The Basketball League (TBL), formerly North America Premier Basketball (NAPB), is a professional basketball organization. The league began operating in North America in 2018 with eight teams, and expanded to 38 teams as of 2024[update].
Upcoming season or competition: 2024 TBL season | |
 | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| First season | 2018 |
| CEO | Evelyn Magley |
| President | Dave Magley |
| Commissioner | Carlnel Wiley |
| Motto | "Where the spirit of the game lives" |
| No. of teams | 38 |
| Countries | United States Canada |
| Continent | FIBA Americas (Americas) |
| Most recent champion(s) | Potawatomi Fire (2024) |
| Official website | thebasketballleague |
The Basketball League is a professional basketball league providing player salaries from $500 to $6,500 per month,[1][2] while teams operate on a budget of $125,000 to $250,000 per season.[3]
History
editOn July 7, 2017, Sev Hrywnak and Dave Magley announced the formation of a new professional basketball league. Magley previously served as commissioner for the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC).[4] Hrywnak was the owner of the Rochester Razorsharks. Teams are based throughout the United States and Western Canada. Over the course of two years, the league administration located cities that formerly hosted basketball teams in the defunct Continental Basketball Association, the Premier Basketball League, defunct NBA teams and other potential sports markets. The purpose of the league is to provide opportunities for community involvement particularly schools from the elementary to high school levels. Programs include players reading to younger children, hosting basketball camps for teens, and speaking in school-wide assemblies about substance abuse and staying in school.[5]
The league launched its inaugural 2018 season with eight teams: the Albany Patroons, Kansas City Tornados, Kentucky Thoroughbreds, Nevada Desert Dogs, Ohio Cardinals, Rochester Razorsharks, Vancouver Knights, and the Yakima SunKings. The Ohio Cardinals were replaced mid-season by the Ohio Bootleggers, a team operated by the former ownership of the Vancouver Knights.
On February 25, 2018, Dave Magley announced that there were four more approved franchises in Bellevue, Washington; Raleigh, North Carolina; Tampa, Florida; and San Diego, California; with the goal of 16 total well-funded teams, for a 2019 season.[6]
After the first NAPB season, Magley acquired the league as sole owner, moved the headquarters to Indiana, and named Evelyn Magley—his wife—as the new CEO. On July 14, the league was re-branded as The Basketball League (TBL).[7] Paul Mokeski, head coach and general manager of the Nevada Desert Dogs during the inaugural season, was then named commissioner of the league for the 2019 season.[8] During the league changes, the Ohio Bootleggers, Rochester Razorsharks, and Vancouver Knights folded while the Bellevue team never came to fruition. The league then added the existing teams, the Jamestown Jackals and New York Court Kings, in addition to the three previously announced expansion teams, the Raleigh Firebirds, San Diego Waves, and Tampa Bay Titans. Three teams also slightly re-branded with the Kansas City Tornadoes, Mesquite Desert Dogs, and Owensboro Thoroughbreds. The 2019 season commenced with ten teams.
During the second season, there were many canceled and rescheduled games.[9] The league cut its season short, with the New York Court Kings and Kansas City Tornadoes either folding or ceasing operations for the season.[10]
Prior to the third season, the league added the Columbus Condors, Dayton Flight, Dallas Skyline, Gulf Coast Lions, Indy Express, Lewisville Yellow Jackets, and the Tri-State Admirals as expansion teams.[11][12] The San Diego Waves were replaced by expansion San Diego Armada while the Waves were being relocated, but neither team would make the 2020 schedule.[13] Due to the lack of other western teams, the Yakima SunKings and the Mesquite Desert Dogs suspended operations. The third season started in January 2020, but on March 11, 2020, the league announced the season would end prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have a four-team playoff on March 18 through 22. However, the tournament was also cancelled as most events throughout the country were closed to prevent the spread of the virus.
The league then proceeded to announce several new teams for the 2021 season, expanding from 12 teams in the curtailed 2020 season to 35 teams by January 11, 2021. Several of the added teams came from the semi-professional American Basketball Association.[14][15][16][17] In March, several teams began opting out of the season due to the ongoing pandemic restrictions.
For the 2021–22 season, the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) announced that they had agreed to inter-league series play with several teams from The Basketball League. The games played between the teams from the two leagues are included in their respective regular season standings for each league.[18] In July 2024, the Port City Power based in Saint John, New Brunswick was announced. League President David Magley also announced that TBL would be planning to further expand into The Maritimes for the 2025 season.[19]
On August 28, 2024, the Glass City Wranglers announced they would depart for the Basketball Super League for the 2024–2025 season.[20] In October 2024, the Connecticut Crusaders announced they were relocating from Bridgeport, Connecticut to New Haven, Connecticut.[21]
Announced teams
edit| Team | City | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Joining | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Heet | Chandler, Arizona | Coyote Center | 2021 | 2025 | ||
| DMV Soldiers | Charles County, Maryland | 2024 | 2026 | |||
| Baltimore Venom | Baltimore, Maryland | 2024 | ||||
| New York Phoenix | Schenectady, NY | Armory Studios | 2024 | 2025[22] |
Former teams
edit| Team | City | Arena | Seasons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City Gambits | Atlantic City, New Jersey | Atlantic City High School | 2021–2023 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Carolina Coyotes | Columbia, South Carolina | Glenforest School | 2020–2022 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Central Alabama Jaguars | Montgomery, Alabama | Garrett Coliseum | 2022 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Central Florida Force | Orlando, Florida | Barnett Park Recreation Complex | 2021–2023 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Charlotte Purple Jackets | Charlotte, North Carolina | Curry Court | 2021–2023 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Columbus Condors | Columbus, Ohio | multiple | 2020–2021 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Dayton Flight | Dayton, Ohio | Dayton Sports Complex | 2020–2022 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Detroit Hustle | Detroit, Michigan | Loyola High School | 2020–2022 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Derby City Distillers | Louisville, Kentucky | Gardner Gymnasium | 2022–2024 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Fayetteville Stingers | Fayetteville, North Carolina | Crown Complex | 2023 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Georgia Soul | Augusta, Georgia | HEAL Complex | 2021–2023 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Glass City Wranglers | Toledo, Ohio | Student Health and Activities Center | 2022–2024 | Moved to the Basketball Super League[20] |
| Gulf Coast Lions | Sarasota, Florida | Newton Estates Gym | 2020–2023 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Houston Push | Houston, Texas | 2021 | Not listed on website after season ended. | |
| Indy Express | Indianapolis, Indiana | Municipal Gardens | 2020–2021 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Indiana All-Americans | New Castle, Indiana | Blue River Valley High School | 2022 | Not listed on website after season. ended. |
| Kansas City Tornadoes | Kansas City, Missouri | multiple | 2018–2019 | Reportedly backed out of participating in 2019 playoffs despite being second place; not listed on website after season ended. |
| 'Kalamazoo Galaxy | Kalamazoo, Michigan | Wings Event Center | 2022–2023 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Kentucky Enforcers | Edgewood, Kentucky | Thomas More University | 2021–2023 | Reportedly taking the 2023–2024 season off. |
| Lehigh Valley Legends | Easton, Pennsylvania | Kirby Sports Center | 2021–2023 | Not listed on website after 2021 season ended. |
| Lewisville Leopards | Lewisville, Texas | Macedonia C.A.R.E. Center | 2020–2021 | Known as the Lewisville Yellow Jackets in the 2020 season; not listed on website after 2021 season ended. |
| Massachusetts Monarchs | Taunton, Massachusetts | Taunton High School | 2020–2022 | not listed on website after 2022 season ended. |
| Mesquite Desert Dogs | Mesquite, Nevada | multiple | 2018–2019 | Withdrew prior to the 2020 season citing travel costs as the last remaining west coast team.[23] |
| Midtown Prestige | Wichita, Kansas | 2021 | Not listed on website after season ended. | |
| New York Court Kings | Queens, New York | Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities Center | 2019 | Joined from the ABA; apparently ceased operations during the 2019 season. |
| Ohio Bootleggers | Westerville, Ohio | Otterbein University Rike Center | 2018 | Owners of the Bootleggers had been operating the Vancouver Knights since sometime during the 2018 season. The Bootleggers' NABL team then replaced the folded Ohio Cardinals midseason, but were not listed by TBL as a 2019 member. The Bootleggers relaunched as the Columbus Condors in 2020. |
| Ohio Cardinals | Akron, Ohio | LeBron James Arena | 2018 | Folded during the 2018 season. |
| Oklahoma Panthers | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Putnam City High School | 2021–2023 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Omaha's Finest | Omaha, Nebraska | Millard North High School | 2021 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Owensboro Thoroughbreds | Owensboro, Kentucky | Owensboro Sportscenter | 2018–2023 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Pearland Texas Warriors | Pearland, Texas | Pearland Nortorium | 2022 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Rochester Razorsharks | Rochester, New York | Blue Cross Arena | 2018 | Played the 2018 NAPB season. Change of ownership and left TBL. |
| Rocket City Flight | Huntsville, Alabama | Oakwood University | 2024 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Rhode Island Kraken | Warwick, Rhode Island | multple | 2017–2023 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Syracuse Stallions | Syracuse, New York | Liverpool High School | 2017–2023 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| San Diego Guardians | San Diego, California | 2021 | Not listed on website after season ended. | |
| San Diego Waves | San Diego, California | San Diego Mesa College | 2019 | Team's owner was stated to be relocating the team to an undecided location. San Diego Armada was announced as a replacement team for the 2020 season under new ownership. |
| Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks | Shreveport, Louisiana | Gold Dome | 2021–2024 | Folded midway though 2024 season |
| Sugarland Imperials | Sugar Land, Texas | Wheeler Field House | 2022 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| SoCal Moguls | San Diego North County | Canyon Crest Academy | 2021–2022 | Not listed on website after season. ended. |
| Tallahassee Southern Kings | Tallahassee, Florida | TCC Eagle Dome | 2022 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Vancouver Knights | Richmond, British Columbia | Richmond Olympic Oval | 2018 | The Ohio Bootleggers' ownership took over operations of the Knights during the season and the Knights became a travel team. Ownership was transferred during the 2018 season to another unidentified group once the Bootleggers took over for the Cardinals' schedule. Was not listed by TBL as a 2019 member. |
| Vegas Ballers | Las Vegas, Nevada | Tarkanian Basketball Center | 2021 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| Waco Royals | Chilton, Texas | Chilton High School | 2020–2022 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| West Coast Breeze | San Marcos, California | multiple | 2021, 2023 | Not listed on website after season ended. |
| West Virginia Grind | Charleston, West Virginia | Walker Convocation Center | 2023–2024 | not listed on website after season ended. |
| Yakima SunKings | Yakima, Washington | Yakima SunDome | 2018–2019 | Went on hiatus for 2020.[24] |
| York Mighty Ants | York, Pennsylvania | William Penn Senior High School | 2023 | Not listed on website after season. |
Seasons
edit| Season | Regular season champion | Regular season MVP | Playoff champion | Playoff runner-up | Playoff MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Yakima SunKings | Edwin Ubiles (Albany) | Yakima SunKings | Albany Patroons | Renaldo Major |
| 2019 | Yakima SunKings | Robert Duncan (Yakima) | Albany Patroons | Yakima SunKings | Shadell Millinghaus |
| 2020 | Indy Express* | Corey Taite (Tri-State) | Season canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2021 | Enid Outlaws | Chance Comanche (Enid) | Enid Outlaws | Syracuse Stallions | Chance Comanche |
| 2022 | Shreveport Mavericks | Deshawn Munson (Potawatomi Fire) | Shreveport Mavericks | Albany Patroons | |
| 2023 | Potawatomi Fire | Potawatomi Fire | St. Louis Griffins | ||
| 2024 | Potawatomi Fire | Potawatomi Fire | St. Louis Griffins | ||
* Shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Indy Express had the best overall record at the time of cancellation.
Notes
edit- ^ New franchise replacing the defunct team of the same name.
References
edit- ^ "FAQ – The Basketball League". Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ "US Basketball News, Scores, Stats, Analysis, Standings". www.usbasket.com. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ "The Raptors Are New to Tampa's Basketball Scene. The Titans Aren't". The New York Times. January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ "KU notebook: Ex-Jayhawk David Magley leaves Canada pro league for new venture in U.S." The Kansas City Star. July 2, 2017.
- ^ "The North American Premier Basketball League". NAPB.
- ^ "State of the NAPB: Magley shares thoughts on first half of season". NAPB. February 25, 2018.
- ^ "Meet the First Black Female Owner of a Male Professional Basketball League (Not a Team, But a League!)". Black News. July 17, 2018.
- ^ "Mesquite (Nevada) Desert Dogs coming back for 2019". Mesquite Local News. August 17, 2018.
- ^ "Good and Bad news for Desert Dogs". Mesquite Local News. April 12, 2019.
- ^ Wilkin, By Tim (April 8, 2019). "Patroons trying to make it work". Times Union.
- ^ "Dayton Flight Takes Off in Ohio". The Basketball League. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- ^ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". Our Sports Central. 9 September 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- ^ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". Our Sports Central. 2 September 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- ^ "Syracuse Stallions take it up a notch, move from ABA to 'The Basketball League'". CNY Central. May 1, 2020.
- ^ "Portland Storm to Become Full ABA Team". ABA Live Action. April 18, 2020.
- ^ "San Diego Guardians Support Local Community as New Professional Basketball Team in TBL". The Basketball League. August 3, 2020.
- ^ Wright, Rueben (April 1, 2021). "Pro Basketball Returns to Shreveport". News Radio 710 KEEL. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ "NBL Canada Returns to Celebrate 10th Season with Inter-League Play". OurSports Central. November 4, 2021.
- ^ Phillips, Regis (July 31, 2024). "Saint John's newest basketball team announced". Country 94. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "Glass City Wranglers: A Slam Dunk for Toledo". Glass City Wranglers. August 28, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ "Connecticut Crusaders's post". Facebook. October 18, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ Day, Felix (November 18, 2024). "The Basketball League Expands to Schenectady". WRGB. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ "Mesquite Desert Dogs November 18, 2019, Facebook post". Facebook. November 18, 2019.
- ^ "SunKings will not be returning for a third season". KIMA TV. October 29, 2019.
