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Darryl Greene said bringing professional basketball back to Omaha and giving former local college players another option will be the highlights of the NBLA coming to Ralston Arena.

On Tuesday, Greene announced the Omaha Chargers as one of the debut teams for the National Basketball League of America, which begins play in September.

The Chargers will be the first pro basketball team in Omaha since the Racers ceased operations after their 1997 season in the Continental Basketball Association.

The plans are for Omaha to play around 10 home games at Ralston Arena between September and November and about a 20-game schedule. Other teams officially lined up for 2016 are the Sioux City Hornets and the Dakota Magic, who will be based in Mitchell, South Dakota.

“I know Omaha has a rich history of professional basketball,” said Greene, president of both the NBLA and the Chargers franchise. “I know it’s been quite some time since the Racers played in Omaha, but when they played in Omaha it was a fairly successful franchise. You’ve got the Beef, you’ve got the Lancers, you’ve got the Storm Chasers … but you don’t have pro basketball, so it’s like you’re missing a piece to the puzzle.”