What a Season for the Firebirds!

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Happy Firebird Friday! The Firebirds are just concluded a very successful 2025 season! Before recapping the Firebird’s epic 2025 season and , lets hear a word from today’s sponsor:

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Table of Contents

• 2025 Season Highlights

• Join the Firebirds for a Juneteenth Celebration!

• A Message from the Firebirds Organization

2025 Season Highlights

2025 Season Highlights 🔥

The Raleigh Firebirds gave fans a season to remember — full of thrilling moments, grit, and championship-level effort. Here’s a look back at some of the most unforgettable highlights from an electric 2025 campaign:

🏀 Buzzer Beater vs. Jacksonville

One of our favorite moments of the season came courtesy of Ahmad Abdullah, who delivered a clutch game-winning shot against the Jacksonville 95ers. With the clock winding down, Abdullah drove to the basket, pump faked, and knocked down a cold-blooded mid-range jumper to seal the win for the Firebirds. 🐦‍🔥🔥

🏆 Southeast Atlantic Division Champions

The Firebirds soared through the regular season with a 17–3 record, one of the best in the TBL. That dominant run earned Raleigh the Southeast Atlantic Division title and a first-round bye in the playoffs.

🔥 Playoff Series Win vs. Tampa Bay Titans

The playoffs started with a challenge — a Game 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Titans. But the Firebirds responded like champions, rallying to win two straight elimination games, keeping the season alive and punching their ticket to the Elite Eight!

💪 Making the Elite Eight Despite the Odds

The Firebirds battled their way into the Elite Eight of the TBL Playoffs, proving their resilience in the face of serious adversity.

Midway through the playoffs, star forward Dreko Palmer returned from an overseas contract — but league rules prevented his reinstatement, despite him playing the entire regular season with the team.

In Game 1 vs. the Frederick Flying Cows, the Firebirds fought hard and secured a gritty win. But Game 2 brought even more challenges:

• Shaq Dance, who dropped 31 points in Game 1, suffered a groin injury in the second quarter and was unable to return.

• In Game 3, backup PG DJ Thomas went down early in the third quarter.

• Daequan Antoine exited in the second quarter with an injury.

• Julian Gamble fouled out late, leaving the Firebirds short-handed in crunch time.

Despite being down three key starters, the Firebirds cut a 15-point deficit down to just 4 points late in the fourth quarter. The team fought with heart until the final buzzer but ultimately came up just short.

🙏 No Excuses — Just Motivation

We’re not here to make excuses. Even with all the adversity, we had chances to win — and we’ll use that as fuel. The Firebirds have unfinished business in 2026 🔥

We’ve spent the past week conducting exit interviews with our players, and the core of this team is ready to run it back. With the possible addition of one or two key pieces, we’re locked in for a championship push next season.

Thank you to our players, coaches, sponsors, and most importantly — our fans — for being part of this journey. We’re proud of what we built in 2025. But we’re coming back even stronger in 2026. 🐦‍🔥💯

Join the Firebirds for a Juneteenth Celebration!

🎉 Join the Firebirds for a Special Juneteenth Celebration! 🖤💚❤️

The Raleigh Firebirds are proud to join the Raleigh community for the “Soul Food” Juneteenth Celebration on Thursday, June 19th!

🗓 Date: Thursday, June 19th
🕒 Time: 3 PM – 7 PM
📍 Location: To be announced the day of the event — follow @SoulFoodRaleigh on Instagram for updates!

We will have a table and be present at the event! This is a great opportunity to serve, unite and celebrate with our community!

We can’t wait to see you there!

A Message from the Firebirds Organization

The Raleigh Firebirds players and organization would like to inform all of our fans that we're back at work preparing to finish what we started. 🏀💪

We have 9 months before the season begins again in March of 2026. While the rest of the TBL are resting and recovering, we're right back to work. You, our loyal fans deserve to have a championship come to Raleigh in professional basketball.🐦‍🔥🏆

We had our best team ever this year, and yes we're getting ready to run it back. So fans don't worry. We will not rest until that Lillie is safe and sound where it belongs. 🔥 

Our players understand adversity and controlling what you can control. We will be here all 9 months putting in that work which is the standard for the Firebirds!!! Goooo Firebirds! What a fun year!! 🐦‍🔥🔥 🏆

Make sure to stay tuned for Monday’s edition, as we will refresh you with all Firebirds breaking news and updates!

Until then,

-Nicky