Herkimer Celebrates 130-Year Anniversary of Their Innovations to Basketball

Herkimer 9 Announces ‘Herkimer Originals’ ABA Basketball Team

(Herkimer, New York) — Based on the book, ‘I Grew Up with Basketball’ by Frank J. Basloe, Sunday, February 7, 2021 is the 130th anniversary of the first basketball game played by the Herkimer 9 basketball team at the YMCA on Main Street in 1891.

In celebration of the game’s anniversary, Herkimer 9 is proud to announce the American Basketball Association has awarded a team to Herkimer, NY.

The team will be named, ’Herkimer Originals’, a franchised team of the American Basketball Association which is expected to hit the court in Fall of 2021, prefacing the construction of its home stadium in Downtown Herkimer.The Herkimer 9 Initiative program (herkimer9.org), was founded by Herkimer native Scott Flansburg, known as “The Human Calculator.” The Herkimer 9 Foundation and Herkimer 9, LLC have a talent-filled group of partners to follow through on the vision to revitalize Herkimer and the Greater Mohawk Valley Region. This initiative aligns with the Village’s Master Plan 2020 which was adopted in 2018 and served to add confidence to Flansburg that his vision could become reality.

In addition to Flansburg’s leadership as CEO of the Herkimer 9 LLC, Herkimer natives Brion Carroll (COO), Jordan Marcel Heath (Program Director), and a dedicated local Board of Directors share in the motivation to revitalize the heart of Herkimer to reveal this hidden gem.

When construction is complete, an event center and stadium with approximately 2,500 seats will be added to the footprint of Main Street, adjacent to the world’s largest basketball, seated in the same location where the once active Herkimer YMCA served as the home of those involved in crafting key influences in the game of basketball in the 1890s.

In its inaugural season, the team will play its home games at Herkimer College. Herkimer College has partnered with Herkimer 9 in many of the Foundation’s early endeavors. The College and Herkimer 9 will continue to work together to unite the campus and Downtown Herkimer throughout several projects.

Scott Flansburg’s friend, singer/songwriter Alice Cooper, actually developed the name and hand-drew the concept for the ‘Herkimer Originals’ logo, which was then designed by Mohawk Valley based artist, McGrogan Design. To celebrate Alice Cooper’s birthday this past Thursday, this is the first of many programs announced by the Herkimer 9 Foundation and Herkimer 9 LLC. To learn more about the Initiative and opportunities visit the Herkimer 9 Foundation at herkimer9.org and Herkimer 9, LLC at herkimer9.com


About Herkimer 9

Herkimer 9 is working to revitalize Downtown Herkimer through tourism, recreation, STEM-based learning, and an increase of jobs.