{{short description|Basketball team}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox basketball club | name = Richmond Rhythm | color1 = #ffffff | color2 = #db2b2b | color3 = #ffd930 | logo = Richmond Rhythm logo.jpg | nickname = | league = IBL | conference = | division = | founded = 1999 | folded = 2001 | history = | stadium = Siegel Center | capacity =7,637 | location = Richmond, Virginia | colors = red, yellow, white<br />{{colorbox|#db2b2b}} {{colorbox|#ffd930}} {{colorbox|#ffffff}} | current = | sponsor = | media = | president = | vice-presidents = | manager = | coach = | captain = | ownership = | championships = | conf_champs = | div_champs = | website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20000125161330/http://www.iblhoops.com:80/teams/rhythm www.iblhoops.com/teams/rhythm {{small|(archived on January 25, 2000)}}] }} The '''Richmond Rhythm''' were a professional basketball team based in Richmond, Virginia from 1999 to 2001. The team played in the International Basketball League. They played their home games at Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.
==History== Former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Ralph Sampson served as Richmond's general manager and vice president.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Molinaro|first1=Bob|title=Sampson is literally a very big fish in a small pond|work=The Virginian Pilot|publisher=The Virginian Pilot-Ledger Star|date=May 21, 1999|location=Norfolk, Virginia|page=C1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Powell|first1=Tom|title=International Basketball Season Finishes Strong; Expansion Seen|work=Amusement Business|issue=22|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc|date=May 29, 2000|volume=112|page=9}}</ref> Originally the team was going to join the United States Basketball League (USBL), but eventually joined the fledgling International Basketball League (IBL) in 1999.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sampson speaks today in Roanoke|work=The Roanoke Times|date=June 13, 1999|location=Roanoke, Virginia|page=C5}}</ref> On June 15, 1999, the Rhythm announced Allan Bristow had been hired as head coach.<ref>{{cite news|last1=DeLong|first1=John|title=Hornets deny Mason to Wizards trade|work=Winston-Salem Journal|publisher=Piedmont Publishing Company, Inc|date=June 15, 1999|location=Winston-Salem, North Carolina|page=C6}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Bristow gets Richmond Rhythm job|work=The Roanoke Times|date=June 16, 1999|location=Roanoke, Virginia|page=B7}}</ref> In July 1999, Chico Averbuck was hired as an assistant coach.<ref>{{cite news|title=Transactions|work=The New York Times|date=July 8, 1999}}</ref>
During the IBL's inaugural draft in July 1999, Richmond selected Eddie Lucas from Virginia Tech, who had also been selected in the second round of the National Basketball Association draft by the Utah Jazz.<ref>{{cite news|title=West wins 9th straight all-start tilts|work=The Roanoke Times|date=July 13, 1999|location=Roanoke, Virginia|page=B7}}</ref> They selected another Virginia Tech player—Ace Custis—in the draft.<ref>{{cite news|title=VMI, Ferrum to meet on court for the time|work=The Roanoke Times|date=July 16, 1999|location=Roanoke, Virginia|page=C4}}</ref> James Blackwell of Dartmouth College was Richmond's third pick in the 1999 draft.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Maese|first1=Rick A.|title=Slam pick 5, now search out shooters|work=The Albuquerque Tribune|date=July 20, 1999|location=Albuquerque, New Mexico|page=B3}}</ref> Former NBA player Michael Adams was hired as an assistant coach in September 1999.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cofman|first1=Mark|title=NBA needs Bird in the nest|work=The Boston Herald|date=September 5, 1999|location=Boston, Massachusetts|page=B10}}</ref> After losing their first four games of the season, Bristow resigned as the head coach of Richmond and general manager Ralph Sampson took his place in December 1999.<ref>{{cite news|title=Saturday's sports transactions|work=United Press International|date=December 4, 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Bristow out, Sampson coach at Richmond|work=United Press International|date=December 4, 1999}}</ref> Richmond made it to the inaugural IBL championship against the St. Louis Swarm in May 2000. The Rhythm were defeated three games to none in a best-of-five series.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dolgan|first1=Bob|title=Swarm win IBL championship with win in Richmond|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=May 23, 2000|location=St. Louis, Missouri|page=C1}}</ref>
==See also== *Virginia Squires *Roanoke Dazzle
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:International Basketball League (1999–2001) teams Category:Basketball in Richmond, Virginia Category:Basketball teams in Virginia Category:Defunct sports clubs and teams in Virginia Category:1999 establishments in Virginia Category:2001 disestablishments in Virginia Category:Basketball teams established in 1999 Category:Basketball teams disestablished in 2001