derived from those of the original Kentucky Colonels.

==See also== * Sports in Louisville, Kentucky

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:2007 establishments in Kentucky Category:Defunct American Basketball Association (2000–present) teams Category:Basketball teams established in 2007 Category:Basketball teams in Louisville, Kentucky Category:Defunct sports clubs and teams in Louisville, Kentucky Category:Basketball teams disestablished in 2008 Category:2008 disestablishments in Kentucky Category:Defunct basketball teams in Kentucky