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Chicago 'in the Groove' with second MPBA club

By Craig Fata, 10/27/14, 5:00PM CDT

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Team will play in Kroc Center on city's South Side

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2014
Contact:   Craig Fata, Vice President
(844) THE-MPBA / craig.fata@theMPBA.com

ST. LOUIS – The fourth of six charter members of the Midwest Professional Basketball Association (MPBA) and second entry from Chicago will be the Windy City Groove, the league announced today.

                    The Groove join the Bloomington (Illinois) Flex, Chicago Force, and Champaign Swarm as the clubs announced so far.  The league expects to announce two more teams based in St. Louis thisweek.  The inaugural MPBA season will begin in January 2015.

                    As with the Swarm, the Groove will be operated as a joint venture between the MPBA and a group of local investors.

                    Both Chicago clubs will play their home games at the Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center on the city’s South Side.  The Kroc center boasts the 1,000-seat “Bulls Gymnasium,” which features a replica of the United Center floor.

                    “Taking a joint-venture approach with the Groove and the MPBA, and sharing the Kroc Center with the Force is the best of both worlds,” said MPBA Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer C. Edward “Ed” Schumer.  “The Groove will be able to take advantage of league staff to quickly get up to speed, and sharing a venue with the Force will streamline game operations for both clubs,” Schumer said.

                    The general manager for the Groove will be La Chelle Sanders, who also serves as G.M. for the Force under the joint venture agreement. The search for a coach is already nearing completion.

                    The team’s website, GrooveBasketball.com, will go live in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, the team can be found on Facebook at Windy City Groove Professional Basketball.

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The mission of the MPBA is to attract the top minor league basketball players, coaches, owners and staff members from across the United States, and to provide that talent with the opportunity to develop their skills in a professional environment; the MPBA will also provide its fans and supporters with a fun, value-based entertainment experience, as well as incorporate community outreach programs into its members’ operations.