By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports
Winning championships is nothing new for the Shreveport Mavericks.
Beginning Saturday, the 2022 version will begin a best-of-three Championship Series in search of the organization’s fifth Pro Basketball National Championship.
The Mavericks returned to Shreveport last season to begin playing in The Basketball League Central Conference. Coach Steve Tucker and his staff put together another successful team that made a typical Tucker-style run to the playoffs before bowing out.
This season the veteran coach, who has won over 700 games, is still running his team the way he always has.
“With the S-MAVERICKS we do things differently! We just have a different Culture and Attitude of how you do things,” wrote Tucker in a social media post. “From Work Ethic to Daily Preparation things with our Process is just done differently than anywhere else. You have to check your ego at the door for sure. You have to do it right – You have to conduct yourself in the right way.”
“You’re held Accountable & Responsible,” continued Tucker. “Other places You get away with things, but not here! It is just the way We do things.”
In nine seasons, the Mavericks have won seven Division Titles and four Pro Basketball National Championships. From 2011 to 2016 they won 103 consecutive games and had 104 straight home wins.
The 2022 Mavericks have put together an overall record of 25-7 after a 19-5 regular season combined with a 6-2 mark in the playoffs. If you add that to the previous years, it gives them a 238-28 overall record, an 89.4 winning percentage over nine seasons.
They are 29-9 in playoff games, 9-3 in championship finals and have won four of the five they have played in.
The 19-5 regular season mark was second in the Central Conference to the reigning TBL Champion Enid Outlaws (20-4). The Central Conference was the only one in the TBL that had four teams with 18 or more wins this season. The Mavericks defeated the Outlaws in the playoffs for the Central Conference championship.
After defeating the So Cal Moguls for the West Region championship, Shreveport faces the East Region champ Albany Patroons in the finals. The Patroons come into the finals with a combined 27-5 mark after a 21-3 regular season.
Shreveport’s playoff opponents sported a combined record of 56-16 as compared to Albany’s 43-27.
Shreveport and Albany play Game 1 in the Championship Series Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. at Centenary’s Gold Dome. The final two games (if a Game 3 is necessary) are scheduled to be played in New York July 6-7.
Photo by LEE HILLER