Out to crush the opposition

Deepa Bharath

When Kevin Copeland looked at Orange County, he saw possibilities.

The Lynwood native, who grew up, made friends and did business in

Los Angeles, had always been involved with the sports industry in

some way.

He had never managed a professional basketball team, but Copeland

has faith in the power of the Orange County Crush, the first

professional basketball team in the county.

“We’re going to give fans in Orange County something to cheer

about,” said Copeland during a team practice Tuesday afternoon.

“We want the community to embrace us and adopt us as their team,”

he said. “Our goal is to be the community’s team.”

The Crush, which will set up its headquarters at the Orange County

Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, is the newest team to enter the American

Basketball Assn., a minor league popular for its fast-paced action,

entertainment value and affordable ticket prices.

For the players, it’s a launchpad of sorts into the major leagues.

Among the list of NBA hopefuls is 43-year-old Dennis Rodman, who

signed a contract with the Crush last week to play home and playoff

games.

The Crush lost its season opener to the Long Beach Jam on Sunday,

134-122, but Copeland, the players and the coaches believe that’s a

temporary setback, which they will overcome.

“That was the first game we ever played as a team,” assistant

coach Corey Gaines said.

“But we’re not pushing the panic button yet. You push the panic

button when you’re afraid you’re going to lose. We believe we’re

going to win.”

A healthy rivalry is beginning to develop between the two teams

because six of the Crush’s players are former Jam players. Two

coaches also came from the Jam, including Gaines.

Crush Coach Earl Cureton led the Jam to a championship win last

year. This year he believes he’s going to help the Crush achieve that

success.

“We’ve put together the best team possible,” he said. “Now, we

have to get to know each other and work with each other. I think the

fans are going to like what they see.”

Their first home game is scheduled for Dec. 9 at the Bren Events

Center at UC Irvine, which will be the team’s temporary home court

until their tent on the speedway track is completed at the

fairgrounds.

The emphasis on developing a relationship is huge, both for the

team management and the players, said Crush player Jerry Dupree, a

USC graduate who played for the Jam last year.

“I’ve really enjoyed being involved with the community,” he said.

“I did 10 to 12 events last year, going around doing clinics and

talking to kids in school assemblies. We support the community, the

community supports us. It’s just the way it works.”

Bernie Rubio, a personal trainer at Club MetRx in Costa Mesa for

more than 20 years, will be the Crush’s team trainer.

Rubio believes that the team is going to give local basketball

fans a team to support.

“Orange County fans need a team to call their own,” he said.

“This team will be a winning team and help channel the abundant

energies of the large fan base in this area.”

Some members of the team are Orange County natives.

Kamran Sufi, who grew up in Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley,

said he had adopted the Los Angeles Lakers as his team as a kid.

“There’s definitely a market for a team like ours,” he said.

“This is a huge community and there’s definitely a need for a pro

basketball team -- whether it’s major or minor league.”

Eric Chenowith, the tallest team member at 7-foot-1, is an avid

surfer who grew up in Orange, but has lived in Corona del Mar for a

year.

Chenowith is excited to participate in the team’s community

events.

“I’m going to love it,” he said. “When I was a kid, we had a Rams

player come to our elementary school, and it was the coolest thing

ever. The team is going to give the community something to rally

behind.”

It’s also a great opportunity for players to prove their worth,

said Gaines, a former NBA player himself.

“When scouts come to the [American Basketball Assn.] games, they

want to see someone who’s enjoying the game even at this level,” he

said.

“Getting to the major league takes a lot of luck, but it also

means performing at the right time, when you’re given the

opportunity.”

Sufi, the most vertically challenged on the team at 5-foot-9, says

he simply enjoys the high-energy games that the minor league has to

offer.

“I’m not your typical-looking basketball player,” he said. “I

probably won’t make it to the NBA. But this is my opportunity to play

pro basketball.”

The fast-paced American Basketball Assn. games are well-suited to

his game, Sufi said.

“I’m the guy who comes in and provides the energy,” he said.

“I put pressure on the opposition team’s point guard. The

[American Basketball Assn. games] are perfect for what I’m good at.”

The key for the Crush at this point is to “get the chemistry going

as soon as possible,” Sufi said.

“Scouts don’t come to watch losing teams. They want to watch

winning teams.”

Juaquin Hawkins, who played for the Houston Rockets from 2002 to

2003, said he intends to take on a leadership role in the team to

help them take their game to the next level.

“I need to be a leader verbally and lead by example,” he said. “I

need to concentrate on making my team the best they can be.”

Hawkins was named Best Defensive Player of the Year last year and

Dupree was named Best Offensive Player.

“We have both of us on one team,” Hawkins said. “But that doesn’t

mean we’re going to win. We need a lot more than that.”

Fairgrounds officials are confident that the Crush will be a good

sell for the local communities.

“The fact that they are signing up NBA players like Rodman means

that this is going to be a big draw,” spokeswoman Lisa MacDonald

said.

The fairgrounds is a perfect match for the Crush in many ways, she

said. “The Crush management believes in a lot of the things we do,”

MacDonald said.

“It’s all about family fun and good value. The similarities

between our two organizations made way for a natural relationship.”

* DEEPA BHARATH is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

She may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or by e-mail at

deepa.bharath@latimes.com.