Rapid City Thrillers

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Rapid City Thrillers
Rapid City Thrillers logo
Founded 1984
League CBA 1984-1997
Team History Tampa Bay Thrillers
1984-1987
Rapid City Thrillers
1987-1995
Florida Beach Dogs
1995-1997
Arena Rushmore Plaza Civic Center
Based in Rapid City, SD
Team Colors Red, White, Blue
Owner Pat Hall
Head Coach Bill Musselman, Flip Saunders, Keith Fowler, Eric Musselman
Championships 3 (1985, 1986, 1987)
Division Titles 9
Cheerleaders Thrillseekers
Dancers Thriller Girls
Mascot Thrilla Gorilla


The Rapid City Thrillers was a professional basketball club based in Rapid City, South Dakota that competed in the Continental Basketball Association beginning in the 1987 season. One of the many notable players of the team was Keith Smart, who had previously played for the 1987 NCAA basketball champion Indiana Hoosiers team.


The Thrillers had some very notable head coaches in its time. First Bill Musselman coached the team to three consecutive CBA titles during the 1980s. Bill would go on to be one of the winningest coaches in CBA history before moving to the NBA as coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Flip Saunders coached the Thrillers for a season and is now current head coach of the NBA's Detroit Pistons. Keith Fowler coached the team during one of their only losing seasons. Eric Musselman (son of Bill Musselman) coached the team successfully for seven years but was never fortunate enough to bring the championship back to the franchise although the team was runner-up three separate times during its existence.


This team traced its history back to the Tampa Bay Thrillers of the Continental Basketball Association, which moved to Rapid City in 1987 because of lack of attendance. After ten seasons in Rapid City and by a move that some say ruined professional basketball in the Black Hills, the team moved to West Palm Beach where they became the Florida Beach Dogs. The Beach Dogs lasted only two seasons folding after losing the championship series to the Oklahoma City Cavalry.

Year League Reg. Season Playoffs
1984/85 CBA 2nd, Eastern Champions
1985/86 CBA 1st, Eastern Champions
1986/87 CBA 1st, Eastern Champions
1987/88 CBA 6th, Western Did not qualify
1988/89 CBA 1st, Western Western Division Finals
1989/90 CBA 1st, National Midwest Finals
1990/91 CBA 2nd, National Midwest National First Round
1991/92 CBA 1st, National Northern Finals
1992/93 CBA 1st, National Midwest National Conference Finals
1993/94 CBA 1st, National Midwest National Conference Finals
1994/95 CBA 4th, National Midwest National First Round
1995/96 CBA 1st, National Southern National Conference Finals
1996/97 CBA 1st, American Finals


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