Continental Basketball Association

Continental Basketball Association (CBA)
Sport Basketball
Founded April 23, 1946
Ceased June 1, 2009
Country  United States
Continent FIBA Americas (Americas)
Last champion(s) Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry (3rd title)
Most titles Allentown Jets
Wilkes-Barre Barons (8 titles each)
Official website www.CBAWorldHoops.com

The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) was a professional men's basketball minor league in the United States.

History

The Continental Basketball Association was a professional basketball minor league from 1946 to 2009. It billed itself as the "World's Oldest Professional Basketball League", since its founding on April 23, 1946 pre-dated the founding of the National Basketball Association by two months. The league's original name was the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League; it fielded six franchises – five in Pennsylvania (Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Allentown, Lancaster, and Reading) – with a sixth team in New York (Binghamton, which moved in mid-season to Pottsville, 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 Williamsport, Scranton, and Sunbury, as well as teams in New Jersey (Trenton, Camden, Asbury Park), Connecticut (New Haven, Hartford, Bridgeport), Delaware (Wilmington) and Massachusetts (Springfield).

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 ABA. The CBA's first commissioner was Harry Rudolph (father of Mendy Rudolph, one of the first referees in the NBA). Steve A. Kauffman, currently a prominent basketball agent, succeeded Rudolph as Commissioner in 1975. Kauffman executed a plan to bring the Anchorage Northern Knights into the league beginning with the 1977-78 season. Kauffman kept the league name because he felt having a team in the Eastern league from Alaska might get the league additional notice and recognition. The establishment of the Anchorage franchise garnered national media attention, including a feature story in Sports Illustrated.[1] The league was renamed the Continental Basketball Association the following season, eventually leading to expansion across the country. Kauffman served as Commissioner until 1978, when his Deputy Commissioner, Jim Drucker, took the reins. Kauffman remained the League's legal counsel for two years. Drucker (son of Norm Drucker, another top NBA referee) continued his 12-year association with the CBA until 1986 as Commissioner and general counsel. From 1986 to 1989 he supervised the production of CBA telecasts on ESPN as President of CBA Properties.

During Drucker's term the league expanded from 8 to 14 teams, landed its first national TV contract (with BET) 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. This made for at least some fan interest even in the late stages of games which were otherwise blowouts; the trailing team could still get a standings point by winning the final quarter, especially if the team which was leading chose to rest some or all of its starters. 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, even in NCAA Division I and the NBA, would feature a winning prize worth less than $100, the CBA's Supershot (created in 1983) offered a grand prize of $1 million if a randomly selected fan could hit one shot from the far foul line, 69.75 feet (21.26 m). No one won the (insured) prize, but the shot attracted national media coverage for the league in Sports Illustrated, The New York Times and The Sporting News. In 1985, the CBA followed with the "Ton-of-Money Free Throw", which featured a prize of 2,000 pounds (910 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 player), representing the Evansville (Indiana) Thunder. After the league's 1985 All-Star Game in Casper, Wyoming, 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 car.

In 1984, 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 News, Entertainment Tonight, in Sports Illustrated and other media. The contest was won by a NJ high school basketball coach, Bill Lange, who won the Philadelphia regional contest and then went on to win the national tryout. In an interesting twist, Lange went on to coach the Philadelphia Spirit in the USBL.

Achievements

Integration

During the 1946-47 Eastern League season, the Hazleton Mountaineers had three African-American players on their roster during the season – Bill Brown, Zack Clayton and John Isaacs. Isaacs previously played with an all-black touring squad (the Washington Bears), while Brown and Clayton were alumni of the Harlem Globetrotters. During the 1955-56 season, the Hazleton Hawks Eastern League team was the first integrated professional league franchise with an all-black starting lineup: Tom Hemans, Jesse Arnelle, Fletcher Johnson, Sherman White and Floyd Lane. The all-black Dayton Rens competed in the 1948-49 National Basketball League.

Three-point line

Because 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 three-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 Dawkins shattered two basketball backboards during his 1979-80 NBA season, the CBA tested a collapsible hinged rim. Eventually other leagues converted to the collapsible hinged model, which is still in use.

10-day contract

During the early 1980s, the CBA and NBA 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 was signed at the pro rata league minimum salary (as stipulated in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement) for 10 days. If the NBA team liked the player, the team could re-sign him to a second 10-day contract. After the second 10-day contract expired, the team had to either return the player to the CBA or sign him for the balance of the NBA regular season. Even though the CBA is no longer active, the 10-day contract rule still exists in the NBA.

1999–2001

In August 1999, the CBA's teams were purchased by an investment group led by former NBA star Isiah Thomas. The group bought all of the individually owned franchises of the CBA, in a $10 million acquisition. Over the course of the next 18 months, Thomas was faced with a plethora of business troubles, losing the league’s partnership with the NBA and ultimately abandoning the league into a blind trust that left teams unable to meet payroll or pay bills. The combined-ownership plan was unsuccessful and by 2001, the CBA had declared bankruptcy and ceased operations (folded on February 8, 2001 without managing to complete the 2000-01 season).

Several of its teams briefly joined the now-defunct International Basketball League.

Below is a timeline of Thomas' ownership of the CBA:

Revival

In fall 2001, CBA and IBL teams merged with the International Basketball Association and purchased the assets of the defunct CBA (including its name, logo and records from the bankruptcy court) and resumed operations as the CBA, assuming the former league's identity and history. 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 20072008 season and the Utah Eagles folded on January 25, 2007. The CBA's 200708 season began with 10 franchises, the greatest number of teams to start a CBA season since the 200001 season. In addition to six returning franchises the CBA added three expansion teams the Oklahoma Cavalry, the Rio Grande Valley Silverados and East Kentucky Miners; the Atlanta Krunk joined the league after sitting out the 200607 season.

The 20082009 season began with only four teams, instead of the expected five. The Pittsburgh Xplosion folded under unclear circumstances, and the league scheduled games against American Basketball Association (ABA) teams for the first month of the season in an attempt to stay solvent.[2] The maneuver was not enough and on February 2 the league announced a halt to operations, turning a scheduled series between the Albany Patroons and Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry into the league-championship series.[3] Jim Coyne, league commissioner, said in June 2009 that only two of the league's teams had committed to playing basketball the following year; thus the league would not play in 2010, instead going out of business.[4]

Teams

Year-by-year

Year Teams Expansion Defunct Suspended Return from Hiatus Relocated/Name Change Never Played
2001–2002 8 Dakota Wizards
Fargo Beez
Flint Fuze
Gary Steelheads
Grand Rapids Hoops
Rockford Lightning
Sioux Falls Skyforce
Saskatchewan Hawks
2002–2003 8 Dakota Wizards
Gary Steelheads
Great Lakes Storm
Idaho Stampede
Grand Rapids Hoops
Rockford Lightning
Sioux Falls Skyforce
Yakima Sun Kings
Fargo Beez
Saskatchewan Hawks
Flint Fuze---->Great Lakes Storm
2003–2004 7 Dakota Wizards
Gary Steelheads
Great Lakes Storm
Idaho Stampede
Rockford Lightning
Sioux Falls Skyforce
Yakima Sun Kings

Grand Rapids Hoops
2004–2005 8 Dakota Wizards
Gary Steelheads
Great Lakes Storm
Idaho Stampede
Michigan Mayhem
Rockford Lightning
Sioux Falls Skyforce
Yakima Sun Kings
2005–2006 8 Albany Patroons
Dakota Wizards
Gary Steelheads
Idaho Stampede
Michigan Mayhem
Rockford Lightning
Sioux Falls Skyforce
Yakima Sun Kings
Great Lakes Storm
2006–2007 8 Albany Patroons
Butte Daredevils
Great Falls Explorers
Indiana Alley Cats
Minot SkyRockets
Pittsburgh Xplosion
Utah Eagles
Yakama Sun Kings
Utah Eagles
Gary Steelheads
Michigan Mayhem
Rockford Lightning
Dakota Wizards---->NBA Development League
Sioux Falls Skyforce---->NBA Development League
Idaho Stampede---->NBA Development League
2007–2008 11 Albany Patroons
Atlanta Krunk
Butte Daredevils
Great Falls Explorers
East Kentucky Miners
Minot SkyRockets
Oklahoma Cavalry
Rio Grande Valley Silverados
Rockford Lightning
Pittsburgh Xplosion
Yakama Sun Kings
Indiana Alley Cats Vancouver Dragons
Miami Majesty
SoCal Legends
2008–2009 5 Albany Patroons
East Kentucky Miners
Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry
Minot SkyRockets
Rockford Lightning
Butte Daredevils
Great Falls Explorers
Pittsburgh Xplosion
Yakama Sun Kings
Rio Grande Valley Silverados Atlanta Krunk---->Premier Basketball League
Oklahoma Cavalry---->Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry
2009–2010 1 Albany Patroons Minot SkyRockets
Rockford Lightning
East Kentucky Miners---->American Basketball Association
Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry---->Premier Basketball League

Complete team list

See: Continental Basketball Association franchise history

CBA champions

See: List of Continental Basketball Association champions
TeamsWinLossTotalYear(s) wonYear(s) lost
Wilkes-Barre Barons83111947, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1969, 1973, 19781963, 1966, 1968
Allentown Jets83111962, 1963, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1975, 19761961, 1974, 1977
Scranton Miners/Apollos3471957, 1971, 19771959, 1965, 1967, 1972
Williamsport Billies3251950, 1953, 19541956, 1962
Baltimore Bullets/Camden Bullets/Hartford Capitols3251961, 1964, 19741960, 1973
Team Name000Years wonYears lost

Teams that have no CBA Finals appearances:

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 Molinas, Sherman White, Floyd Layne and Ed Roth). The Eastern League also signed 7-foot center Bill Spivey, the former University of 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 Nationals lost to the EPBL's Wilkes-Barre Barons at Wilkes-Barre's home court). Other EPBL-NBA exhibition matchups include an October 1959 contest in which the New York Knicks defeated the Allentown Jets 131-102 at Allentown; and a contest in April 1961, in which the Boston Celtics 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 Scott 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 Pistons.

By the 1967-68 season, the Eastern League lost many of its players when the upstart American Basketball Association formed. Players such as Lavern "Jelly" Tart, Willie Somerset, Art Heyman and Walt Simon (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 merger 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 Legler (Omaha Racers), Mario Elie (Albany Patroons), and John Starks (Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets). The CBA also sent qualified coaches to the NBA, including Phil Jackson (Albany Patroons), Bill Musselman (Tampa Bay Thrillers), Eric Musselman (Rapid City Thrillers), Flip Saunders (LaCrosse Catbirds) and George Karl (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 followed largely the same basketball rules as does the NBA and most other professional leagues. Sometimes rules adopted by the CBA on an experimental basis later became permanent in that league and were adopted by other levels of basketball as well; others remained unique to the CBA. From 1978 through 1986, CBA commissioner Jim Drucker created several new rules to raise fan interest which were adopted by the league:

See also

References

  1. Papanek, John (February 27, 1978). "North For Sure But Also East". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  2. Wilkin, Tim (2008-12-05), Shaky CBA getting help from ABA, Albany Times Union, retrieved 2009-02-02
  3. McGuire, Mark (2009-02-02), CBA season to end early, Albany Times Union, retrieved 2009-02-02
  4. Wilkin, Tim (2009-06-11), CBA 'very doubtful' for next season, Albany Times Union, retrieved 2009-10-18

External links

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