Steel City Yellow Jackets Hope To Create A Buzz For Pro Basketball In Pittsburgh

When Averill “Ace” Pippens received a call about becoming a head coach and general manager of a semi-professional basketball team, he had no hesitation. “It was a no-brainer,” said Pippens. Pippens, a coach of local basketball teams for 14 years, said the call came from a former player, about a new team called the Steel City Yellow Jackets. At the beginning of their inaugural season in 2014, the team was thriving on the court, but struggling financially and threatening to fold. Pippens said he sat down with the team and asked them if they wanted were willing to finish the season without a paycheck. All of the players agreed , telling Pippens they weren’t in it for the money. “It let me know that we had something special, so I didn’t want to let it go,” said Pippens. “The purpose was for these young men to have an outlet and an opportunity to play basketball after college.” The team made the playoffs that year, and have made an appearance every season since. Pittsburgh has had a