The Strong Island Sound
were an American Basketball Association team, that played their home games at Suffolk County Community College in Long Island, New York's Suffolk County. The team's head coach was Dytanya Mixon for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.
The team played off on the intersection of basketball and popular culture — in which Strong Island
is used as hip hop slang for Long Island — and the neighboring Long Island Sound.
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STRONG ISLAND SOUND TICKETS
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2005-2006 season
After an inaugural season full of the obstacles typical of a minor league sports season, the Strong Island Sound were eliminated from the ABA Playoffs. Their 10-0 run down the stretch gave them some well earned respect among the growing ABA fan base.
The Sound qualified for the 2006 ABA playoffs as the 13th seed, and defeated the
Birmingham Magicians in the first round on Long Island, and the
Harlem Strong Dogs in Round 2 in
Manhattan. They played in
Rochester as one of the "Elite Eight" competing for the 2006 ABA Championship in the
Great Eight Tournament. The Sound defeated the top-ranked
Indiana Alley Cats, but lost to the
Southern California Legends on
March 25,
2006, who in turn were defeated by the
Rochester Razorsharks in the ABA's 2006 championship game.
2006-2007 season
In their second season of play, the Strong Island Sound improved their regular season record by four wins, finishing 20-13. During this season former Globetrotter and member of the 2005-06 Sound, Chris Sandy died in a car accident in Finland. He had been playing with Kouvot Kouvola and was rumored to return to the Sound shortly before his death. In honor of Sandy, a major contributor to the final four effort of the 05-06 Sound, the team wore black bands around the shoulder of their uniforms for the remainder of the season. The Sound also retired Sandy's uniform number 22 in his honor. In the first round of the ABA playoffs, the Sound defeated the Quebec City Kebs on the road, 108-97. They went on to lose to the Vermont Frostheaves by a score of 103-75.
2007-2008 season
In the offseason prior to the 2007-08 ABA season, the Sound confirmed that Head Coach Dytanya Mixon will be returning this year.
The team began the season by winning five of their first six contests before ceasing operations in December 2007. The final game in the franchises history would be a 92-90 victory over the Halifax Rainmen in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The teams collapse was a quick and without warning as co-owners Darren Cioffi and Michelle Wuestman had their financial backers pull out after the costly trip to Halifax. The teams players and coaches were never paid their final weeks salaries and communication between management and the staff was poor at best during this difficult time. Final season record: 5-1
2005-06 roster
- Lee Church
- Roberto Gittens
- Phil Grant
- Donald Harrison
- Avery Headley
- Jerome Holman
- Fabian Pinnock
- Will Samuels
- Chris Sandy
- Rasheed Sparks
- Gary Williams
- Cory Underwood
- * Head Coach: Joseph Medina
2006-07 roster
- Miguel Millien
- Rahlem Lowry
- Chris Grant
- Karim Smith
- Aaron Williams
- Tom Eddie
- Caheem Brodus
- Gregory Plummer
- Brian Woodward
- Sean Dantzler
- Raphael Edwards
- * Head Coach: Dytanya Mixson
2007-08 roster
- Malcolm Connor
- Sean Dantzler
- Raphael Edwards
- Chris Grant
- Donald Harrison
- Jenar Harrison
- Charles Jones
- Shamel Jones
- Raheim Lowery
- Gordon Malone
- Fred Marshall (Brother of Denver Broncos Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall)
- Shawn Simpson
- John Thomas III
- Chris Wehye
- Brandon Wilson
- * Head Coach: Dytanya Mixson