 Continental Basketball League logo | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | October 30, 2009 |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country | USA |
| Continent | FIBA Americas (Americas) |
| Most recent champion(s) | Cary Invasion |
| Most titles | Tie: Cary Invasion, Savannah Wildcats (1) |
| Official website | Continental Basketball League |
The Continental Basketball League (CBL) was a men's basketball minor league in the United States that began play in April 2010. [1] The league was headquartered in Florida. [2]
In 2009, Dennis Truax, who was previously affiliated with the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), was named the first commissioner of the CBL. [1] Gary Perry, an owner of the Augusta Groove when it was in the Premier Basketball League (PBL), was named the first director of basketball operations. [1]
On November 2, 2009, the Wilmington Sea Dawgs were the first team to announce joining the league. [3] On February 16, 2010, the Carolina Cougarz became the second team to join the CBL. [4] On February 18, 2010, the Savannah Wildcats became the third team in the CBL. [5] and the Georgia Gwizzlies left the ABA to become the fourth. [6] On March 5, 2010, the Birmingham Steel joined the league. [7]
Two weeks into the 2010 season, the Steel left the league for the World Basketball Association (WBA) [8] and was replaced by the Birmingham Sabers [9] On 1 June 2010, the Georgia Gwizzlies were removed from the league for failure to meet operating standards, after having missed games against Birmingham and Wilmington [10]
The league championship in 2010 was to be decided by a single elimination tournament in June. [1] However, after the removal of the Gwizzlies, the schedule and playoff structure were truncated and adjusted. The playoffs became a one game championship between the first and second place teams, the Sea Dawgs and Wildcats respectively, which was won by the Wildcats 96-86 in overtime.
In July 2010 the Florida Flight moved from the WBA to the CBL. [11] In September 2010, the Miami Stars and Palm Beach Titans joined. [12] [13] On March 28, 2011, the Heartland Prowl announced they had left the ABA to join the CBL. [14] In the announcement of the Prowl, the absence of the Carolina Cougarz as a listed team coupled with their removal from the CBL website indicated that they had folded.
In April 2011, the Gainesville Galaxy joined. [15] On 13 April 2011, the Cary Invasion was added. [16] Sometime between April and early May, the Fayetteville Crossover was added. [17] Before the 2011 season was to start, the owners of the Savannah Wildcats announced the team would be sitting out the season due to a family matter affecting the owners' ability to lead the team. Shortly after this announcement, the CBL announced the addition of the Port City Sharks as a replacement for the Wildcats in Savannah, Georgia. The league also removed the Miami Stars and the Palm Beach Titans from the team list for the 2011 season. The Port City Sharks failed to play the complete schedule and were replaced in later games by travel teams.
In 2011, the league once again played just a championship game, this time between the winner of the North Division, the Cary Invasion and the South runner-up, the Florida Flight, which was won by the Invasion, 131-101. No official explanation was given why the winner of the South Division, the Heartland Prowl, did not play in the game. The Wilmington Sea Dawgs and the Cary Invasion announced the formation of the Tobacco Road Basketball League and their membership therein, thus leaving the CBL. [18] The Fayetteville Crossover then announced their move to this league as well. [19] The Florida Flight moved to the newly formed Florida Basketball Association, and the Miami Stars and Palm Beach Titans went with them. [20]
In 2012, the Raleigh Rough Riders were added to the league. [21] However, the 2012 season was never played. The league planned to return in the spring of 2013, but a lack of teams prevented that.
| Team | City | Arena | Founded | First season in CBL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Lions Basketball Club | Birmingham, Alabama | TBD | 2012 | 2013 |
| Georgia Razors | Athens, Georgia | Clarke Central High School | 2012 | 2013 |
| Raleigh Rough Riders | Raleigh, North Carolina | BOCC Dream Center | 2011 | 2013 |
| South Florida Stars | TBD, Florida | TBD | 2011 | 2012 |
| Tampa Bay Saints | Tampa, Florida | Mary Help of Christians Center | 2011 | 2011 |
The United States Basketball League (USBL) was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985 and ceased operations in 2008. The USBL started in 1985 as one of the first basketball leagues to play a late-spring to early-summer schedule. The league quickly became known as a development league for players, with many players moving up to the NBA and many more playing in Europe after stints here. In 1996, the league made a stock offering, a rarity among sports leagues. However, in later years, the league declined as rival leagues appeared and USBL had a tougher time replacing teams that folded. In the last two seasons, the league was mainly a midwestern league, with teams mainly in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. After speculation that the USBL might fold after the 2007 season, the league announced that it would sit out the 2008 season and consider its options for the future. In January 2010, the league expressed hopes to resume play in April 2010. However, no further news has surfaced from the league. The final champions are the Kansas Cagerz, who won the title game on July 1, 2007.
The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) is a professional ice hockey independent minor league based in Huntersville, North Carolina, with teams located primarily in the southeastern United States as well as Illinois and Indiana in the midwestern United States.
The American Basketball Association (ABA) is an American semi-professional men's basketball minor league that was founded in 1999.
American Indoor Football (AIF) was a professional indoor football league, one of the several regional professional indoor football leagues in North America.
The Wilmington Sea Dawgs are a professional basketball team and founding member of the Tobacco Road Basketball League. The team is based in Wilmington, North Carolina, and began play in 2006 as a member of the American Basketball Association. The team later played as a founding member of the Premier Basketball League and a founding member of the Continental Basketball League. In 2013, they will play at Blizzard Athletics, having previously played at the Joe and Barbara Schwartz Center on the campus of Cape Fear Community College.
The Georgia Gwizzlies is a basketball team that currently plays in the American Basketball Association. They once played in various men's minor leagues: the Continental Basketball League (CBL), the American National Basketball League, and their original stint in the American Basketball Association. The Georgia Gwizzlies moved from Gwinnett County to Macon in Central Georgia, but upon joining the CBL, moved back to the Greater Atlanta area. Home games will be played in Cobb County, Georgia. Gwizzlies players have been invited to tour France and Spain in early fall each year. Embry Malone begins his six-year as GM and head coach and his two older brothers, Alvin and Bennie Malone are co-owners of the pro basketball organization.
The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is an American professional men's basketball minor league 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.
The Savannah Wildcats are a charter member of the Continental Basketball League based in Savannah, Georgia which began play in 2010. They played their games at Alfred E. Beach High School during their inaugural season, but switched to Armstrong Atlantic State University for year two. They won the league championship in their first year.
The Birmingham Sabers were a team of the Continental Basketball League based in Birmingham, Alabama that began play in 2010
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 Young Community Center in Downtown Cary.
The Gainesville Galaxy is a basketball team based in Gainesville, Florida. They began play in the Continental Basketball League (CBL) for the 2011–12 season. They play their games at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center.
The Fayetteville Crossover are a semi-professional basketball team based in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Home games are played at the John D. Fuller, Sr. Recrerational/Athletic Complex.
The Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL) was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in 2009 and the American Indoor Football Association, which traces its roots to the founding of the Atlantic Indoor Football League in 2005. The SIFL broke up into three regional leagues after the 2011 season.
The Tobacco Road Basketball League (TRBL) was a professional men's basketball minor league in the United States that began play in April 2012. The league is centered in the Carolinas.
Byron King Mouton is an American retired basketball player. He was a starter on the University of Maryland's 2002 national championship team and played professionally in several countries.
East Coast Basketball League (ECBL) is a men's professional basketball minor league in the United States that began play in March 2015. The league is centered in the Carolinas with teams also in Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
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