The
Continental Basketball Association (
CBA) was a professional men's
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
league in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.
History
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional basketball minor league from 1946 to 2009. It billed itself as the "World's Oldest Pro Basketball League", since its founding on April 23, 1946, pre-dated (by two months) the founding of the
National Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. The league's original name was the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League; it fielded six franchises – five in
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
(
Wilkes-BarreWilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
,
HazletonHazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.6% from the 2000 census count .-Greater Hazleton:...
,
AllentownAllentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
,
LancasterLancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
, and
ReadingReading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
) – with a sixth team in New York (
BinghamtomBinghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
, which moved in mid-season to
PottsvillePottsville is the only city in and the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,549 at the 2000 census. The city lies along the west bank of the Schuylkill River, north-west of Philadelphia...
, Pennsylvania). In 1948, the league was renamed the Eastern Professional Basketball League. Over the years it would add franchises in several other Pennsylvania cities, including
WilliamsportWilliamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
,
ScrantonScranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, and
SunburySunbury is a city in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, just downstream of the confluence of its main and West branches. The population was 9,905 at the 2010 census...
, as well as teams in
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
(
TrentonTrenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
,
CamdenThe city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
,
Asbury ParkAsbury Park is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, located on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 16,116. The city is known for its rich musical history, including its association with...
),
ConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
(
New HavenNew Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
,
HartfordHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
,
BridgeportBridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
),
DelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
(
WilmingtonWilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
) and
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
(
SpringfieldSpringfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
).
For the 1970-71 season the league rebranded itself the Eastern Basketball Association, operating both as a professional northeastern regional league and as an unofficial feeder system to the NBA and
ABAThe American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
. After its expansion to
AnchorageAnchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
,
AlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
in 1977, the league was renamed the Continental Basketball Association for the 1978-79 season. The CBA's first commissioner was Harry Rudolph (father of
Mendy RudolphMarvin "Mendy" Rudolph was a professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association for 22 years, from 1953 to 1975. Regarded as one of the greatest officials in NBA history, Rudolph officiated 2,112 NBA games and was the first league referee to work 2,000 games...
, one of the first referees in the NBA). Coincidentally, 32 years later in 1977, Jim Drucker (son of
Norm DruckerNorm Drucker was a major influence in professional basketball officiating for over thirty-five years.He refereed in the National Basketball Association from 1953 to 1969...
, another top NBA referee) began a 12-year association with the CBA as its deputy commissioner, commissioner (1978-86), general counsel and president of CBA Properties.
During Drucker's term the league expanded from 8 to 14 teams, landed its first national TV contract (with
BETBlack Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
) and saw franchise values increase from $5,000 to $500,000. The league also instituted a series of novel rule changes including sudden-death overtime, a no foul-out rule and a change in the way league standings were determined. Under the "7-Point System", seven points were awarded each game: three points for winning a game and one point for every quarter a team won. As a result a winning team would wind up with four to seven points in the standings, while a losing team could collect from zero to three points. The league used this method to calculate division standings from its implementation in 1983 until the league's end in 2009.
Also during this time, the CBA created a series of spectacular (for that time) halftime promotions. The most successful was the "1 Million Dollar CBA Supershot". In an era where the typical basketball halftime promotion would feature a winning prize of less than $100, the CBA's Supershot (created in 1983) offered a grand prize of one million dollars if a randomly-selected fan could hit one shot from the far foul line, 69.75 feet (21.3 m). No one won the (insured) prize, but the shot attracted national media coverage for the league in
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, the
New York Times and
The Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
. In 1985, the CBA followed with the "Ton-of-Money Free Throw", which featured a prize of 2000 pounds (907.2 kg) of pennies ($5,000) if a randomly-selected fan could make one free throw. Two of fourteen contestants were successful. The next year, the league featured the "Easy Street Shootout". In that contest, 14 contestants were selected (one from each city), and the person making the longest shot was awarded a $1,000,000 zero-coupon bond. The winner was Don Mattingly (no relation to the
New York Yankee baseball playerDonald Arthur "Don" Mattingly is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nicknamed "The Hit Man" and "Donnie Baseball", he played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
), representing the
EvansvilleEvansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
(
IndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
) Thunder. After the league's 1985 All-Star Game in
CasperCasper is the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.. Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming , according to the 2010 census, with a population of 55,316...
,
WyomingWyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, the CBA invited fans to make a paper airplane from the centerfold of their game program (each identified with a unique serial number) and attempt to throw the paper airplane through the moon roof of a new Ford Thunderbird parked mid-court. Four fans were successful and a tie-breaker determined the winner, who drove home with the new $17,000
personal luxury carA personal luxury car is a highly styled, luxury vehicle with an emphasis on image over practicality. Accenting the comfort and satisfaction of its owner and driver above all else, the personal luxury car sometimes sacrifices passenger capacity, cargo room, and fuel economy in favor of style and...
.
In 1984, 17 years before the television program
American Idol made it common to find an "unknown" and make them a star, the league created the "CBA Sportscaster Contest" to select a color commentator for its weekly game of the week televised on BET. With tryouts in cities nationwide, the promotion gained the league national attention on the
NBC Nightly NewsNBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
,
Entertainment TonightEntertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
, in
Sports Illustrated and other media.
Integration
During the 1946-47 Eastern League season, the
Hazleton MountaineersThe Hazleton Mountaineers were one of the original six franchises in the Eastern Professional Basketball League. The Mountaineers were the league's first team to have an integrated roster, as two former members of the New York Rens, Bill Brown and Zack Clayton, joined John Isaacs on the...
had three African-American players on their roster during the season –
Bill BrownBill Brown may refer to:*Bill Brown , Australian cricketer*Bill Brown , Australian Senator*Bill Brown , Scottish football player...
, Zack Clayton and
John IsaacsJohn Isaacs was an early African-American professional basketball player. Born in Panama but raised in New York City, he was a member of the New York Renaissance, the Washington Bears, and various other teams....
. Isaacs previously played with an all-black touring squad (the Washington Bears), while Brown and Clayton were alumni of the
Harlem GlobetrottersThe Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
. During the 1955-56 season, the Hazleton Hawks Eastern League team was the first professional league franchise with an all-black starting lineup: Tom Hemans,
Jesse ArnelleHugh Jesse Arnelle is a retired American basketball player and attorney.-Athletics:He played American football and basketball for Penn State University. He led the basketball team to the 1954 NCAA Final Four. He was named an All-American that season...
, Fletcher Johnson,
Sherman WhiteSherman White was an American college basketball player at Long Island University who is best remembered for being indicted in a point shaving scandal that resulted in him being stripped of numerous honors and awards, having to serve an 8-month jail sentence, and being prohibited from ever...
and Floyd Lane.
Three-point line
Although the 1961-63 American Basketball League used a three-point scoring line, the Eastern League added a three-point line for its 1964-65 season. That year, Brendan McCann of the Allentown Jets led the league with 31 completed 3-pointers. Although three-point plays during the 1960s were few and far between, the Eastern League developed several scorers who used the three-point shot to their advantage.
Collapsible rims
After
Darryl DawkinsDarryl Dawkins is a retired American professional basketball player, most noted for his days with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he also played briefly for the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz late in his career...
shattered two basketball backboards during his 1979-80 NBA season, the CBA tested a collapsible hinged rim. Eventually other leagues converted their rims over to the collapsible hinged model, which is still in use today.
10-day contract
During the early 1980s, the CBA and
NBAThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
entered into an agreement whereby CBA players would be signed to 10-day NBA contracts (mostly to replace an injured player or to test a CBA prospect). Under the 10-day-contract rule, a player is signed at the pro rata league minimum salary for 10 days. If the NBA team liked the player, the team could sign him to a second 10-day contract. After the second 10-day contract expires, the team must either return the player to the CBA or sign him for the rest of the NBA regular season.
1999–2001
In 1999, the CBA's teams were purchased by an investment group led by former NBA star
Isiah ThomasIsiah Lord Thomas III , nicknamed "Zeke",is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1981 until 1994. He led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA...
. The combined-ownership plan was unsuccessful and by 2001, the CBA had declared bankruptcy and ceased operations. Several of its teams briefly joined the now-defunct International Basketball League.
Below is a timeline of Thomas' ownership of the CBA:
- August 3, 1999: Former NBA star Isiah Thomas purchases the CBA (the entire league including all the teams and its marketing entity, CBA Properties) for $10 million. He says that the league will now operate as a single-owner entity, and the CBA will continue to be the official developmental league of the NBA.
- October 7, 1999: Sale of the CBA to Thomas is finalized. Thomas pays $5 million up front, agreeing to make four additional payments to the CBA's former team owners for the remainder of the debt.
- October 24, 1999: He announces salary cuts in the CBA. The average salary of $1,500 per week will be reduced to $1,100, with rookies getting $800. Thomas' reasoning is that by reducing the number of veterans in the league, there will be more young players available for NBA teams.
- January 18, 2000: For the first time in three years the CBA holds an all-star game, hosted by the Sioux Falls SkyForce. The game also features an all-rookie game, featuring the CBA's top 16 rookies.
- March 2000: The NBA offers Thomas $11 million plus a percentage of the profits for the CBA. Thomas chooses not to sell. "The NBA made an offer that wasn't what Isiah expected," said Brendan Suhr, former coach and co-owner of the CBA's Grand Rapids Hoops, "so he decided not to sell the league at that time."
- May 2000: A CBA all-star team travels to China for a three-game series.
- June 28, 2000: Thomas is offered the head coaching job of the NBA's Indiana Pacers. Since NBA rules forbid a coach from owning his own league (as it would be a conflict of interest; he could sign the minor league's best players to his NBA team, for example), Thomas is obliged to sell the CBA. On this day, Thomas signs a letter of intent to sell the CBA to the NBA Players' Union.
- Summer 2000: After 20 years of using the CBA as its developmental league, the NBA announces it will form its own minor-league feeder system, creating the National Basketball Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
(later the NBA Development League). The CBA will no longer be the NBA's official developmental league following the end of the 2001 season.
- October 2, 2000: Thomas (now unable to sell his ownership in the CBA), places the league into a blind trust
A blind trust is a trust in which the fiduciaries, namely the trustees or those who have been given power of attorney, have full discretion over the assets, and the trust beneficiaries have no knowledge of the holdings of the trust and no right to intervene in their handling...
and accepts the head coaching job for the Pacers. With the league in a blind trust there are no funds available to pay players, to buy plane tickets for road games, or to handle day-to-day operations.
- February 8, 2001: The CBA suspends play and folds. The blind trust which hopes to find a new owner for the league abandons its efforts, and the league has over $2 million in debts. The teams are offered back to their original owners for a $1 simple consideration, and several owners accept the offer. Many more refuse, and their clubs go under.
- February 24, 2001: The CBA declares bankruptcy. Five former CBA team owners repurchase their franchises and join the rival International Basketball League (IBL) to finish the season. Other owners choose to allow their franchises to fail, rather than incur debts that were not theirs originally.
- Summer 2001: The IBL folds.
- November 2001: The CBA reorganizes for the 2001-02 season as CBA franchises in Rockford, Gary, Grand Rapids and Sioux Falls merge with the smaller International Basketball Association (IBA), which has franchises in Bismarck (Dakota Wizards), Fargo (Fargo-Moorhead Beez) and Saskatoon (Saskatchewan Hawks). The Flint (Michigan) Fuze join as an expansion team.
Revival
In fall 2001, CBA and IBL teams merged with the
International Basketball AssociationThe International Basketball Association was founded by Alexandria, Minnesota entrepreneur Thomas Anderson in 1995. Anderson traveled the Upper Midwest searching for franchise owners for a couple of years before the league began play with five teams in the 1995-1996 season...
and purchased the assets of the defunct CBA (including its name, logo and records from the bankruptcy court) and resumed operations, calling itself the CBA. The league obtained eight new franchises (for a total of ten) for the 2006 season. The Atlanta Krunk Wolverines and Vancouver Dragons deferred their participation until the 2007-2008 season and the Utah Eagles folded on January 25, 2007. The CBA's 2007-08 season began with 10 franchises, the greatest number of teams to start a CBA season since the 2000-01 season. In addition to six returning franchises the CBA added three expansion teams - the Oklahoma Cavalry, the
Rio Grande Valley SilveradosThe Southeast Texas Mavericks are a franchise formerly of the American Basketball Association based in Winnie, Texas. The Mavericks are currently not affiliated with any league. The Mavericks had recently played in the Gulf Coast Division of the American Basketball Association. The team plays its...
and
East Kentucky MinersThe East Kentucky Miners are a professional basketball team in the American Basketball Association that began play as a member of the Continental Basketball Association in the 2007-2008 season...
; the Atlanta Krunk joined the league after sitting out the 2006-07 season.
The 2008-2009 season began with only four teams, instead of the expected five. The
Pittsburgh XplosionThe Pittsburgh Xplosion was a member of the Continental Basketball Association from 2006–2008. Founded in 2004 as the Pittsburgh Hard Hats as a member of the ABA, the team, following an ownership change, took the court as the Pennsylvania Pit Bulls. The team became the Xplosion in 2005, and joined...
folded under unclear circumstances, and the league scheduled games against American Basketball Association (ABA) teams for the first month of the season to stay solvent. The maneuver was not enough and on February 2 the league announced a halt to operations, turning a scheduled series between the
Albany PatroonsThe Albany Patroons were a professional basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association ....
and Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry into the league-championship series. Jim Coyne, league commissioner, said in June 2009 that only two of the league's teams committed to playing basketball the following year; the league would not play in 2010, instead going out of business.
Teams
| Team |
City |
Arena |
Founded |
| Albany Patroons The Albany Patroons were a professional basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association ....
|
Albany, NY |
Washington Avenue ArmoryThe Washington Avenue Armory, officially known as the Washington Avenue Armory Sports and Convention Arena and listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Washington Avenue Armory, is now a multi-purpose arena in Albany, New York. It was the home of the Albany Legends of the...
|
1982 |
Year-by-year
| Year |
Teams |
Expansion |
Defunct |
Suspended |
Return from Hiatus |
Relocated/Name Change |
Never Played |
| 2001–2002 |
8 |
Dakota Wizards The Dakota Wizards are an American basketball team in the NBA Development League, based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Home games are played at the Bismarck Civic Center.-Beginnings in IBA:...
Fargo Beez
Flint FuzeThe Flint Fuze were a professional basketball team located in Flint, Michigan, United States, in 2001. They were a part of the Continental Basketball Association and played their home games at the IMA Sports Arena. Former National Basketball Association journeyman Jeff Grayer helped create the...
Gary SteelheadsThe Gary Steelheads were a professional basketball team that played in the International Basketball League. In the past they played in the International Basketball League, Continental Basketball Association, and the United States Basketball League. They were based in Gary, Indiana and played their...
Grand Rapids HoopsThe Grand Rapids Hoops was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their first season was in 1989, and their final season was in 2003...
Rockford LightningThe Rockford Lightning were a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois. The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses from Lancaster, Pennsylvania...
Sioux Falls SkyforceThe Sioux Falls Skyforce is a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. They are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The team plays at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Skyforce began in the CBA in 1989...
Saskatchewan HawksThe Saskatchewan Hawks was a professional basketball club based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan that competed in the International Basketball Association beginning in the 1999-2000 season. The team's ownership group was composed of Tom Tao and former NBA owner Ted Stepien, as well as local private owners...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2002–2003 |
8 |
Dakota Wizards The Dakota Wizards are an American basketball team in the NBA Development League, based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Home games are played at the Bismarck Civic Center.-Beginnings in IBA:...
Gary SteelheadsThe Gary Steelheads were a professional basketball team that played in the International Basketball League. In the past they played in the International Basketball League, Continental Basketball Association, and the United States Basketball League. They were based in Gary, Indiana and played their...
Great Lakes StormThe Great Lakes Storm was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association for three seasons, beginning in 2002 and ending in 2005. They were based in Birch Run, Michigan, a small town between Flint and Saginaw. The Storm played at the Birch Run Expo Center. The original...
Idaho StampedeThe Idaho Stampede is an American basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. The team is based in the Boise, Idaho, area and as of 2005 plays at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise. The team was founded as a member of the Continental Basketball Association in 1997 and was league runner-up...
Grand Rapids HoopsThe Grand Rapids Hoops was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their first season was in 1989, and their final season was in 2003...
Rockford LightningThe Rockford Lightning were a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois. The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses from Lancaster, Pennsylvania...
Sioux Falls SkyforceThe Sioux Falls Skyforce is a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. They are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The team plays at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Skyforce began in the CBA in 1989...
Yakima Sun Kings |
Fargo Beez
Saskatchewan HawksThe Saskatchewan Hawks was a professional basketball club based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan that competed in the International Basketball Association beginning in the 1999-2000 season. The team's ownership group was composed of Tom Tao and former NBA owner Ted Stepien, as well as local private owners...
|
|
|
Flint Fuze The Flint Fuze were a professional basketball team located in Flint, Michigan, United States, in 2001. They were a part of the Continental Basketball Association and played their home games at the IMA Sports Arena. Former National Basketball Association journeyman Jeff Grayer helped create the...
---->Great Lakes StormThe Great Lakes Storm was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association for three seasons, beginning in 2002 and ending in 2005. They were based in Birch Run, Michigan, a small town between Flint and Saginaw. The Storm played at the Birch Run Expo Center. The original...
|
|
| 2003–2004 |
7 |
Dakota Wizards The Dakota Wizards are an American basketball team in the NBA Development League, based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Home games are played at the Bismarck Civic Center.-Beginnings in IBA:...
Gary SteelheadsThe Gary Steelheads were a professional basketball team that played in the International Basketball League. In the past they played in the International Basketball League, Continental Basketball Association, and the United States Basketball League. They were based in Gary, Indiana and played their...
Great Lakes StormThe Great Lakes Storm was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association for three seasons, beginning in 2002 and ending in 2005. They were based in Birch Run, Michigan, a small town between Flint and Saginaw. The Storm played at the Birch Run Expo Center. The original...
Idaho StampedeThe Idaho Stampede is an American basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. The team is based in the Boise, Idaho, area and as of 2005 plays at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise. The team was founded as a member of the Continental Basketball Association in 1997 and was league runner-up...
Rockford LightningThe Rockford Lightning were a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois. The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses from Lancaster, Pennsylvania...
Sioux Falls SkyforceThe Sioux Falls Skyforce is a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. They are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The team plays at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Skyforce began in the CBA in 1989...
Yakima Sun Kings |
Grand Rapids HoopsThe Grand Rapids Hoops was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their first season was in 1989, and their final season was in 2003...
|
|
|
|
|
| 2004–2005 |
6 |
Dakota Wizards The Dakota Wizards are an American basketball team in the NBA Development League, based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Home games are played at the Bismarck Civic Center.-Beginnings in IBA:...
Gary SteelheadsThe Gary Steelheads were a professional basketball team that played in the International Basketball League. In the past they played in the International Basketball League, Continental Basketball Association, and the United States Basketball League. They were based in Gary, Indiana and played their...
Great Lakes StormThe Great Lakes Storm was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association for three seasons, beginning in 2002 and ending in 2005. They were based in Birch Run, Michigan, a small town between Flint and Saginaw. The Storm played at the Birch Run Expo Center. The original...
Idaho StampedeThe Idaho Stampede is an American basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. The team is based in the Boise, Idaho, area and as of 2005 plays at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise. The team was founded as a member of the Continental Basketball Association in 1997 and was league runner-up...
Michigan MayhemThe Michigan Mayhem was a minor league professional basketball team based in Muskegon, Michigan that competed in the Continental Basketball Association. In the CBA's 2004-05 season the Mayhem finished third in the league's Eastern Conference. The team played its home games at the L.C...
Rockford LightningThe Rockford Lightning were a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois. The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses from Lancaster, Pennsylvania...
Sioux Falls SkyforceThe Sioux Falls Skyforce is a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. They are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The team plays at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Skyforce began in the CBA in 1989...
Yakima Sun Kings |
|
|
|
|
|
| 2005–2006 |
7 |
Albany Patroons The Albany Patroons were a professional basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association ....
Dakota WizardsThe Dakota Wizards are an American basketball team in the NBA Development League, based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Home games are played at the Bismarck Civic Center.-Beginnings in IBA:...
Gary SteelheadsThe Gary Steelheads were a professional basketball team that played in the International Basketball League. In the past they played in the International Basketball League, Continental Basketball Association, and the United States Basketball League. They were based in Gary, Indiana and played their...
Idaho StampedeThe Idaho Stampede is an American basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. The team is based in the Boise, Idaho, area and as of 2005 plays at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise. The team was founded as a member of the Continental Basketball Association in 1997 and was league runner-up...
Michigan MayhemThe Michigan Mayhem was a minor league professional basketball team based in Muskegon, Michigan that competed in the Continental Basketball Association. In the CBA's 2004-05 season the Mayhem finished third in the league's Eastern Conference. The team played its home games at the L.C...
Rockford LightningThe Rockford Lightning were a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois. The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses from Lancaster, Pennsylvania...
Sioux Falls SkyforceThe Sioux Falls Skyforce is a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. They are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The team plays at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Skyforce began in the CBA in 1989...
Yakima Sun Kings |
Great Lakes Storm The Great Lakes Storm was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association for three seasons, beginning in 2002 and ending in 2005. They were based in Birch Run, Michigan, a small town between Flint and Saginaw. The Storm played at the Birch Run Expo Center. The original...
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Albany Patroons The Albany Patroons were a professional basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association ....
Butte DaredevilsThe Butte Daredevils were a basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association that played from 2006 to 2008. They played their home games at the Butte Civic Center in Butte, Montana. The team was named in honor of Butte native Evel Knievel, the famous daredevil...
Great Falls ExplorersThe Great Falls Explorers were a team in the Continental Basketball Association founded in 2006. The team played their home games at the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls, Montana. The franchise was branded 'Explorers' in honor of Lewis and Clark traveled through the area. The Explorers,...
Indiana Alley CatsThe Indiana Alley Cats was a member of the Continental Basketball Association . They are based in Anderson, Indiana and formerly played at Anderson High School Wigwam. The team was formerly a part of the American Basketball Association.-2005-2006:...
Minot SkyRocketsThe Minot SkyRockets were a team in the Continental Basketball Association. They played their home games at the Minot Municipal Auditorium. The team began play in 2005 as the San Jose Skyrockets of the American Basketball Association. The team had a very successful first season, finishing first...
Pittsburgh XplosionThe Pittsburgh Xplosion was a member of the Continental Basketball Association from 2006–2008. Founded in 2004 as the Pittsburgh Hard Hats as a member of the ABA, the team, following an ownership change, took the court as the Pennsylvania Pit Bulls. The team became the Xplosion in 2005, and joined...
Utah EaglesThe Utah Eagles were a basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association. They played their games in Taylorsville, Utah, and although they started play in the 2006-2007 season, they folded in mid-season....
Yakama Sun KingsThe Yakama Sun Kings were a Continental Basketball Association franchise located in Yakima, Washington, United States, covering the central Washington sports market of Yakima, Tri-Cities and Ellensburg...
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Utah Eagles The Utah Eagles were a basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association. They played their games in Taylorsville, Utah, and although they started play in the 2006-2007 season, they folded in mid-season....
Gary SteelheadsThe Gary Steelheads were a professional basketball team that played in the International Basketball League. In the past they played in the International Basketball League, Continental Basketball Association, and the United States Basketball League. They were based in Gary, Indiana and played their...
Michigan MayhemThe Michigan Mayhem was a minor league professional basketball team based in Muskegon, Michigan that competed in the Continental Basketball Association. In the CBA's 2004-05 season the Mayhem finished third in the league's Eastern Conference. The team played its home games at the L.C...
Rockford LightningThe Rockford Lightning were a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois. The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses from Lancaster, Pennsylvania...
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Dakota Wizards The Dakota Wizards are an American basketball team in the NBA Development League, based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Home games are played at the Bismarck Civic Center.-Beginnings in IBA:...
---->NBA Development LeagueThe NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
Sioux Falls SkyforceThe Sioux Falls Skyforce is a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. They are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The team plays at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Skyforce began in the CBA in 1989...
---->NBA Development LeagueThe NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
Idaho StampedeThe Idaho Stampede is an American basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. The team is based in the Boise, Idaho, area and as of 2005 plays at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise. The team was founded as a member of the Continental Basketball Association in 1997 and was league runner-up...
---->NBA Development LeagueThe NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
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| 2007–2008 |
11 |
Albany Patroons The Albany Patroons were a professional basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association ....
Atlanta Krunk
Butte DaredevilsThe Butte Daredevils were a basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association that played from 2006 to 2008. They played their home games at the Butte Civic Center in Butte, Montana. The team was named in honor of Butte native Evel Knievel, the famous daredevil...
Great Falls ExplorersThe Great Falls Explorers were a team in the Continental Basketball Association founded in 2006. The team played their home games at the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls, Montana. The franchise was branded 'Explorers' in honor of Lewis and Clark traveled through the area. The Explorers,...
East Kentucky MinersThe East Kentucky Miners are a professional basketball team in the American Basketball Association that began play as a member of the Continental Basketball Association in the 2007-2008 season...
Minot SkyRocketsThe Minot SkyRockets were a team in the Continental Basketball Association. They played their home games at the Minot Municipal Auditorium. The team began play in 2005 as the San Jose Skyrockets of the American Basketball Association. The team had a very successful first season, finishing first...
Oklahoma Cavalry
Rio Grande Valley SilveradosThe Southeast Texas Mavericks are a franchise formerly of the American Basketball Association based in Winnie, Texas. The Mavericks are currently not affiliated with any league. The Mavericks had recently played in the Gulf Coast Division of the American Basketball Association. The team plays its...
Rockford LightningThe Rockford Lightning were a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois. The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses from Lancaster, Pennsylvania...
Pittsburgh XplosionThe Pittsburgh Xplosion was a member of the Continental Basketball Association from 2006–2008. Founded in 2004 as the Pittsburgh Hard Hats as a member of the ABA, the team, following an ownership change, took the court as the Pennsylvania Pit Bulls. The team became the Xplosion in 2005, and joined...
Yakama Sun KingsThe Yakama Sun Kings were a Continental Basketball Association franchise located in Yakima, Washington, United States, covering the central Washington sports market of Yakima, Tri-Cities and Ellensburg...
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Indiana Alley Cats The Indiana Alley Cats was a member of the Continental Basketball Association . They are based in Anderson, Indiana and formerly played at Anderson High School Wigwam. The team was formerly a part of the American Basketball Association.-2005-2006:...
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Vancouver Dragons The Vancouver Dragons were a proposed expansion team set to play in the Continental Basketball Association. Team rights were owned by Michael Tuckman, president of West Coast Sports, LLC. The Dragons were initially slated to play in the ABA along with Tuckman's other teams...
Miami MajestyThe Miami Majesty was a team of the Continental Basketball Association based in Miami-Dade County, Florida.The team was formerly the Florida Pit Bulls, a member of the American Basketball Association, and played their home games in the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida...
SoCal LegendsThe Southern California Legends, known commonly as the SoCal Legends, were a team in the Continental Basketball Association.The Legends are owned and coached by former NBA player Gary Grant. They played their home games at Azusa Pacific University's Felix Events Center...
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| 2008–2009 |
5 |
Albany Patroons The Albany Patroons were a professional basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association ....
East Kentucky MinersThe East Kentucky Miners are a professional basketball team in the American Basketball Association that began play as a member of the Continental Basketball Association in the 2007-2008 season...
Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry
Minot SkyRocketsThe Minot SkyRockets were a team in the Continental Basketball Association. They played their home games at the Minot Municipal Auditorium. The team began play in 2005 as the San Jose Skyrockets of the American Basketball Association. The team had a very successful first season, finishing first...
Rockford LightningThe Rockford Lightning were a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois. The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses from Lancaster, Pennsylvania...
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Butte Daredevils The Butte Daredevils were a basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association that played from 2006 to 2008. They played their home games at the Butte Civic Center in Butte, Montana. The team was named in honor of Butte native Evel Knievel, the famous daredevil...
Great Falls ExplorersThe Great Falls Explorers were a team in the Continental Basketball Association founded in 2006. The team played their home games at the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls, Montana. The franchise was branded 'Explorers' in honor of Lewis and Clark traveled through the area. The Explorers,...
Pittsburgh XplosionThe Pittsburgh Xplosion was a member of the Continental Basketball Association from 2006–2008. Founded in 2004 as the Pittsburgh Hard Hats as a member of the ABA, the team, following an ownership change, took the court as the Pennsylvania Pit Bulls. The team became the Xplosion in 2005, and joined...
Yakama Sun KingsThe Yakama Sun Kings were a Continental Basketball Association franchise located in Yakima, Washington, United States, covering the central Washington sports market of Yakima, Tri-Cities and Ellensburg...
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Rio Grande Valley SilveradosThe Southeast Texas Mavericks are a franchise formerly of the American Basketball Association based in Winnie, Texas. The Mavericks are currently not affiliated with any league. The Mavericks had recently played in the Gulf Coast Division of the American Basketball Association. The team plays its...
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Atlanta Krunk---->Premier Basketball League The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is a men's professional basketball minor league in the United States that began play in January 2008. The league had ten teams for the 2008 season and thirteen teams for the 2009 season. Nine teams from Canada and the United States...
Oklahoma Cavalry---->Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry |
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| 2009–2010 |
1 |
Albany Patroons The Albany Patroons were a professional basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association ....
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Minot SkyRockets The Minot SkyRockets were a team in the Continental Basketball Association. They played their home games at the Minot Municipal Auditorium. The team began play in 2005 as the San Jose Skyrockets of the American Basketball Association. The team had a very successful first season, finishing first...
Rockford LightningThe Rockford Lightning were a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois. The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses from Lancaster, Pennsylvania...
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East Kentucky Miners The East Kentucky Miners are a professional basketball team in the American Basketball Association that began play as a member of the Continental Basketball Association in the 2007-2008 season...
---->American Basketball AssociationThe American Basketball Association, often abbreviated as ABA, is a semi-professional men's basketball league that was founded in 1999. The current ABA has no affiliation with the original American Basketball Association that merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976...
Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry---->Premier Basketball LeagueThe Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is a men's professional basketball minor league in the United States that began play in January 2008. The league had ten teams for the 2008 season and thirteen teams for the 2009 season. Nine teams from Canada and the United States...
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All-star games
- See: List of Continental Basketball Association All-Star Games
Notable figures
- See: List of Continental Basketball Association MVP's and Notable Alumni
CBA/NBA relationship
During the early years of the CBA (when it was known as the EPBL), the league's relationship with the NBA was frosty at best. The NBA would send several players to the Eastern League for extra playing time, and for several seasons two Eastern League teams would play the opening game of a New Year's Eve doubleheader at Madison Square Garden (with the NBA playing the nightcap game). Although the NBA played exhibition games with the Eastern League during the late 1940s and early 1950s the exhibition games ceased in 1954, when the Eastern League signed several college basketball players involved in point-shaving gambling scandals during their college years (including
Jack MolinasJacob "Jack" L. Molinas was an American professional basketball player and one of the key figures in the point shaving scandal that almost destroyed NCAA basketball...
,
Sherman WhiteSherman White was an American college basketball player at Long Island University who is best remembered for being indicted in a point shaving scandal that resulted in him being stripped of numerous honors and awards, having to serve an 8-month jail sentence, and being prohibited from ever...
,
Floyd LayneFloyd Layne was a basketball player for CCNY who was implicated in the point shaving scandal that rocked college athletics in the 1950s. Layne was instrumental in the team that won the NIT and NCAA championship in 1950 for CCNY...
and
Ed Roth"Big Daddy" Ed Roth was an artist, cartoonist, custom car painter, and pinstriper who created the hot-rod icon Rat Fink and other extreme characters. As a custom car builder, Roth was a key figure in Southern California's Kustom Kulture and hot-rod movement of the late 50's and 1960's...
). The Eastern League also signed 7-foot center
Bill SpiveyWilliam "Bill" Spivey was an American basketball player. A center, he played college basketball for the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Kentucky Wildcats from 1949 to 1951. After his high school career, Spivey was recruited to the University of Kentucky...
, the former
University of KentuckyThe University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
standout who was accused of point-shaving (although Spivey was acquitted of all charges, the NBA still banned him from the league for life).
After a few seasons, however, the NBA and EPBL resumed exhibition games in the 1950s (including a 1956 matchup in which the NBA's
Syracuse NationalsThe Syracuse Nationals were an American professional basketball team that existed from 1946 to 1963 as part of the National Basketball League and National Basketball Association . They are currently known as the Philadelphia 76ers, and are the NBA's oldest continued franchise.The team began in...
lost to the EPBL's
Wilkes-Barre BaronsThe Wilkes-Barre Barons were a legendary basketball team from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.The Barons played between 1933 and 1972 in different American leagues. The team won 11 titles during this time, and the most memorable are those were won while playing in the American Basketball League and the...
at Wilkes-Barre's home court). Other EPBL-NBA exhibition matchups include an October 1959 contest in which the
New York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
defeated the Allentown Jets 131-102 at Allentown; and a contest in April 1961, in which the
Boston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
also played an exhibition contest against Allentown (defeating the Eastern Leaguers soundly). The Eastern League became a haven for players who wanted to play professionally, but were barred from the NBA because of academic restrictions. Even though
Ray ScottJohn Raymond Scott is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach of the Detroit Pistons...
had left the University of Portland two months after his matriculation, the NBA could not sign Scott to a contract until Scott's class graduated. The EPBL, however, could sign him and Scott played 77 games for the Allentown Jets before later joining the NBA's
Detroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
.
By the 1967-68 season, the Eastern League lost many of its players when the upstart
American Basketball AssociationThe American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
formed. Players such as Lavern "Jelly" Tart,
Willie SomersetWillard F. Somerset is an American former professional basketball player.A 5'8" guard from Duquesne University, Somerset played eight games for the Baltimore Bullets during the 1965-66 NBA season, averaging 5.6 points per game...
,
Art HeymanArthur Bruce "Art" Heyman is an American former professional basketball player.-Early years:Heyman, who was Jewish, was born in New York City, New York. A 6' 5" guard/forward, after attending Oceanside High School in New York, Heyman was heavily recruited by many schools, and originally signed a...
and
Walt SimonWalter Simon was an American basketball player. A 6'6" forward/guard from Benedict College, he played seven seasons in the American Basketball Association for the New Jersey Americans, New York Nets and Kentucky Colonels...
(all of whom were all-stars in the Eastern League a year before) were now in ABA uniforms. The ABA continued to siphon off NBA and Eastern League players, leaving the Eastern League with only six teams in 1972 and four teams in 1975. Only the
ABA-NBA mergerThe ABA–NBA merger was the merger of the American Basketball Association with the National Basketball Association, which after multiple attempts over several years finally occurred in 1976.- Origins of ABA-NBA competition :...
in June 1976 kept the Eastern League alive, as an influx of players from defunct ABA teams joined the league.
In 1979, the NBA signed four players from the newly-renamed CBA. The CBA, receiving no compensation from the NBA for these signings, filed a lawsuit against the NBA. The suit was settled and in exchange for the right to sign any player at any time, the NBA paid the CBA $115,000; it also paid the CBA $80,000 to help develop NBA referees at CBA games. NBA/CBA relations grew tense again in 1982, when the CBA added the Detroit Spirits franchise to their league roster. Since the Spirits played in the same city as the NBA's Pistons, the NBA did not renew its year-to-year agreement with the CBA. The CBA then began binding individual NBA teams to a form contract, permitting those teams to sign CBA players to 10-day contracts. The CBA player could sign a second 10-day contract; after the completion of the second 10-day contract, the NBA team would have to sign the player for the rest of the season or return him to the CBA. The CBA teams, in turn, would receive compensation for each 10-day contract. After one year, the NBA and CBA negotiated a league-wide agreement.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the NBA's relationship with the CBA grew to the point where dozens of former CBA stars found their way onto NBA rosters (including
Tim LeglerTimothy Eugene Legler is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA. He is currently an ESPN basketball analyst.-La Salle:...
(Omaha Racers), and
Mario ElieMario Antoine Elie is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Currently, he works as an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings.-Early life and career:...
(Albany Patroons)). The CBA also sent qualified coaches to the NBA, including
Phil JacksonPhilip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
(Albany Patroons),
Bill MusselmanWilliam Clifford Musselman was an American basketball coach in the NCAA, the ABA, the WBA, the CBA, and the NBA. He was a fiercely intense coach who once was quoted as saying "defeat is worse than death, because you have to live with defeat."-Early life:Musselman was the second of five children....
(
Tampa Bay ThrillersThe Tampa Bay Thrillers were a franchise in the Continental Basketball Association from 1984–1987, winning back-to-back championships in 1984 and 1985...
),
Eric MusselmanEric P. Musselman is an American basketball coach and the former head coach of the NBA's Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors...
(Rapid City Thrillers),
Flip SaundersPhillip "Flip" Saunders is an American basketball head coach of the Washington Wizards. He previously coached the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.-High school and college player:Saunders was born in Cincinnati, Ohio....
(LaCrosse Catbirds) and
George KarlGeorge Matthew Karl is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player. He is the current head coach of the Denver Nuggets. On December 10, 2010 he became the seventh coach in NBA history to record 1,000 wins.-Biography:Karl was born in Penn Hills,...
(Montana Golden Nuggets). In 2002 the NBA formed its own minor league, the National Basketball Development League (the NBDL or "D-League"). At the end of the 2005–2006 season, three current and one expansion CBA franchise jumped to the NBDL. During the 2006-07 season no players were called up from the CBA to the NBA, ending a streak of over 30 seasons of at least one call-up per year.
Rules
The CBA follows the same basketball rules as does the
NBAThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
and most other professional leagues. However, from 1978 through 1986, CBA commissioner Jim Drucker created several new rules to raise fan interest which were adopted by the league:
- Season standings were changed from a win-loss percentage, to the "7 Point System". During each game, seven points are awarded—three for winning the game, and one point for each quarter in which a team outscored their opponent. Team standings were determined by the number of points, rather than win-loss percentage.
- A player cannot foul out of the game; after a player's sixth personal foul, the opposing team receives an automatic free throw.
- During the 1982–83 and 1983–84 seasons, overtime games were decided by the team who scored the first three points in overtime. During the 1984–85 season, that rule was modified so that victory went to the first team to lead by three points in overtime. By the 1987–88 season, that rule was superseded by a standard five-minute overtime period to determine the winner.
- During the 1981–82 season, the CBA created a 6 by 5 ft (1.8 by 1.5 m) "no call box"—an area in front of the baskets in which any contact in the box between offensive and defensive players was to be an automatic defensive foul. This rule (which was designed to encourage drives to the hoop) caused more confusion than scoring, and was quickly abandoned. However, a variation of this rule would be adopted by the NBA in 2002.
- For a few years in the early 1980s the CBA offered a money-back guarantee—returning a patron's money if, before the start of the second quarter, the fan left the game. There was also a "national season ticket
A season ticket is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time.-Sport:In sport, a season ticket grants the holder access to all regular-season home games for one season without additional charges. The ticket usually offers a discounted price over purchasing a ticket for each of...
," allowing fans to attend any CBA game within a 100-mile radius of his hometown.
- Drucker also created a series of high-profile, big-money promotions that attracted increased attendance, league sponsorhip and media interest. From 1984–86, "The 1 Million Dollar CBA Supershot" offered a $1,000,000 annuity prize for a fan selected at random at halftime who made a 3/4-court shot. Although no fan won that one, in 1986 one fan did win a $1 million zero-coupon bond. The winner, Don Mattingly (no relation to the New York Yankee player with the same name
Donald Arthur "Don" Mattingly is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nicknamed "The Hit Man" and "Donnie Baseball", he played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
), won the bond in the "CBA Easy Street Shootout" at the 1986 CBA All-Star Game in Tampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. Other promotions included the "Ton of Money Free Throw" which consisted of 2,000 pounds of pennies ($5,000) for making a foul shot, and "The Fly-In, Drive-Away" Contest where each fan received a paper airplane with a distinct serial number. At halftime a new car, with the sun roof opened, was driven to mid-court and the fan who threw his airplane into the sun roof won the car. A Ford ThunderbirdThe Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
was won by a fan at the CBA All-Star Game in Casper, WyomingCasper is the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.. Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming , according to the 2010 census, with a population of 55,316...
in 1984.
External links