AAPBL
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2005 |
| Ceased | 2005 |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Country |
 United States
|
The All-American Professional Basketball League was a minor basketball league formed in 2005 by Worth Christie. Announced on January 23, 2005 the league viewed itself as a direct minor league outlet for the National Basketball Association (NBA). The best players were to be promised salaries of up to $40,000. The league was composed of 10 teams and these ten teams were regionalized with 3-4 NBA teams where the designated AAPBL team could negotiate with players released from those NBA teams before other AAPBL teams could.
The AAPBL held a tryout camp at the MetraPark Arena in Billings, Montana from July 11 to July 22. Players paid $1,000 to participate in the training camp.
The league held two "dispersal drafts". On July 20, 2005 the league's teams drafted from available CBA and NBDL players. On July 28, 2005 the teams drafted from the players who participated in the training camp.
On August 1, 2005, mere days after the tryouts and drafts and days after insiders knew its fate, Worth Christie announced the league had folded. Contrary to earlier reports, few if any players who participated in the tryouts received their $1,000 back. Those working with the league and Christie were not paid for their expenses to work at the tryout camp nor were they compensated for any of the work done.
On July 29, 2006, the Billings Gazette reported that Worth Christie was facing over $100,000 in lawsuits from former AAPBL employees and coaches.
The following lists the teams and their draft picks (from the two dispersal drafts). These players never signed contracts nor played with these teams, since the league folded so quickly.
The 1st pick of the draft went to the Mankato Mallards and they selected Sam Clancy who was the 2004-05 CBA Player of the Year.
The teams in the AAPBL were assigned NBA and college teams, largely based on region. Theoretically, if a player was released from a certain NBA team, the AAPBL team assigned with that NBA team was allowed the first chance to sign him before any other team in the AAPBL. For the college programs, it worked the same way. If a player wasn't drafted in the NBA Draft he would have first rights to be picked up by the designated AAPBL team.
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