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Basketball Leagues

The History of Professional Basketball Leagues in the US

When people think of professional basketball in the US, the NBA (National Basketball Association) usually comes to mind. Few realize that there are actually a total of 5 professional basketball leagues in the US. The NBA is undoubtedly the premier professional basketball league in the world, but the other professional basketball leagues in the US offer an equal amount of talent and excitement. The following are short histories of the five professional basketball leagues in the US.

  1. National Basketball Association

    The granddaddy of the world’s professional basketball leagues, the National Basketball Association, more commonly referred to as the NBA, is a professional men’s basketball league made up of 30 teams (29 in the US and 1 in Canada). The NBA was called the Basketball Association of America when it was founded in 1946, but it merged with the National Basketball League in 1949 and was subsequently named the NBA. Some of the most famous NBA players of all time include Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan.

  2. NBA Development League

    Until 2005, the NBA Development League was known as the National Basketball Development League, or NBDL. The NBA D-League, short for the NBA Development League, was founded in 2001 and began with eight teams. Now the league consists of sixteen teams. Each of the teams in the NBA D-League is associated with one or more NBA teams. The NBA D-League is treated as a minor league farm system and approximately 20 percent of NBA players are associated with it. Some NBA D-League players who have gone on to have successful careers in the NBA include Rafer Alston, Eddie Gill, and Smush Parker.

  3. Continental Basketball Association

    The Continental Basketball Association, or CBA, is a professional men’s basketball league that is associated with USA basketball, a non-profit organization and governing body for basketball in the US. The CBA is considered the oldest of all world basketball leagues and was originally called the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League. The CBA’s Hazleton Hawks Eastern League was the first of professional basketball league franchises to use an all-black starting lineup in the 1955-1956 playing season. Unfortunately, it was announced in June of 2009 that the league would possibly go out of business in 2010.

  4. United States Basketball League

    Founded in 1985, the United States Basketball League is a professional men’s summer basketball league. The USBL provides players the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of scouts from other professional basketball leagues. The USBL is the premier summer league for college basketball players who are hoping to be drafted into one of the higher level professional basketball leagues. There has been some speculation that the USBL would fold, but so far, the league has only been on hiatus. The league is scheduled to return to the court in 2010.

  5. Women's National Basketball Association

    The Women’s National Basketball Association is a women’s professional league in the US. The league consists of twelve teams and was founded in 1996. Contrary to popular belief, the Women’s National Basketball Association is not the first women’s professional basketball league. However, it is the only women’s professional basketball league to receive backing from the NBA.