Giving up the Ghost: Excelsior Springs Scream Call it Quits

Jaelen Brown finishes one of his many dunks at the November 26th matchup vs the Jackson, MS Showboats (photo S Jason Cole)

The Excelsior Springs Scream, a semi-professional basketball team based here in Excelsior Springs, has called it quits (for now). The Scream faced a number of challenges that ultimately led to their decision to withdraw from the ABA and disband the team.

In October of 2022, preliminary promotions for the team indicated they would be playing their home games in the long-dormant gymnasium of the Old Roosevelt School located at the corner of Marietta and Richmond Streets in downtown Excelsior Springs. One of the requirements Excelsior Springs city officials requested in order to open the venue to the public was the addition of a parking lot to accommodate at least 22 vehicles. The parking lot has yet to be constructed and according to city officials, several other structural and accessibility issues prevented the venue from opening to the public in time for the 2022-23 ABA season. The Scream ended up playing a majority of their scheduled home games at Hy-vee Arena in downtown Kansas City.

Titus Bond, the team owner, stated that Scream season ticket holders were all refunded in full when it was determined that games would not be played at the Roosevelt venue due to the conflict with the City. Bond said the team also ran into a month-long stretch where other ABA teams were canceling games making the formula for success even more difficult. Between November 5, 2022, and December 3, 2022, the Scream played a total of 6 games with a record of 5 wins and 1 loss. In February 2023, the Scream deactivated their social media accounts and updates were no longer being made to their website.

Bond said he explored options to move the Scream to another league but after discussions with the coaching staff, the Scream decided to leave the ABA and allow their players to sign contracts with other teams and leagues. Head coach Ed Corporal signed with the Enid Outlaws of The Basketball League (TBL), while players like Kevin Young opted to play overseas. Bond said that they had to do what was best for their players and coaches for the time being, but he indicated they would continue to explore options to resurrect the Scream.


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