Professional Basketball League of America
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1947 |
| Ceased | 1948 |
| No. of teams | 16 |
| Country |  United States |
| Last champion(s) | none |
The Professional Basketball League of America was a basketball league in the United States that existed for less than one month in 1947. It was launched in response to the tremendous upsurge in interest in basketball in the era immediately following World War II and based on the success of the Chicago Gears and its star center, George Mikan.[1] The organization was underfunded compared to its competitors, the Basketball Association of America, the National Basketball League, and even the American Basketball League; there was simply not enough room in the marketplace for four major professional basketball leagues. The PBLA folded on November 13, 1947 after playing only 54 games among its 16 teams.[1]
Today the league is best known for George Mikan, the star center for the Chicago Gears. After the PBLA's collapse, rights to its players were distributed among NBL teams via a dispersal draft. The first pick belonged to the new Minneapolis Lakers, the successor to the Detroit Gems, which had finished the previous season 4–40. The Lakers selected Mikan with the first pick, launching what would become the first dynasty in the NBA's history.[2]
Teams
[edit]|
Northern Division
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Southern Division
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References
[edit]- ^ a b "Professional Basketball League of America". nbahoopsonline.com. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- ^ Sid Hartman (25 December 1947). "Lakers organization does miracle in just six months". Times, the Picture Paper. p. 32. Retrieved 8 September 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
