Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Springfield Fame
open-in-new
<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>The Springfield Fame were founded in 1985. In their inaugural season, they finished with a record of 19-6 and were the first USBL Champions. The league did not add a playoff system until the 1987 season. In their second season, the Fame made national headlines by signing 27-year-old women's basketball legend <a href="/facts/Nancy_Lieberman/g6Wm3X99">Nancy Lieberman</a>. Lieberman thus became the first female basketball player to play regular season minutes in a men's pro league. They would finish second with a 23–10 record and 0.5 game behind the Tampa Bay Flash. The Fame would fold following the 1986 season. </p> <h2 id="season-by-season-records">Season-by-season records</h2> <table><tbody><tr><th>Year</th><th>GP</th><th>W</th><th>L</th><th>Win %</th><th>GB</th><th>Head coach</th></tr><tr><td>1985</td><td>25</td><td>19</td><td>6</td><td>.760</td><td>..</td><td>Gerald Oliver</td></tr><tr><td>1986</td><td>33</td><td>23</td><td>10</td><td>.697</td><td>0.5</td><td><a href="/facts/Henry_Bibby/smXWb1Ay">Henry Bibby</a></td></tr><tr><td>Totals</td><td>58</td><td>42</td><td>16</td><td>.724</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr></tbody></table> <p><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="honours">Honours</h2> <p>USBL Player of the Year </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Season</th><th>Player</th></tr><tr><td>1985</td><td><a href="/facts/Tracy_Jackson/mkAS8oT7">Tracy Jackson</a></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>USBL Coach of the Year </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Season</th><th>Coach</th><th>W</th><th>L</th></tr><tr><td>1985</td><td>Gerald Oliver</td><td>19</td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td>1986</td><td>Henry Bibby</td><td>23</td><td>10</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>All-USBL Teams </p><p><i>First Team</i> </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Season</th><th>Player</th><th>Position</th></tr><tr><td>1985</td><td>Tracy Jackson</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1986</td><td>Billy Goodwin</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <ul><li>Tracy Jackson (1985)</li> <li>Billy Goodwin (1986)</li></ul> <p><i>Second Team</i> </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Season</th><th>Player</th><th>Position</th></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">1985</td><td>Larry Lawrence</td><td></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Michael_Adams_(basketball)/Sp3KCwp1">Michael Adams</a></td><td rowspan="2">Point Guard</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">1986</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Jerome_Henderson_(basketball)/DDQXVIEP">Jerome Henderson</a></td><td>Center/Power Forward</td></tr></tbody></table> <ul><li>Larry Lawrence (1985)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Michael_Adams_(basketball)/Sp3KCwp1">Michael Adams</a> (1985 and 1986)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Jerome_Henderson_(basketball)/DDQXVIEP">Jerome Henderson</a> (1986)</li></ul> <p>USBL All-Rookie Team </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Season</th><th>Player</th><th>Position</th></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">1985</td><td>Andre Goode</td></tr><tr><td>Michael Adams</td></tr><tr><td>1986</td><td><a href="/facts/Dominic_Pressley/xwIjMFcH">Dominic Pressley</a></td></tr></tbody></table> <ul><li>Andre Goode (1985)</li> <li>Michael Adams (1985)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Dominic_Pressley/xwIjMFcH">Dominic Pressley</a> (1986)</li></ul> <p>USBL All-Defensive Team </p> <ul><li>Michael Adams (1985 and 1986)</li> <li>Jerome Henderson (1986)</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"1985-1986 Springfield Fame". 26 June 2015. <a href="https://funwhileitlasted.net/2015/06/26/1985-1986-springfield-fame/" target="_blank">https://funwhileitlasted.net/2015/06/26/1985-1986-springfield-fame/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"History of the United States Basketball League". <a href="http://www.apbr.org/usbl.html" target="_blank">http://www.apbr.org/usbl.html</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>