The St. Paul Lights were a franchise for the one season (1950) of the National Professional Basketball League, based in

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 311,527, making it Minnesota's second-most populous city a ...

History

The

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

contracted after the 1949–1950 season, losing six teams: The Anderson Packers,

Sheboygan Red Skins The Sheboygan Red Skins (or Redskins) were a professional basketball team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which was an original National Basketball Association franchise during the 1949–50 NBA season, 1949–50 season. History Overview The Re ...

and

Waterloo Hawks The Waterloo Hawks were a National Basketball League and National Basketball Association team based in Waterloo, Iowa. The Hawks remain the only sports franchise ever based in Iowa from any of the current Big Four Leagues. They are not affili ...

, all former NBL teams, jumped to the NPBL, while the

Chicago Stags The Chicago Stags were a National Basketball Association team based in Chicago from 1946 to 1950. History 1946–47 season In the BAA's inaugural year, the Chicago Stags were originally meant to start out as the ''Chicago Atomics'', to the point ...

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

and St. Louis Bombers folded. The league went from 17 teams to 11 before the 1950–1951 season started. Midway through the 1950–1951 season, the

Washington Capitols The Washington Capitols were a former Basketball Association of America (forerunner of the National Basketball Association) team based in Washington, D.C. from 1946 to 1951. The team was coached from 1946 to 1949 by NBA Hall of Famer Red Auerb ...

folded as well, bringing the number of teams in the league down to ten. The National Professional Basketball League was formed around the former NBA/NBL teams, with teams added in new larger markets. The charter teams were the

Sheboygan Redskins The Sheboygan Red Skins (or Redskins) were a professional basketball team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which was an original National Basketball Association franchise during the 1949–50 season. History Overview The Redskins played in thre ...

(former NBA/NBL), the Anderson Packers (former NBA/NBL), the Louisville Alumnites, and the Grand Rapids Hornets, in the East Division; and in the West Division, the Denver Refiners/ Evansville Agogans, the Saint Paul Lights, the

Kansas City Hi-Spots The Kansas City Hi-Spots were a franchise for one season (1950-1951) in the National Professional Basketball League, based in Kansas City, Missouri. History The National Basketball Association contracted after the 1949-1950 season, losing six te ...

, and the

(former NBA/NBL). The St. Paul Lights of the National Professional Basketball League ended the 1950–51 season with a record of 4 wins and 19 losses, finishing third in the NPBL's West Division, behind the leading

(at 32-24, .667). Howie Schultz coached the team. The St. Paul franchise folded before the season ended, a fate shared by the Louisville Alumnites,

and Grand Rapids Hornets, playing their last game on December 19, 1950, a 76-70 win over the Waterloo Hawks. After the Lights folded, professional basketball did not return to St. Paul. However, the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

are a current NBA franchise in Minneapolis. The NPBL folded after the 1950–1951 Season.

The arena

The Lights played at the St. Paul Auditorium, known today as Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Today, the arena in use as part of the RiverCentre complex, down the corridor from the

Xcel Energy Center Xcel Energy Center is a multipurpose arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Completed in 2000 and often called "The X" by fans, it is named for its locally based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 17,954, the arena ...

, home of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...

. Roy Wilkins Auditorium is located at 175 W. Kellogg Boulevard, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Notable alumni

* Gene Berce * Bill Erickson * Howie Schultz * Joe Graboski * Ralph Hamilton

External links

Extinct Sports Leagues site on the National Professional Basketball League

References

{{reflist Defunct basketball teams in Minnesota Lights Basketball teams established in 1950 Basketball teams disestablished in 1950 National Professional Basketball League (1950–51) 1950 establishments in Minnesota 1950 disestablishments in Minnesota Minneapolis–Saint Paul