Lancaster Lightning
Lancaster, PA has a long tradition of basketball teams, as the Lancaster Red Roses date back to the EBA's first season of 1946. Various iterations of the Red Roses folded and were re-established over the years with the most recent being the 1979-80 version. That team would move to Philly to become the Kings for 1980-81 before turning right around and heading back to Lancaster with a rebrand for 1981-82 as the Lancaster Lightning. The Lightning would have quite a run in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1981 - 1985. Compared to other teams in the league, lasting for 4 years in the league was quite a feat! The Lancaster Lightning won the 1982 Championship against the Billings Volcanos with ex-NBA All-Star Cazzie Russell as coach. In 1985, the team would be sold and move to Baltimore where they became the Baltimore Lighting for a season. They would move on again to Rockford (IL) where the team would survive until 2001.
