MBA SEASON 37 PLAYOFFS SUMMARY

SEATTLE WINS FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP
Thirty-seven seasons after joining the MBA as an original franchise, the Seattle Stampede becomes the last of the original six teams to win an MBA title, and the final team of Tyler Masterson's to capture a crown. They did so with a fine young team, the youngest in the modern era, consisting of three second-season players and two rookies in the starting lineup, along with a bit of luck. The luck part came when they were able to meet the defending champion Charleston Mountaineers, who were missing Hall of Fame center Max Payne, in the first round of the playoffs, then avoiding the overwhelming favorites from Oklahoma City in the Finals. The Lariats, who had twice thrashed Seattle in the regular season,were upset in the opening round by a surprising Philadelphia Phobia contingent. Then, after losing game one of the Finals, Seattle swept the next three to capture that elusive first championship.



POST SEASON LEADERS NOTES
-- Second year center Dis Reflexia of Seattle becomes just the second Stampede player to ever capture the Playoff MVP award. The other was Hall of Fame center Bill Rustler in Season 10. Reflexia is just the fifth center to get this honor and the first to be so-named in 11 seasons.
The other centers who won were:
**Dolf Whizbang, Houston, Season 5
**Hall of Famer Alex Pal, Philadelphia, Season 7
**Hall of Famer Bill Rustler, Seattle, Season 10
**Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Paige, Oklahoma City, Season 12
**Hall of Famer Jonny Cockaroo, Philadelphia, Season 19
and Cockaroo again, this time with Charleston in Season 26. Cockaroo is the only center to win the Playoff MVP twice.
-- The top three spots in assists all belonged to rookies, with Seattle's Bob Kittle becoming the first rookie since Hall of Famer Shucks Oyster of Philadelphia in Season 17 to be tops in that department. The only other rookies to lead in playoff assists were Hall of Famer Soul Duran of Houston in Season 3 and Angie O'Gram of Seattle in Season 7.
-- Lemon Jell-o of Oklahoma City ties Hall of Famer Oscar Mudcat for the most times leading the playoffs in steals by securing his third title in that department.
-- Seattle's Sven Marquardt sets record for playoff free throw accuracy, going 13 for 13 from the line.



GUMM MAKES HALL OF FAME
-- Benny Gumm, who retired following Season 31, becomes the 40th member of the MBA HALL OF FAME, going in by vote of the Veteran's Committee.
-- Gumm Spent 13 seasons in the MBA, with 11 of those seasons with the Charleston franchise in what has to be considered the golden years of the team. His final two seasons were spent with Seattle. Only three Hall of Famer had longer careers.
-- He was a two-time First Team All-MBA performer in Seasons 25 and 26.
-- He made four MBA All Star Game appearances.
-- He helped lead Charleston to its first two Championship Seasons in Seasons 26 and 27 following a finals appearance in Season 25 that fell just short.
--He led the league in scoring with an 18.2 points per game average in Season 25 and followed that with his highest per game average the next season at 18.9 per game.
-- Gumm burst onto the scene in Season 19, leading Charleston in scoring with 15 per game and leading the league in free throw shooting.
-- He led his team in scoring 3 times, in assists 7 times and in free throwing 3 times.
-- An unusually good rebounder throughout his career, Gumm, a 6-foot guard, averaged 3 rebounds a game throughout his tenure, getting a high of 5.4 per game in Season 26.
-- A tremendous ball handler and shooter to the end, he was always a shitty defender and got worse as time wore on.
-- He enters the Hall of Fame as the 38th best player of all time, just behind another Charleston great, Silo Chamberlin and just ahead of Oscar Mudcat.