FROM THE BEGINNING....

(The Peter Lawal Block against CBA Albany Pats)

FROM THE CONCRETE TO THE HARDWOOD
BASED ON A TRUE STORY –
"FROM THE BEGINNING..."

When the NYC Internationalz originally bought into the league in September 2007, the market reservation was to initiate the start of a 2009 season for NYC; the CEO- Joe Newman advised that, a 2008 start would optimally be great for the league because the Vermont Frost Heaves, Jersey Express, Westchester Phantoms, Manchester Millrats, Quebec Kebs, Halifax Rainmen, Montreal, Buffalo, Boston, Delaware and Corning Bulldogs, were the teams already operating on the east coast; emails, announcements on conference calls and press releases were going out continually about teams being added in NJ- Atlantic City, PA- Philadelphia, Connecticut and Buffalo, with more teams being taken into consideration for the 2008 ABA season. Currently, none of these teams with the exception of the Jersey Express are teams in participation or existence within the league.

After the initial home venue reneged on our 15 home game dates and added subsidiary costs to contract implied as part of service; we made the league aware of the situation and we were told to persist and get other venues and dates. The result was 3 and 1/2 weeks after on December 3rd; we finalized 15 games at 5 different venues with the required insurance per the venues. Even after that, the league never officially gave the NYC Internationalz a schedule, we looked at other teams' schedules, who advised us that, there schedules were either void or inaccurate to date and they were arranging game schedules ad-hoc. After all of the hard work and compromise, the communication between the Internationalz staff with the league and Earl Childress (St. Louis Stunners Team Owner-arranging schedules for ABA on East Coast) during the season, with assistance from Pierre Hall (Cleveland Rockers Team Owner- arranging schedules for the ABA on East Coast) has neither annotated any positive progression to display that the NYC Internationalz would even have a working schedule ongoing and this was mid-way through the season now to a close.

The NYC Internationalz had confirmed 15 home games and had to cancel 11 dates:

December 27th - Mt. Saint Michaels - Cancelled - No Schedule or Teams To Play
January 4th - Monsignor McClancy - Cancelled - No Schedule or Teams To Play
January 10th - Mt. Saint Michaels - Cancelled - No Schedule or Teams To Play
January 11th - Monsignor McClancy - Cancelled - Played as Away Game (NJ)
January 17th - Elmcore - played Jersey Express – Ad-hoc Schedule
January 18th - Elmcore - played Jersey Express - Ad-hoc Schedule
January 24th - Mount Saint Michaels - Cancelled - Played as Away Game (NJ)
January 25th - Pratt Institute- Cancelled - Played as Away Game (NJ)

Baruch College:
January 31- Cancelled - Suppose to be Played as Away Game with NJ
February 1 - Cancelled
February 7 - Cancelled
February 14 – (CBA- Cancelled) - New Hope TrailBlazers-VA- coach Emory Addisson
February 15 – (CBA- Cancelled) - New Hope TrailBlazers-VA- coach Emory Addisson
March 1 - ? (Cancelled)
March 8 - ? (Cancelled)

THE LOCKOUT- WHAT REALLY WENT DOWN IN NYC WITH THE ABA SEASON ?

(Photograph and Graphics by Maggie Coughlan)

FROM THE CONCRETE TO THE HARDWOOD

BASED ON A TRUE STORY –

"THE LOCKOUT"

After former Director of Basketball Operations, Player Personnel, and Head Coach Michael Logan would become privileged to inside information, he would then have the opportunity to speak with Jersey Express Team Owner- Marsha Blount (NJ) on January 11th 2009- (the NYC Internationalz first official ABA Away Game) at Drew University. Michael Logan would tell Sharhan after the lost game that, Marsha just asked me- "Why am I doing this? Do I want my own team or what?” This would be the turning point, when Marsha Blount and Michael Logan would foster a relationship with each other and the league CEO to lockout and sabotage the NYC Internationalz.

Michael Logan would manipulate players (principally brought to play by Quintin Gittens- his friends), conceal player information (Names, addresses, date of births, validation of identification, and player contracts) over budget player salaries, even materializing what was now recognized as two phony sponsors; Luma Diamond Consultants- his Fraternity brother and a Mary Kay Representative- his wife. He stated that, these sponsors would provide the NYC Internationalz with monies for advertising their businesses on the http://www.nyciz.com/ website, but after 3 months no monies where ever received for these services; Also, Michael Logan still has in his possession over $7,000 worth of uniforms and equipment from this grassroots NYC team.

Additionally, Michael Logan would continually share information between the League CEO- Joe Newman, Marsha Blount (Jersey Express Team Owner), and several head coaches through a self created ‘Coaches Forum’ to gain a footing for opening the lines of communication between himself and team owners which compromised the business of the NYC Internationalz unknowingly. Michael Logan’s act of social engineering was induced by befriending the two team owners; his influence amongst the league has allowed him to attain his own team franchise- NYC Thunder. An unofficially announced ‘travel team’ by CEO Joe Newman (where Newman and Michael Logan have spoken about him having a team for the 2009 ABA season expansion) that, is owned and operated in the same market as the NYC Internationalz in the ABA by Michael Logan; With one-third of the season having already been completed….Michael Logan was able to qualify for the playoffs after playing 1 game in NJ against the Jersey Express (Team Owner Marsha Blount), which was cancelled 3 days before the February 28, 2009, original ad-hoc schedule agreed to 1 month prior between both team owners.

In the middle of all the madness and mass e-mails, Joe Newman- ABA CEO, would ask the NYC Internationalz, if they wanted to participate in the playoffs, and would try to do so by encouraging the Internationalz involvement by waiving a newly created (in the middle of the season) ad-hoc “70% rule” (per Joe Newman- “Eligibility for ABA Playoffs. We have begun to determine the method of qualifying for the ABA Playoffs. As you know, we will have a mini-tournament in four divisions to find the four teams to go to Nashville to compete with the 4 teams that will receive a bye. Right now, the plan is to take the average number of games played by the top 3 teams in the division - and take 70% of those - to become eligible to play. Example. If the average number of games for the top 3 teams is 26, it will take 18 games to qualify for the mini-tournament.” After the “70% rule” was waived Newman stated to the NYC Internationalz- “Your team will qualify for the playoffs. You have been doing an excellent job and we understand the situation there.”)

And then, an extra impromptu rule, lastly mentioned via communication with NYCIZ and the ABA CEO was where, Newman stated- “Another rule is that all players must have played in three (3) ABA games.” This would be the straw that broke the camel’s back, as NYCIZ would have no qualifying roster to play a part in the ABA playoffs per Newman’s rule; Newman was asking a question he already knew the answer to, as he had already given authorization and consent of the transferred former team roster from the NYC Internationalz to create Michael Logan’s new ‘travel team’- the NYC Thunder; who made a public announcement to national and international public media (http://www.usbasket.com/ and http://www.eurobasket.com/) entitled

“Change of name for the Internationalz",

(http://www.usbasket.com/ABA/basketball.asp?NewsID=153786)

Stating that, “because of reasons not under the player control, the NYC Internationalz underwent a ownershing change. The original owner left the team, and the players decided to go another way. The ABA league took the change with open arms, keeping the team in the league, so the same team (with the same roster) will play the New Jersey Express tomorrow night as the New York Thunder.” This e-mail was sent from Quintin ‘Tim’ Gittens and Michael Logan, before the February 28, 2009 game that Jersey Express cancelled 3 days before the game. This would leave the original NYC team owners with no qualifying roster or games to play, even with new 'original players' and coaching staff.

One of the thousands of messages from supportive fans everywhere was…. How does a ‘travel team’ participate in any playoff when they are only there to fill season games? And, why would the ABA and team owners try to Lock Out NYCIZ?

COACH CALLS- "I QUIT!"

(photo by Daily News)

FROM THE CONCRETE TO THE HARDWOOD
BASED ON A TRUE STORY –
“COACH QUITS”

FIRST OFF, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF OUR PERSONAL FANZ IN EUROPE AND THROUGHOUT THE U.S., BUT ESPECIALLY TO ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT FROM NEW YORK CITY!

FOR EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO KNOW THE TRUE STORY BEHIND WHY NYC IZ NO LONGER PLAYING ABA GAMES…

LATEST UPDATES:

NYCIZ would win the last game of their so-called official season with the ABA on February 15, 2009 against the New Hope Trailblazers unknowingly, defeating their opponent from Virginia by 23pts, with a score of 96-73… and then the drama would start to build... (more cancelled games)

Directly after the former coach quit, the NYC Internationalz disabled his corporate e-mail account, this infuriated Michael Logan even further; So much that, both him and Quintin Gittens put together and wrote this e-mail below, submitting fraudulent information that, the NYC Internationalz had undergone an “ownership change” to usbasket.com (please pardon their grammar):

"I hope everything is well with you, i am giving you head up sir. I am team is going through change, because of reasons not under the player control, we are changing owners and team. The owner is was not keep up his part, so we as players decide to go another way, the league took the change with open arms so we will play new jersey express as New York Thunder, No player has been change. but i will continue to keep you up dated. thank you for all your help.." After this e-mail, Quintin Gittens added "taht the team roster is the same than before, and the coach is teh same too. Where is the truth ?"

Then, this story was published by usbasket.com
http://www.usbasket.com/ABA/basketball.asp?NewsID=153786

The news on the usbasket.com’s website below was stated to reporter Gianni Pascucci in confidence from Sharhan, where as Sharhan also relayed to Gianni that Marvin McCullough was friends with Quintin Gittens and had not known Michael Logan prior; Quintin Gittens aka Tim Gittens aka Headache and Michael Logan were the individuals that were working together with the players to impede the success of the NYC Internationalz.

NO PLAYERS = NO TEAM
http://www.usbasket.com/ABA/basketball.asp?NewsID=153897

And below is our original story, provided as an amendment, to retract or revise the article that was originally submitted by Quintin Gittens and Michael Logan, where we asked Gianni Pascucci to put this information on the site:

"In a change of scenario very typical for the ABA league, the team based in New York City is being locked out from the league, the New York City Internationalz former head coach, director of basketball operations and director of player personnel, Michael Logan quit on Thursday morning February 19th after working to sabotage the grassroots company, in order to get his own team-(the NYC Thunder) After quitting, he collaborated with the league and jersey express owner to get the newest mid-season add-on to the ABA, as the league welcomed him with open arms. The NYC Thunder headed by New Owner and Head Coach Michael Logan will consist mostly of the old roster from the NYC Internationalz. So a new team (with the same roster) will play the New Jersey Express tomorrow night (February 28, 2009) as the New York Thunder."

(PICTURE OF CHRIS BOWMAN WITH BASKETBALL AT NYC IZKIDDZ YOUTH CLINIC)

FROM THE CONCRETE...

(photo by Heejung Jung)

NYC'Z MOST WANTED ALIVE ON SET

http://www.nyciz.com/team/view/1

FEB.14-09- NYC IZ PLAYING THIS WEEKEND AGAINST THE NEW HOPE TRAILBLAZERS FROM WV- FEB. 14 AT 5:05PM AND FEB. 15 AT 4:05PM

THE NYC INTERNATIONALZ WILL BE TAKING ON THE WV NEW HOPE TRAILBLAZERS THIS WEEKEND AT BARUCH COLLEGE. ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14 TIP-OFF WILL BE AT 5:05PM AND SUNDAY FEBRUARY 15 TIP-OFF WILL BE AT 4:05PM. DON'T MISS OUT ON ANY OF THE ACTION THIS WEEKEND! ALL CHILDREN AND STUDENTS WITH ID AT DOOR WILL BE $3. GENERAL ADMISSION WILL BE $5, AND IF YOU PURCHASE 2 TICKETS YOU WILL RECEIVE 1 COMPLEMENTARY TICKET FOR THE GAME. BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR FREE TICKETS AND PRIZES IN YOUR AREA BY GOING TO COMMUNITY@NYCIZ.COM TODAY!!

FEB.02-09- NYC TAKES THE EXPRESS FOR A WIN 84-83

THE NYC INTERNATIONALZ TAKE A HARD FOUGHT WIN AGAINST THE NJ EXPRESS 84-83. THIS GAME WAS DOWN TO THE WIRE WITH 5 TENTHS OF A SECOND LEFT ON THE CLOCK, NAFI MASHRIQI FORWARD/CENTER FROM AFGHANISTAN WOULD MAKE THE CHIPPY TO PUT THE INTERNATIONALZ IN FRONT FROM 82 TO 84 FOR THE VICTORY AT DREW UNIVERSITY

JAN.18-09- NYC FALLS TO NJ IN HOME OPENER 77-90

THE NEW YORK CITY INTERNATIONALZ LOSE HOME OPENER TO THE NEW JERSEY EXPRESS 77-90, NJ IS 2-0 AGAINST NYC SO FAR; IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE TO SEE THE CROWD SO PATIENT AS THEY WAITED FOR THE LATE START OF THE HOME OPENER- JUST WANTING TO WATCH THE RIVALRY BETWEEN NY AND NJ. THE INTENSITY FROM BOTH TEAMS SHOW HOW HARD THEY'RE WILLING TO WORK TO WIN AND THE GAME TOMORROW AT 3PM SHOULD BE AN EVEN BETTER INDICATOR, AS THE NYC INTERNATIONALZ LOOK TO FINALLY GET THEIR FIRST WIN AGAINST THE NJ EXPRESS.