Rochester is once again home to a semiprofessional men's basketball team. The Rochester Reapers became part of the American Basketball Association league earlier this year.
The owners, Chaniah Martino and Howard Jeffries, are a young couple who found a way to fuse both of their passions to create this new organization.
"Once I realized that basketball was something he loved and business was something I loved, I figured we might as well put it together," said Martino.
The former caterer brought the idea to her fiancé, with three team name options. They both agreed that "Reapers" was most suitable.
"They're on demon time," Martino said to describe her players, using a slang term for a state of rigor and tenacity. "They're not coming to play."
The team's roster consists of veteran and rookie ABA players who have established comradery on and off the court. Jeffries said he intentionally drafted a group of men who he believes are "out for the same mission."
"The guys that I've picked are guys that I know want to work together," Jeffries said. "They're going to do anything it takes to get the win."
The Reapers are not Rochester's first professional or semi-pro team. The Rochester Seagrams formed in 1923 but in 1945, when they joined a forerunner to the NBA, they became the Rochester Royals. The team moved to Cincinnati in 1957 and exists today as the NBA's Sacramento Kings.
Jonathan Ivy is a veteran shooting and point guard who played for another pro team, the ABA's Rochester RazorSharks, which started in 2005 and folded in 2018. He also played for Buffalo Extreme.
Ivy said, as one of the Reaper's most experienced players, his responsibility is to "set the tone” for his teammates and build solidarity.
" Our number one word right now is 'together'," Ivory said. “Win, lose, good day, or bad day, everything is about being together.”
Based on his knowledge, Ivory said the team has got "all the right pieces" to be successful in the league and bring home a championship, including winning coaches Corey Allmond and Kason Morrison.
"We are 585 at heart. We are Rochester born," Ivory said. " I'm not saying it's going to be a cakewalk, but we're putting in that work. And we're going to get it done."
The Rochester Reapers won their season opener on October 17 beating the Syracuse Monarchs by 30 points. The next home game will be November 1 against Buffalo Extreme at Rochester Academy Charter School on 1757 Latta Road..
"We're putting the city on the map," Martino said. "We're bringing Rochester and basketball back."
