Dreams of a new franchise dashed

Monday night, the 53-year-old Anchorage electrician saw a much different type of basketball at Sullivan Arena. He was one of about a hundred people who showed up for the Alaska Dream's disappointing debut in Anchorage.

The Dream were supposed to play the Washington Raptors, but the visiting team didn't show for the American Basketball Association game because of a scheduling snafu.

So instead of playing the Raptors, the Dream played against each other -- Outside players versus the Alaskans.

There were cheerleaders, referees, a clock -- and no line at the beer stand. Only 13 people sat on the wet side.

"It takes some die-hard basketball fans to come out and watch this," Lawson said.

Even though Lawson knew beforehand it would only be an intrasquad, he came anyway to watch former UAA players Carl Arts and Buddy Bailey.

Plus he had a free ticket.

"I thought, 'Oh what the heck,' " Lawson said. "I'll go see the boys play anyway."

Lawson saw his first -- and last -- Dream game of the year.

Team owner Trey Davis said today's scheduled game against the Raptors is canceled, as are this weekend's home games against the San Francisco Rumble.

"We're sending our guys home for Christmas," Davis said.

He could also end up sending the money he made on ticket sales back to disgruntled basketball fans. Tickets ranged from $15-30.

"They can get refunded where they purchased (their) tickets," Davis said.

Davis, 31, started the Dream in July. He formed what he called "a very good team," who crushed all three opponents at an exhibition tournament in Fairbanks last months.

But Davis' dream started its downhill spiral last weekend when its first two road games -- against an ABA team from China, the Beijing Aoshen Olympian, were canceled. Beijing is based in Stockton, Calif., but Davis said the Chinese government wouldn't allow the team into the country until Monday.

Those circumstances were understandable, he said.

But to pay more than $20,000 for airline tickets and to rent Sullivan Arena for two nights and not have the visiting team show up?

"Devastation," Dream coach Al Sokaitis said.

Players have been practicing six days a week for the last eight weeks in anticipation of this week's opener. So when Sokaitis told players that Monday's game -- and perhaps the season -- was canceled, it was hard on everybody.

"Everybody's wondering (about) our future," said Sokaitis, a former UAF men's basketball coach. "There's a big lump in everyone's throat."

Tom Tredway was at the arena anyway Monday.

He brought a video camera to the big event. But it wasn't to record the Dream's first appearance in Anchorage.

His daughter, Ren Neddeau, sang the national anthem for Monday's game. She also sang two songs -- "A Moment Like This" and "Bleeding Love" and -- at halftime.

"It's too bad the other team didn't show up," Tredway said.

Lawson had similar thoughts. But he didn't seem too bothered.

He had his fill of pro basketball years ago when he paid $85 to watch Jordan play his 1,000th game from the nosebleed seats at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.

Though Lawson wouldn't trade that moment for a chance to see the absent Raptors, he took the good with the bad.

"You get to sit a helluva lot closer for this," he laughed.

Find Kevin Klott online at adn.com/contact/kklott or call 257-4335.