The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is an American professional men's

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...

that began play in January 2008. The league folded after the 2017 season. It was announced that the league would be revived under new management for the 2020 season. The league announced due coronavirus outbreak the season would be put on hold.

History

2008 season

The PBL was formed after a number of disagreements between several former member teams of the modern

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four A ...

(ABA) and ABA CEO Joe Newman. Eight of the initial ten PBL teams either played in or were slated to play in the ABA. In early 2007, Newman was voted out of his position as CEO of the ABA by the board of directors, which included

Maryland Nighthawks The Washington GreenHawks were a team of the Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League (ACPBL) based in Washington, D.C. As the Maryland Nighthawks they were formerly part of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and a founding member of ...

owner and then-ABA COO Tom Doyle (who was later a commissioner of the PBL), citing dissatisfaction with how Newman executed his duties as CEO, the large number of ABA teams that did not have the funds to operate, and high number of games when an ABA team did not show up. Newman responded by using his and other shares that formed a controlling interest to remove the entire board of directors. Newman then refused to reschedule a weather-delayed playoff game between the Rochester RazorSharks and Wilmington Sea Dawgs although the two teams agreed to a make up date, wanting instead to force Rochester to accept a forfeit. It was on the heels of these two incidents that the Nighthawks and RazorSharks ownership groups decided to found the PBL. Dr. Sev Hrywnak, owner of the Rochester RazorSharks, invested close to $2 million to start the PBL. The business model was structured so that teams entering the initial season did not have to pay an entrance fee of $100,00 and that all travel would be covered by the League. This would allow new teams the opportunity to have financial success from the start. Former

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

point guard and current NBA on TNT analyst

Kenny Smith Kenneth Smith (born March 8, 1965), nicknamed "the Jet", is an American sports commentator and former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the Sacra ...

was the league's first commissioner.

2009 season

During the 2008 off season, six more former ABA teams decided to move to the PBL. First, on May 9, the

Manchester Millrats The Saint John Riptide were a Canadian professional basketball team based in Saint John, New Brunswick, that had home games at Harbour Station. They were a member of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada) in the Atlantic Division. ...

and the 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 ABA champion Vermont Frost Heaves moved. Then on May 20, the inactive Detroit Panthers re-activated and joined the league. And on May 21, the

Quebec Kebs The Quebec Kebs (french: Kebs de Quebec) were a professional basketball team located in Laval, Quebec, formerly based in Quebec City, Quebec. The Kebs were part of the National Basketball League of Canada. They also played in the Atlantic Divisi ...

joined. On June 5 another team with an ABA history, the Augusta Groove, joined the league, but from the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball mi ...

. On June 23, the

Halifax Rainmen The Halifax Rainmen were a professional basketball team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. They played in the Atlantic Division of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and their home games took place at the Scotiabank Centre, ...

, an ABA team the previous year, announced they were also joining the PBL. The first

International Basketball League The International Basketball League (IBL) was a semi-professional men's basketball league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States. In 2010 the Albany Legends became the first team in the Northeastern United States to join. Th ...

defection came on July 31 when the

Battle Creek Knights The Battle Creek Flight are a team in the Independent Basketball Association (IBA) located in Battle Creek, Michigan. They previously played in the Premier Basketball League (PBL) and in the International Basketball League. The team was known ...

joined the league. The Rochester RazorSharks went on to win their second straight PBL title after beating the Battle Creek Knights.

2010 season

The Battle Creek Knights, the Wilmington Sea Dawgs and the

Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry The Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry was a professional basketball team based in Lawton, Oklahoma. They played in the Premier Basketball League after having been in the Continental Basketball Association. They have one PBL championship and also were th ...

would not return for the 2010 season. The Maryland Nighthawks changed the name of their franchise to the

Maryland GreenHawks The Washington GreenHawks were a team of the Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League (ACPBL) based in Washington, D.C. As the Maryland Nighthawks they were formerly part of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and a founding member of ...

. The

Puerto Rico Capitanes The Capitanes de Arecibo are a Puerto Rican professional basketball team based in Arecibo that competes in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) league. In 2010, the team also had the distinction to play in the Premier Basketball League (PBL) u ...

joined the league, performing concurrently in the

Baloncesto Superior Nacional The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation. The Baloncesto Superior Naci ...

. At the end of the season, the league officially severed ties with the

Buffalo Stampede The Buffalo Stampede was a basketball team in the Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League (ACPBL) that started as a franchise in the Premier Basketball League (PBL) in the 2009 season. The team was originally the NexxNow Buffalo Dragons ( ...

, citing a failure by the team to adhere to league standards. The

were also dropped from the league. The

Bluegrass Stallions The Bluegrass Stallions were a basketball team in the Premier Basketball League. They debuted in the American Basketball Association in 2009–10. The Stallions' first head coach was Kyle Macy, a former Kentucky Wildcats three-time All-American ...

, another ABA team located in Kentucky, joined. The league also added the expansion

Dayton Air Strikers The Dayton Air Strikers are an American minor league basketball team based out of Dayton, Ohio. The team plays throughout North America between the United States and Canada. They currently compete in the Midwest Basketball League based out of Mi ...

2011 season

In January, the Vermont Frost Heaves abruptly announced the cessation of operations and their players were dispersed via a draft. The Rochester RazorSharks won the league championship.

2012 season

The league approved expansion teams in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

and

Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...

for the 2012 PBL season. Also,

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020 ...

Hershey, Pennsylvania Hershey is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is home to The Hershey Company, which was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey. The community is lo ...

, and

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th ...

were named as cities pending approval for expansion teams. On 18 July 2011, the PBL announced the Dayton Air Strikers were returning to the league for the 2012 season. In addition, the

Northwestern Illinois Northwestern Illinois is a geographic region of the state of Illinois within the USA. Northwestern Illinois is generally considered to consist of the following area: Jo Daviess County, Carroll County, Whiteside County, Stephenson County, Winn ...

-based

Sauk Valley Predators The Sauk Valley Predators are a Premier Basketball League team that began play in the 2012 season. Based in Northwestern Illinois, the Predators play their home games at several sites in the region, including Sterling High School in Sterling, Ill ...

began their inaugural season in the PBL for 2012. On August 22, 2011, it was announced the

Charleston Gunners The Charleston Gunners were a Premier Basketball League team based in Charleston, West Virginia. The Gunners played their home games on the campus of West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery. The Gunners were named to hon ...

would be the PBL's sixth team for the 2012 season. On September 15, 2011, it was announced the Northwest Indiana Stars were leaving the ABA to be the PBL's seventh team for the 2012 season. On 21 September 2011 it was announced the Lake Michigan Admirals were also leaving the ABA to be the PBL's eighth team for the 2012 season. On 23 September 2011 it was announced that the PBL's ninth team for the 2012 season would be the Central Illinois Drive based in

Bloomington, Illinois Bloomington is a city and the county seat of McLean County, Illinois, United States. It is adjacent to the town of Normal, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area. Bloomingto ...

. On October 12, 2011, it was announced that the

Indiana Diesels The Indianapolis Diesels, formerly known as the Indiana Diesels, were a team in the North American Basketball League (NABL). Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Diesels played their home games at Emmerich Manual High School south of downtown ...

were also leaving the ABA to be the PBL's tenth team for the 2012 season. On October 14, 2011, it was announced that the St. Louis Pioneers were also leaving the ABA to join the PBL, changing their name to the St. Louis Phoenix. The Central Illinois Drive won the PBL championship for 2012, defeating the Rochester RazorSharks, 101-80. The Drive was 18-1 in regular season and 22-1 total.

2013 season

During the off season the league announced it would be merging with the

Independent Basketball Association The Independent Basketball Association (IBA) was a semi-professional men's basketball league that began play in the fall of 2011. The six charter members were Battle Creek Knights, Chicago Redline, Gary Splash, Kankakee County Soldiers, Lake Coun ...

to form the IBA-PBL. Prior to the start of the season, the defending champions, the Central Illinois Drive, ceased operations, but were then rebooted as the

Bloomington Flex The Bloomington Flex were a professional minor league basketball team based in Bloomington, Illinois. The Flex last played in the Midwest Professional Basketball Association (MPBA) in 2015. History Formed in 2011 as the Central Illinois Drive, ...

. On 24 May 2013, the six PBL teams announced that the two leagues would cease interleague play, and that the leagues would hold separate playoffs. In the first round of the PBL playoffs, the Bloomington Flex beat the Indiana Diesels two games to none, and the Rochester RazorSharks beat the Sauk Valley Predators two games to none. In the finals, the Flex beat the RazorSharks two games to none to win their second consecutive title. On 21 September 2013, the PBL announced the first of what is expected to be up to six expansion teams, with the Lima Express signing to play for the 2014 season, which will begin in January. On 12 November 2013, the PBL announced the addition of the

Pee Dee Vipers The Pee Dee Vipers are a professional basketball team playing in the Premier Basketball League. The Vipers will begin play in the 2014 PBL season. History The Vipers are the first professional basketball team to play in Florence since the Flor ...

, an expansion team based in Florence, South Carolina. Three days later, the league announced that the Lake Michigan Admirals would return for 2014. On November 25, the PBL announced the addition of the

Buffalo 716ers The Buffalo 716ers were a basketball team based in Buffalo, New York, they played in the PBL. The 716ers were originally granted an expansion team with the American Basketball Association., before joining the IBA. The team takes its name from a ...

and the Erie Hurricane. In late November the Chicago Tide joined the league. On 6 February 2014, it was announced that the newly formed Grand Rapids Cyclones would join the PBL.

2014 season

Championship Series (Best 2 of 3)

(2) vs Rochester RazorSharks (1) Rochester wins PBL Championship series 2 games to 1

2015 season

Several games in the 2015 season had to be postponed due to winter weather, leading to a rescheduling of games in March to ascertain that every team in the league would have played at least 15 games before the playoffs. The best-of-three finals-only playoffs between Midwest Division Champions Lake Michigan Admirals and East Division Champions Rochester RazorSharks opened on March 21 in Waterlivet, Michigan, with game two set for March 28 in Rochester. The Rochester RazorSharks won the 2015 PBL Championship, winning the first two games in a best-of three series against the Lake Michigan Admirals. Championship Series (Best 2 of 3) Lake Michigan Admirals (2) vs Rochester RazorSharks (1) Rochester wins PBL Championship series 2 games to 0

2016 season

Many new franchise additions occurred in the 2015 off-season including the Jamestown Jackals,

Kentucky Mavericks The Shreveport Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Shreveport, Louisiana that plays in The Basketball League (TBL). History Rio Grande Valley/Southeast Texas (2006-2011) Originally known as the Rio Grande Valley Silverados, t ...

, Western New York Thundersnow, and the return of the Danville Riverhawks. Mavericks owner Jerry Nelson also become an equity partner in the PBL. In addition, the PBL gained a new Southeast Conference which includes six members of the Tobacco Road Basketball League:

Cary Invasion The Cary Invasion is a member of the Tobacco Road Basketball League and the Premiere Basketball League based in Cary, North Carolina which began play in 2011 as a member of the Continental Basketball League. Home games are played at the Herbert ...

, Charlotte Elite, Durham Legacy, Huntersville HoopForLyfe, Raleigh Revolt, and the Wilmington Sea Dawgs. Championship Series (Best 2 of 3) Lake Michigan Admirals (3) vs Rochester RazorSharks (1) Rochester wins PBL Championship series 2 games to 0

2017 season

Championship Series (Best 2 of 3)

(2) vs Rochester RazorSharks (1) Rochester wins PBL Championship series 2 games to 1

Teams

Future Teams

History of teams

Champions

Awards

Sixth Man of the Year

* 2009: Alex Harper, Wilmington Sea Dawgs * 2010: Melvin Council, Rochester RazorSharks * 2011: Eddie Smith, Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry * 2012: Rodney Edgerson, Central Illinois Drive * 2013: Darin Mency, Rochester RazorSharks * 2014: John Hart, Indianapolis Diesels * 2015: Kyle Meyer, Lima Express * 2016: Melvin Council, Rochester RazorSharks

Defensive Player of the Year

* 2009: Jonas Pierre, Quebec Kebs and Al Stewart, Manchester Millrats * 2010: Eric Crookshank, Halifax Rainmen * 2011: Eric Crookshank, Halifax Rainmen * 2012: Marcel Anderson, Chicago Muscle * 2013: Nate Fuqua, Bloomington Flex * 2014: Courtney Blackmore, Lake Michigan Admirals * 2015: Troy Franklin, Lake Michigan Admirals

Rookie of the Year

* 2010: Eric Gilchrese, Manchester Millrats & Halifax Rainmen * 2011: Todd McCoy, Rochester RazorSharks * 2012: * 2013: Josiah Whitehead, Bloomington Flex * 2014: Jamaal Francis, Lynchburg Titans * 2015: Josh Chichester, Grand Rapids Cyclones * 2016: Michael Davenport, Jamestown Jackals

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.thepbl.com/, PBL official website Professional sports leagues in the United States Basketball leagues in the United States 2007 establishments in the United States Sports leagues established in 2007