The CBA can date its origins back to April 23 , 1946 , when it was called the (1946-47). Between 1948 and 1970 it was called the '''Eastern Professional Basketball League''', and then renamed the '''Eastern Basketball Association'''. On June 1 , 1978 , the league's name became the Continental Basketball Association. Tracing the league's operation back to its Pennsylvania origins, it claims to be the oldest professional basketball league in the world (the NBA's predecessor, the Basketball Association of America, also began operations in 1946, but in June of that year). Its first commissioner was Harry Rudolph , the father of Mendy Rudolph , one of the first great referees of the National Basketball Association .
In 1999, all the league's teams were purchased by an investment group led by former NBA star Isiah Thomas . The combined ownership plan was unsuccessful and the CBA declared bankruptcy and ceased operations on February 8 , 2001 . Some of its teams moved briefly to the International Basketball League .
In the fall of 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 re-started operations, calling itself the CBA.
The CBA follows the same basketball rules as does the NBA and most other professional leagues. However, in the late 1970s CBA commissioner Jim Drucker added several new rules to increase scoring and raise fan interest.
- During each game, a team can win up to seven standings points - three points for winning the game, and one point for each quarter in which they outscore their opponent. The teams with the greatest number of standings points at the end of the year go to the playoffs.
- Beginning with the 2005-2006 season, the six teams with the highest quarter points qualified for the playoffs. The first round of playoffs featured each team participating in a three-game round-robin tournament, with the final two teams achieving the highest quarter point totals advancing to a best-of-three series.
- A player cannot foul out of the game - after a player's sixth personal foul, the opposing team receives an automatic free throw.
- During the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons, overtime games were decided by the team who scored the first three points in overtime. During the 1984-85 season, that rule was modified so that victory went to the first team to LEAD by three points in overtime. By the 1987-88 season, that rule was superseded by a standard five-minute overtime period to determine the winner.
- During the 1981 - 82 season, the CBA created a six-foot by five-foot "no call box", an area in front of the baskets in which any contact in the box betwen offensive and defensive players was to be an automatic defensive foul. This rule, which was designed to encourage drives to the hoop, caused more confusion than scoring, and the rule was quickly abandoned. However, a variant of this rule would be adopted by the NBA in 2002.
- For a few years in the early 1980's, the CBA offered a money-back guarantee, returning a patron's money if before the start of the second quarter, the fan left the game. There was also a "national season ticket," allowing fans to attend any CBA games within a 100-mile radius of his hometown.
Other CBA rules and innovations that were later adopted by the NBA include the three-point line (first used in the CBA in 1964), collapsible rims to keep backboard glass from being destroyed in a dunk (first used by the CBA in 1980), and the offering of three foul shots if a player is fouled in the act of shooting a three-point behind-the-arc play.
- Drucker also created a series of high-profile, big-money promotions that attracted increased attendance and league sponsorhips and substantial media interest. From 1984-86, "The 1 Million Dollar CBA Supershot" offered a $1,000,000 cash prize for a fan selected at random at halftime who made a 3/4 court shot. Although no fan won that one, in 1986 one fan did win a $1,000,000 zero coupon bond. The winner, Don Mattingly (no relation to the New York Yankee player with the same name), won the bond in the "CBA Easy Street Shootout" at the 1986 CBA All-Star Game in Tampa. Other promotions included the "Ton of Money Free Throw" which consisted of 2,000 pounds of pennies ($5,000) for making one foul shot, and "The Fly-In, Drive-Away" Contest where each fan received a paper airplane with a distinct serial number. At halftime, a new car, with the sun-roof opened, was driven to mid-court and the fan who threw his airplane into the sun roof won the car. A new Ford Thunderbird was won by a fan at the CBA All-Star Game in Casper Wyoming in 1984.
The following are a list of players and coaches from the CBA or the Eastern League (the CBA's predecessor) who later went on to successful careers, either in the NBA or in the top college divisions.
- Phil Jackson - Coached the Albany Patroons for five years; later won nine rings as an NBA head coach.
- Flip Saunders - Ranks second in the CBA with 253 career victories as a head coach; moved on to coach the Minnesota Timberwolves and currently coaches the Detroit Pistons .
- George Karl - Coached the Montana Golden Nuggets and Albany Patroons; later became a head coach with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics and Denver Nuggets.
- John Chaney - The longtime Temple Owls coach played for the Eastern League's Sunbury Mercuries, and later coached the Williamsport Billies.
- Tim Legler - The Omaha Racers star later became an NBA player with the Washington Bullets.
- Jim Boeheim - Long before he became head coach of the Syracuse Orange men's basketball team, Boeheim was a star for the Scranton Miners in the 1960's.
- Paul Arizin - When the Philadelphia Warriors moved to San Francisco in 1961, Arizin chose to stay in Philadelphia, playing three years with the Eastern League's Camden Bullets.
- John Starks - Started his professional basketball career with the 1989-90 Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets.
- Bill Musselman - Coached the Tampa Bay/Rapid City Thrillers and Albany Patroons to four consecutive CBA titles; later became the first head coach of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves .
- Eric Musselman - The son of the late Bill Musselman, Eric ranks as one of the winningest coaches in CBA history; later became the head coach of the Golden State Warriors , finishing as runner-up for NBA Coach of the Year in 2002-2003.
During the early years of the CBA, when it was the EPBL, the league's relationship with the NBA was frosty at best. In 1953, the NBA refused to accept any players from the EPBL after the EPBL signed two college basketball stars, Jack Molinas and Sherman White , both of whom were involved in college basketball point-shaving scandals. The Eastern League also signed 7-foot center Bill Spivey , the former University Of Kentucky standout who was accused of pointshaving (although Spivey was acquitted of all charges, the NBA still banned him from their league for life).
By 1959, however, the NBA and EPBL actually played an exhibition game together, as the New York Knicks defeated the Allentown Jets, 131-102, in a game in Allentown. In 1961, the Boston Celtics also played an exhibition contest against Allentown, defeating the Eastern Leaguers soundly.
Besides signing White, Molinas and Spivey, the Eastern League could sign various basketball stars, even those who had not completed their college eligibility. Even though Ray Scott had left his college two months after enrolling in it, the NBA could not sign Scott to a contract until Scott's class graduated. The CBA, however, could sign him, and Scott played 77 games for the Allentown Jets before later joining the NBA's Detroit Pistons .
By 1968, 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 just a year prior, were now in ABA uniforms. The ABA continued to siphon both NBA and Eastern League talent, leaving the Eastern League with only six teams in 1972; and four teams in 1975. Only the merger of the ABA and the NBA kept the Eastern League alive, as an influx of players from defunct ABA teams joined the Eastern 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 and also paid the CBA $80,000 to help develop NBA referees at CBA games.
NBA/CBA relationships grew tense again in 1982, when the CBA added the Detroit Spirits to their league roster. Since the Spirits played in the same city as did the NBA's Detroit Pistons, the NBA chose to not sign any CBA players, arguing that the CBA illegally moved into an NBA city. After much negotiation between the two leagues, the NBA agreed to sign qualified CBA players to a 10-day contract. A player could be called up to an NBA team for 10 days at the league minimum, often replacing an injured NBA star. The CBA player could sign a second 10-day contract, but 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.
During the 1980's and 1990's, 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 Ron Davis (Anchorage Northern Knights). 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 (Grand Rapids Hoops) 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, four CBA teams jumped to the NBDL. Currently, there are only five remaining CBA franchises to play the 2006-07 season; however, negotiations are ongoing to increase this number before the start of the season.
In 1999, the CBA had survived for 54 years. By 2001, the league had shut down, declared bankruptcy, and several of its teams joined a rival league. Popular opinion lays the blame for the CBA's demise on former NBA superstar and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas , who purchased the CBA and ran it as a single-entity league, only to abandon it a year later for an NBA coaching job.
The following is a timeline of the events surrounding Thomas' ownership of the CBA:
- August 3, 1999 - Former NBA superstar Isiah Thomas purchases the CBA - the entire league, including all the teams, and its marketing company, CBA Properties - for $10 million. Thomas says that the league will now operate as a single-owner entity, and that the CBA will continue to be the official developmental league of the NBA.
- October 7, 1999 - the sale of the CBA to Thomas is finalized. Thomas paid $5 million up front and agreed to make four additional payments to the CBA's former team owners for the balance of the debt.
- October 24, 1999 - Thomas announces that there will be salary cuts in the CBA. The average salary of $1,500 per week will be reduced to $1,100 per week, with rookies getting $800 a week. Thomas' reasoning is that by reducing the number of veterans in the league, there will be more young talent available for NBA teams.
- January 18, 2000 - For the first time in three years, the CBA holds an All-Star Game. The Sioux Falls SkyForce hosts the event. The All-Star Game also features an All-Rookie game, featuring the CBA's top 16 rookies.
- March 2000 - the NBA offers Thomas $11 million and a percentage of the profits for the CBA. Thomas chose not to sell the league to the NBA. "The NBA made an offer that wasn't what Isiah expected," said Brendan Suhr, a former coach and co-owner of the CBA's Grand Rapids Hoops, "so he decided not to sell the league at that time."
- May 2000 - a CBA All-Star team travels to China for a three-game series.
- June 28, 2000 - Isiah Thomas is offered the head coaching job of the NBA's Indiana Pacers. Since the NBA rules forbid a coach from owning his own league, as it would be a conflict of interest (he could sign the minor league's best talent to his NBA team, for example), Thomas has to sell the CBA. On this day, Thomas signs a letter of intent to sell the CBA to the NBA Players' Union.
- In the summer of 2000, after twenty years of using the CBA as its developmental league, the NBA announces it will form its own minor league feeder system, creating the National Basketball Development League (NBDL or "D-League"). The CBA will no longer be the NBA's official developmental league after the 2001 season.
- On October 2, 2000, Isiah Thomas, unable to sell his ownership in the CBA, places the league into a blind trust, and accepts the head coaching job of the Pacers. With the league in a blind trust, there are no funds available to pay players, to buy plane tickets for away games, or to handle day-to-day operations.
- February 8, 2001 - the CBA suspends play and folds. The blind trust that was to find a new owner for the league gives up. The league has over $2 million in debts. The teams are offered back to their original owners.
- February 24, 2001 - 18 months after Thomas purchased the CBA, the league declared bankruptcy. Five of the former CBA team owners repurchased their franchises and joined the rival International Basketball League (IBL) to finish out the season. Other team owners chose to let their franchises fold completely, rather than reincur debts that were not theirs originally.
- Summer 2001 - The IBL folds.
- November 2001 - The CBA reorganizes for the 2001-02 season, as CBA franchises in Rockford, Gary, Grand Rapids and Sioux Falls merge with the smaller International Basketball Association (IBA), with franchises in Bismarck (Dakota Wizards), Fargo (Fargo-Moorhead Beez) and Saskatoon (Saskatchewan Hawks). The Flint (Mich.) Fuze joining as an expansion team.
After the 2006 CBA season ended, four teams announced they were leaving for the . Rumors have also been flying around about the Rockford Lightning and Michigan Mayhem folding. Right now, the Gary Steelheads and Yakama Sun Kings have said they probably will be staying in the CBA, but have not ruled out the D-League . The CBA does plan on expansion, but right now, with so few sure teams, the future remains murky.
- 1958 - West All-Stars 122, East All-Stars 97 (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)
- 1959 - West All-Stars 110, East All-Stars 88 (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)
- 1961 - East All-Stars 164, West All-Stars 128 (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)
- 1962 - EPBL All-Stars 124, Allentown Jets 119 (Allentown, Pa.)
- 1963 - Camden Bullets 122, EPBL All-Stars 114 (Camden, N.J.)
- 1964 - South All-Stars 137, North All-Stars 125 (Trenton, N.J.)
- 1965 - Camden Bullets 147, EPBL All-Stars 129 (Camden, N.J.)
- 1966 - East All-Stars 167, West All-Stars 159 (Harrisburg, Pa.)
- 1967 - West All-Stars 158, East All-Stars 149 (Wilmington, Del.)
- 1968 - East All-Stars 155, West All-Stars 125 (Hartford, Conn.)
- 1969 - West All-Stars 163, East All-Stars 133 (Scranton, Pa.)
- 1970 - Wilmington Blue Bombers 129, All-Stars 123 (Wilmington, Del.)
- 1971 - Scranton Apollos 146, EBA All-Stars 123 (Scranton, Pa.)
- 1972 - EBA All-Stars 129, Scranton Apollos 110 (Scranton, Pa.)
- 1976 - EBA All-Stars 137, Allentown Jets 134 (York, Pa.)
:The game was played at York, Pa., to test whether the city could support a franchise.
- 1977 - EBA All-Stars 136, Allentown Jets 118 (Allentown, Pa.)
- 1978 - East All-Stars 135, West All-Stars 129 (Quincy, Mass.)
- 1979 - Rochester Zeniths 182, CBA All-Stars 168 (Rochester, N.Y.)
:This game took two days to play, as a blackout hit the Rochester, N.Y. area during the contest. The CBA commissioner ordered that a full four-quarter game be played the next day, while still retaining the score from the first two quarters (at that time, Rochester was leading 57-48).
- 1982 - Western Division 101, Eastern Division 91 (East Rutherford, N.J.)
- 1983 - Albany Patroons 122, CBA All-Stars 109 (Albany, N.Y.)
- 1984 - CBA All-Stars 128, Wyoming Wildcatters 125 (Caspar, Wyo.)
- 1985 - CBA All-Stars 113, Evansville Thunder 109 (Evansville, Ill.)
- 1986 - CBA All-Stars 110, Tampa Bay Thillers 108 (Tampa Bay, Fla.)
- 1987 - CBA All-Stars 105, LaCrosse Catbirds 102 (LaCrosse, Wisc.)
- 1988 - CBA All-Stars 115, Topeka Sizzlers 94 (Topeka, Kan.)
- 1989 - Rockford Lightning 103, CBA All-Stars 97 (Rockford, Ill.)
- 1990 - National Conference 107, American Conference 105 (Moline, Ill.)
- 1991 - National Conference 120, American Conference 116 (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
- 1992 - National Conference 124, American Conference 115 (Yakima, Wash.)
- 1993 - American Conference 133, National Conference 121 (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
- 1994 - American Conference 119, National Conference 108 (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
- 1995 - National Conference 119, American Conference 115 (Hartford, Conn.)
- 1996 - National Conference 121, American Conference 105 (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
- 1997 - American Conference 107, National Conference 98 (Yakima, Wash.)
- 2000 - Eastern Division 135, Western Division 124 (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
:A rookie game preceded the All-Star game, with the East beating the West 91-89.
- 2003 - National Conference 140, American Conference 125 (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
- 2004 - National Conference 105, American Conference 103 (Yakima, Wash.)
- 2005 - Eastern Conference 114, Western Conference 110 (Gary, Ind.)
- 2006 - Western Conference 119, Eastern Conference 110 (Boise, Idaho)
- 1961 - Boo Ellis, Wilkes-Barre Barons
- 1963 - Bobby McNeill, Camden Bullets
- 1964 - Jimmie Hadnot, Trenton Colonials
- 1965 - Bobby McNeill, Camden Bullets
- 1966 - Walt Simon, Allentown Jets
- 1967 - Willie Murrell, Scranton Miners
- 1968 - Willis "Spider" Bennett, Hartford Capitols
- 1969 - Jim Jackson, Scranton Miners
- 1970 - John Savage, Wilmington Blue Bombers
- 1971 - Willie Somerset, Scranton Apollos
- 1972 - Reggie Lacefield, Hartford Capitols
- 1977 - Jim Bostic, Jersey Shore Bullets
- 1978 - Jim Bostic, Jersey Shore Bullets
- 1979 - Andre McCarter, Rochester Zeniths
- 1982 - Brad Branson, Anchorage Northern Knights
- 1983 - Larry Spriggs, Albany Patroons
- 1984 - Anthony Roberts, Wyoming Wildcatters
- 1985 - Rick Lamb, Wyoming Wildcatters
- 1986 - Don Collins, Tampa Bay Thrillers
- 1987 - Eddie Johnson, Tampa Bay Thrillers
- 1988 - Michael Brooks, Albany Patroons
- 1989 - Dwayne McClain, Rockford Lightning
- 1990 - Conner Henry, Rapid City Thrillers
- 1991 - Vincent Askew, Albany Patroons
- 1992 - Conner Henry, Yakima Sun Kings
- 1993 - Pat Durham, Fargo-Moorhead Fever
- 1994 - Jeff Martin, Grand Rapids Hoops
- 1995 - Tony Dawson, Rockford Lightning
- 1996 - Shelton Jones, Florida Beachdogs
- 1997 - Dexter Boney, Florida Beachdogs
- 2000 - Dontae' Jones , LaCrosse Bobcats
:Roberto Bergersen won the Bobby Phills Award for MVP of the Rookie Game that preceded the 2000 All-Star contest.
- 2003 - Versile Shaw, Sioux Falls Skyforce
- 2004 - Roberto Bergersen , Idaho Stampede
- 2005 - Sam Clancy, Jr. , Idaho Stampede
- 2006 - Randy Holcomb, Gary Steelheads
- 1946-47 Wilkes-Barre Barons d. Lancaster Red Roses 2-1
- 1947-48 Reading Keys d. Hazleton Mountaineers 2-1
- 1948-49 Pottsville Packers d. Harrisburg Senators 2-1
- 1949-50 Williamsport Billies d. Harrisburg Senators 2-1
- 1950-51 Sunbury Mercuries d. York Victory A.C. 2-0
- 1951-52 Pottsville Packers d. Sunbury Mercuries 2-1
- 1952-53 Williamsport Billies d. Berwick Carbuilders 2-1
- 1953-54 Williamsport Billies d. Lancaster Red Roses 2-1
- 1954-55 Wilkes-Barre Barons d. Hazelton Hawks 2-1
- 1955-56 Wilkes-Barre Barons d. Williamsport Billies 3-1
- 1956-57 Scranton Miners d. Hazelton Hawks 2-1
- 1957-58 Wilkes-Barre Barons d. Easton Madisons 2-1
- 1958-59 Wilkes-Barre Barons d. Scranton Miners 2-1
- 1959-60 Easton Madisons d. Baltimore Bullets 2-1
- 1960-61 Baltimore Bullets d. Allentown Jets 1-0
- 1961-62 Allentown Jets d. Williamsport Billies 2-1
- 1962-63 Allentown Jets d. Wilkes-Barre Barons 2-1
- 1963-64 Camden Bullets d. Trenton Colonials 2-0
- 1964-65 Allentown Jets d. Scranton Miners 2-1
- 1965-66 Wilmington Blue Bombers d. Wilkes-Barre Barons 2-1
- 1966-67 Wilmington Blue Bombers d. Scranton Miners 2-1
- 1967-68 Allentown Jets d. Wilkes-Barre Barons 3-2
- 1968-69 Wilkes-Barre Barons d. Wilmington Blue Bombers 3-2
- 1969-70 Allentown Jets d. Wilmington Blue Bombers 3-2
- 1970-71 Scranton Apollos d. Hamden Bics 3-1
- 1971-72 Allentown Jets d. Scranton Apollos 3-2
- 1972-73 Wilkes-Barre Barons d. Hartford Capitols 3-2
- 1973-74 Hartford Capitols d. Allentown Jets 3-2
- 1974-75 Allentown Jets d. Hazelton Bullets 2-1
- 1975-76 Allentown Jets d. Lancaster Red Roses 3-2
- 1976-77 Scranton Apollos d. Allentown Jets 3-1
- 1977-78 Wilkes-Barre Barons d. Lancaster Red Roses 3-2
- 1999-2000 Yakima Sun Kings 109, LaCrosse Bobcats 93
- 2000-2001 Idaho Stampede (17-7) and Connecticut Pride (15-9) led their divisions when the league suspended operations.
- 2001-2002 Dakota Wizards 116, Rockford Lightning 109
- 2002-2003 Yakima Sun Kings 117, Grand Rapids Hoops 107
- 2003-2004 Dakota Wizards 132, Idaho Stampede 129
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