Tijuana Zonkeys

The Tijuana Zonkeys are a Mexican professional basketball team based in Tijuana, Baja California. The Zonkeys are part of the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA). They play their home games at the Auditorio Academia Zonkeys. The team was founded in 2010, and won back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015.

Tijuana Zonkeys
LeagueCIBACOPA
Founded2010
HistoryTijuana Zonkeys
(2010–present)
ArenaAuditorio Fausto Gutiérrez Moreno
Capacity4,888
LocationTijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Team colorsGainsboro, Black and blue
     
PresidentRafael Carrillo Barrón
Head coachHenry Bibby
Championships3 (2014, 2015, 2018)
WebsiteOfficial site

The name comes from the tradition of painting stripes on to donkeys to resemble zebras, a practice once common on the city's famed tourist strip, Avenida Revolución. Tourists would pay to take pictures with or on the zonkeys.[1]

History

The team was founded in 2010 and entered the league the same year. It became the first professional basketball team to play in Tijuana since the LNBP's Cosmos de Tijuana and the Tijuana Dragons of the ABA.[1] They won their first championship in 2014 with a 4-3 finals series win over Caballeros de Culiacán.[2]

They defeated the Halcones de Ciudad Obregón in the 2018 finals in a six game series.[3]

In December 2019, ex-NBA player Henry Bibby was hired as head coach ahead of the 2020 season.[4] They also opened a new arena, the Auditorio Academia Zonkeys, moving their home games from the Auditorio Fausto Gutierrez Moreno.[5]

Players

Current roster

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Tijuana Zonkeys roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Wt.
G 0 Means, Tyrell 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 78 kg (172 lb)
SG 1 Lyle, Deon 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 84 kg (185 lb)
F 2 Gabbidon, Travis 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
G 3 van Dyke, Parker 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 84 kg (185 lb)
C 4 Dentmond, Dequandre 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 98 kg (216 lb)
G 5 Martin, Julio César 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
PG 6 Cooksey, Vance 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) 79 kg (174 lb)
PG 7 Ramírez, Luis 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
PF 8 Ammons, Mychal 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 102 kg (225 lb)
SF 9 Sledge, Tavares 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 102 kg (225 lb)
G/F 12 Reynoso, Joel 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
SG 13 Lara, José
G/F 21 Gil, Chris
F/C 22 Jones, Solomon 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 111 kg (245 lb)
SF 24 Placencia, Raul
Head coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (I) Import player
  • Injured
Updated: May 4, 2020

Notable players

See also

References
  1. Chinn, Derrik (February 23, 2005). "Tijuana Zonkeys Play Hoops". San Diego Magazine. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  2. "Zonkeys, consiguen título del Cibacopa" (in Spanish). Zeta Tijuana. July 4, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  3. "Zonkeys se lleva el campeonato de la Cibacopa" (in Spanish). La Jornada Baja California. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  4. Zeigler, Mark (December 21, 2020). "Tijuana pro basketball team hires Henry Bibby as coach". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  5. "Da a conocer Zonkeys cómo lucirá Auditorio" (in Spanish). El Imparcial. January 11, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
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