Virginia Valley Vipers
| Virginia Valley Vipers | |
|---|---|
| League | The Basketball League |
| Founded | 2022 |
| Arena | James R. Wilkins Athletics and Events Center |
| Location | Winchester, Virginia |
| Team colors | |
| General manager | Sanford Silver |
| Head coach | Lester Conner |
| Ownership | Rodney O. E. Culbreath Christine "Tina" Stevens-Culbreath Rze Culbreath |
| Website | Official website |
The Virginia Valley Vipers are an American professional basketball team based in Winchester, Virginia, and a member of The Basketball League (TBL).
History[edit]
On October 28, 2022 Evelyn Magley, CEO of The Basketball League, announced the league would be expanding to Virginia with the Virginia Valley Vipers franchise, which would play in the league's Northeast Conference.[1] The Vipers were founded by team market owners Rodney, Christine and Rze Culbreath. Rze had previously played in the league for the Tri-State Admirals prior to the Vipers’ founding.[2][3]
Andrew Oates was named head coach for the 2023 season, bringing on Willie Lewis as an assistant coach.[4][5][6] The Vipers completed the 2023 season with a record of 5 wins and 19 losses. Following the completion of the 2023 season, the Vipers released the 2023 coaching staff.
On October 24, 2023, the Vipers announced Lester Conner would be joining the organization as the head coach.[6] Conner is a former professional basketball player who played for numerous NBA teams and served as the assistant coach for half a dozen NBA teams.
The team's home games are played at the James R. Wilkins Athletics and Events Center at Shenandoah University.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ "Virginia Vipers Pro Basketball Team enter TBL – Virginia Valley Vipers".
- ^ "His Story: Rze Culbreath Gains Understanding as Pro Point Guard and Team Market Owner with Virginia Valley Vipers". 22 May 2023.
- ^ "Virginia Valley Vipers preparing for first pro basketball season in Winchester". 2 February 2023.
- ^ "Vipers players enjoying TBL experience, improvement". 17 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Area brief: Vipers men's pro basketball team finalizes roster". 5 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Area Briefs: Former NBA player to be Vipers new coach". 24 October 2023.