League NBA Development League Affiliation(s) Indiana Pacers Division Central Division Founded 2007 Parent organization Indiana Pacers | General manager Brian Levy Championships 1 (2014) Head coach Steve Gansey Ownership Indiana Pacers | |
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History Fort Wayne Mad Ants
2007–present Team colors Crimson, yellow, black, white Arena/Stadium Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Location Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States Profiles | ||
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The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are a team of the NBA Development League, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is the home venue for the team. The team is the first minor league basketball franchise to play in Fort Wayne since the Fort Wayne Fury of the Continental Basketball Association. The Mad Ants won their first D-League championship in 2014. In September 2015, the Indiana Pacers purchased the Mad Ants, thus becoming the Pacers' one-to-one D-League affiliate.
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Fort wayne mad ants 2015 16 season highlights
History
The franchise held a name-the-team contest on their website where fans could vote on one of the four finalists: Lightning, Fire, Coyotes, and Mad Ants. The winning name of Mad Ants was chosen as a salute to the city's and fort's namesake, General "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
For the 2007–08 season, the Mad Ants were affiliated with the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. The Pistons were founded in Fort Wayne by industrialist and piston manufacturing company owner Fred Zollner as the Zollner Pistons, before moving to Detroit in 1957. The Mad Ants added the Milwaukee Bucks as their third affiliate for the 2008–09 season. The Bucks were previously a parent club for the Tulsa 66ers until Professional Basketball Club, LLC (owner of the Oklahoma City Thunder), purchased the 66ers to be Oklahoma City's exclusive affiliate.
In 2012–13, the Mad Ants, in addition to their affiliations with the Pistons, Pacers, and Bucks, were also affiliated with the Charlotte Bobcats.
In 2013–14, the Mad Ants made it through to the D-League Finals for the first time with a 126–118 victory over the Sioux Falls Skyforce, winning the second round series 2–0. The Mad Ants defeated the Santa Cruz Warriors 2–0 in the Finals series to claim their first D-League title in franchise history. Following that season, the Mad Ants were affiliated with the remaining NBA teams that did not have exclusive affiliates, after the Phoenix Suns and the Orlando Magic associated with the Bakersfield Jam and the Erie BayHawks respectively, and D-League teams were created for both the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks.
In September 2015, Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) purchased the Mad Ants, thus making the team the Pacers' one-to-one D-League affiliate. Brian Levy was named General Manager by PS&E.