Columbus Horizon

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The Columbus Horizon, based in Columbus, Ohio, played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1989 to 1994. The franchise began as the Sarasota Stingers in 1983 and spent time as the Florida Stingers and the Charleston Gunners before moving to Ohio. Eli Jacobson owned the team, and a big-league club was its affiliate.

Home games were at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum, with some moved to Battelle Hall downtown from 1992-93. The Horizon never made the playoffs. Records by season: 18-38, 23-33, 18-38, 21-35 and 18-38. Cazzie Russell coached from 1992. Jay Burson, a first-round pick, signed with a big-league club, was released, and then played 34 games for Columbus, averaging 13.6 points in 1989-90.

Crowds shrank from about 2,900 per game in the third season to about 1,700 in the last, the lowest in the CBA. In March 1994 the team announced it was leaving, citing weak business support and losses of about $2.5 million. It moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, for 1994-95.