The National Basketball League (Legendary NBL of U.S since 1937) was the first professional basketball league in the United States which was in existence between 1937 and 1949. It was important in the evolution of professional basketball in the U.S. and a forerunner of the contemporary National Basketball Association (NBA).
Origins and Formation
The NBL originated as the Midwest basketball conference (MBC) in 1935 when the great depression was occurring. The league was created by companies such as General Electric, Firestone and Goodyear in order to offer entertainment and solace during economically difficult situations. To create a more professional image and appeal to more people, in 1937 the MBC was renamed to the National Basketball League (NBL).
Teams and Championships
The NBL had 38 teams, mostly based in small cities in the Midwest, and had a 12 season history. Those teams were commonly linked to local companies and businesses. The most triumphant teams of the league were Akron Firestone Non-Skids, Oshkosh All-Stars, and Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons all of which won two championships.
Merger with the BAA
At the end of the forties, the NBL was in competition with the Basketball Association of America (BAA) that was better established in large cities of the East Coast. Following some time of competition, the NBL and the BAA were amalgamated on August 3, 1949 to create the National Basketball Association (NBA). This merger brought together the finest teams and players in both leagues as the basis of the future success of the NBA.
Legacy and Influence
The legacy of the NBL is continued in a number of ways:
- Team Lineages: Five of the present NBA teams can be traced to the NBL: Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Sacramento Kings.
- Impact on the NBA: The culture and organizational structure of the NBA was shaped by the priorities of the NBL such as focus on teamwork in playing, defense, and community life.
- Historical Recognition: Although NBA has long been keen on the origins of the BAA, the role of NBL is gaining prominence in the discussion of the history of the league.
The significance of NBL in the history of professional basketball in the United States can be traced to the fact that it shaped its ideals and principles. Not only has its merger with BAA given birth to NBA but also paved the way to popularization of basketball worldwide.
Notable NBL Teams
Akron Firestone Non-Skids
- Location: Akron, Ohio
- Sponsor: Firestone tire and Rubber Company.
- Achievements: 2× NBL Champions (1939, 1940)
- Important fact: One of the most powerful teams in the history of early NBL.
Oshkosh All-Stars
- Location: Oshkosh, Wisconsin
- Accomplishments: Multiple division champions, excellent competitor in the playoffs across the league.
Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
- Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
- sponsor: Zollner Corporation.
- Achievements: 2× NBL Champions (1944, 1945)
- Designations Became Detroit Pistons in the NBA in the merger of the NBL-BAA.
Sheboygan Red Skins
- Location: Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
- Winsomeness: NBL champions in 1943, regular playoffs.
Tri-Cities Blackhawks
- Location Tri-Cities, Illinois/Iowa.
- Legacy:Would later become the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA.
Rochester Royals
- Location: Rochester, New York
- Achievements: NBL champions (1946)
- Legacy: Joined NBA as Sacramento Kings.
Indianapolis Kautskys
- Where: Indianapolis, Indiana.
- Sponsored by: Kautsky family/restaurant
- Legacy: Briefly became the Indianapolis Jets of BAA and went out of business.
Chicago American Gears
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Achievements: NBL champions (1947)
- Major player: George Mikan was one of the first basketball super stars.
Other Notable Teams
- Hammond Ciesar All-Americans.
- Cleveland White Horses
- Toledo Jeeps
- Sheboygan Redskins (not to be confused with Red Skins)
- Detroit Gems (later Los Angeles Lakers, which was originally Minneapolis Lakers)
- Tri-Cities Blackhawks
Observations
- Most of the teams were Midwestern industry or towns.
- Factories or corporations sponsored many of them, which speaks of semi-professional roots of basketball.
- Some teams came over to the new NBA, following the merger between the NBL and the BAA in 1949.
Complete List of NBL Teams (1937–1949)
- Akron Firestone Non-Skids (1937–1941)
o History: Strong early team; two consecutive championships in 1939 and 1940.
- Akron Goodyear Wingfoots (1937–1942)
o Legacy: Champions in the first season of 1937-38.
- Anderson Duffey Packers (1946–1949)
o Legacy: Appeared in the last years of the NBL; then acquired the name of the Anderson Packers in the NBA.
- Buffalo Bisons (1937–1938)
o Historical: short-lived; became the merger of the BAA, which was renamed Atlanta Hawks.
- Chicago Bruins (1939–1942)
o History: NBL team; folded a few seasons later.
- Chicago Studebaker Flyers (1942–1943)
o Legacy: Temporary team; was a part of the league in WWII.
- Chicago American Gears (1944–1947)
o Legacy: Champions in 1947; they had George Mikan.
- Cincinnati Comellos (1937–1938)
o Legacy: One of the founding teams of the league; short time in the league.
- Cleveland Chase Brassmen (1943–1944)
o Legacy: Temporary team; was a part of the league in WWII.
- Cleveland Allmen Transfers (1944–1946)
o History: One more short-lived group; disbanded after several seasons.
- Columbus Athletic Supply (1938–1939)
o Legacy: Played during the early years of the league; short lived.
- Dayton Metropolitans (1937–1938)
o History: One of the oldest teams; with a brief existence.
- Denver Nuggets (1948–1949)
o Legacy: Interchangeably used with the present day NBA team; sporadic engagement.
- Detroit Eagles (1939–1941)
o Legacy: Member of the league during the first few seasons; disbanded.
- Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1937–1949)
o History: Repeat champions; changed the name to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA.
- Hammond Ciesar All-Americans (1937-1939)
o History: One of the oldest teams; short lived.
- Indianapolis Kautskys (1937–1949)
o Majority: became later the Indianapolis Jets in NBA.
- Indianapolis Jets (1949)
o Legacy: Temporary team; as a part of the NBL-BAA merger.
- Kenosha Maroons (1937–1938)
o Legacy: Played during the early years of the league; short lived.
- Lima Senators (1937–1938)
o History: One of the oldest teams; with a brief existence.
- Minneapolis Lakers (1947–1949)
o Legacy: Became the Los Angeles Lakers of NBA.
- Oshkosh All-Stars (1937–1949)
o Past: Two time champions: powerhouse in the first few years of the league.
- Philadelphia Sphas (1937–1938)
o Legacy: Took part in the initial years of the league; short lived.
- Pittsburgh Ironmen (1937–1938)
o History: One of the oldest teams; temporary.
- Rochester Royals (1946–1949)
o Old achievements: Champions in 1946; made Sacramento Kings in the NBA.
- Sheboygan Red Skins (1937–1949)
o History: Champions in 1943; regular playoff teams.
- Syracuse Nationals (1937–1949)
o History: Was turned into Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA.
- Toledo Jeeps (1942–1943)
o History: One-season team; in the league in WWII.
- Waterloo Hawks (1948–1949)
o Legacy Briefer involvement; a component of the NBL-BAA merger.
- Whiting Ciesar All-Americans (1937-1939)
o Legacy: One of the founding teams; short lived.
- Akron Goodyear Wingfoots (1937–1942)
o Legacy: Champions in the first season of the 1937-38 season.
- Akron Firestone Non-Skids (1937–1941)
o Legacy Dominant early team; two consecutive championships in 1939 and 1940.
- Anderson Duffey Packers (1946–1949)
o Legacy: Played during the last years of the NBL; were later to become the Anderson Packers in the NBA.
- Buffalo Bisons (1937–1938)
o Legacy: short-lived existence; became part of the BAA, and became the Atlanta Hawks.
- Chicago Bruins (1939–1942)
o Early NBL team; folded after a few seasons.
- Chicago Studebaker Flyers (1942–1943)
o History: One-season team; in the league in WWII.
- Chicago American Gears (1944–1947)
o History: It became champions in 1947; George Mikan was one of their players.
- Cincinnati Comellos (1937–1938)
o History: One of the original teams in the league; short time.
conclusion:
The National Basketball League (NBL), which was in operation between 1937 and 1949, was instrumental in developing professional basketball in America. Its 38 teams, predominantly based in the Midwestern cities and usually sponsored by companies, offered a competitive and professional stage on which basketball could be played when basketball was still establishing itself as a professional sport.
Some teams of the NBL like Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals, Tri-Cities black hawks, and Syracuse Nationals not only ruled the league but also moved to the NBA and left a legacy. Other short-lived teams helped in the expansion, involvement and rivalry of the league.
The marriage of the NBL and the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1949 led to the creation of NBA that brought together talent, teams and organizational structures that still form part of professional basketball to date. The teamwork, industrial sponsorship and regional competition, as NBL core values, helped in the establishment of the current popularity of the sport worldwide, thus the event is a very necessary aspect in the history of basketball.
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