You develop all of these connections, and you never know where they’re going to lead. Jerry Crawford starts hanging around in Arizona, and the next thing you know, he owns a basketball team – and so do his friends.

He likes being an attorney, and he likes being a Democrat, but for most of his life Crawford had no particular interest in the National Basketball Association. Then he and his wife, Linda, started living down south part time and “the whole family fell in love with the Phoenix Suns,” he said.

That, by itself, might not have led to anything but season tickets. However, there were certain connections …

(1) Former University of Northern Iowa basketball star Nick Nurse coached at Grand View College from 1991 to 1993, and Crawford got to know him then.

(2) At one point, Crawford had tried to get an American Hockey League franchise for Des Moines. That didn’t work out, but it established him as someone with interest in bringing new sports teams to the city.

So when Nurse, who coached in Europe for several years, started to wonder whether Des Moines could support an NBA Development League team, he got in touch with Crawford. And that led to …

(3) “My first call was to Gary Kirke,” Crawford said, and he received what he calls “the typical Kirke reaction” of gung-ho approval. “He didn’t ask what it would cost,” Crawford said. “He has an enthusiastic approach to due diligence.”

(4) Various local connections turned up others willing to invest in Iowa Basketball LLC: Caleris Inc. CEO Sheldon Ohringer, Iowa Physicians Clinic President Michael Richards and Hawkeye Renewables LLC CEO Bruce Rastetter.

Coincidentally, Paul Drey was also thinking about adding something to the Des Moines sports scene. As he investigated the idea, Drey, a shareholder at the Brick, Gentry law firm, learned about the Crawford group.

“I talked to them about a younger group of guys who are interested in getting people to the Wells Fargo Arena and generating excitement, but who aren’t your typical investors,” Drey said.

In the end, Drey and five other basketball fans formed Iowa Hoops Promotion LLC and bought one share of the D-League team as a group.

Hey, how about another connection?

(5) Drey and Nurse were teammates on the Carroll Kuemper High School team that won a state basketball championship in 1985. Nurse was the point guard, and Drey was his substitute.

The investors came up with $500,000 to buy the Des Moines D-League franchise, Crawford said. Rumors are that the price for future franchises is headed for $1 million.

Minor-league sports ventures have met with varying degrees of success in Des Moines, but Crawford exudes confidence. “I don’t think it’s terribly risky, and the reason is (NBA Commissioner) David Stern. He has told people he wants a successful, thriving D-League to be his legacy.

“I almost think it’s a no-lose proposition as far as the league being a success,” said Crawford, who met with Stern in New York. Of course, a successful league doesn’t guarantee a successful local team. “The team will cost less than $1.5 million a year to operate, and we think we’ll be in the black the first year,” he said. “The Iowa Cubs are kind of our model.”

“Any start-up venture is risky,” Kirke said. “But if it breaks even, I’ll be very happy, because we’re bringing another venue to Des Moines.”