Premier Basketball League
 |
|
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 |
| Inaugural season | 2008 |
| CEO | Dennis Truax |
| No. of teams | 18 |
| Country | United States |
| Continent | FIBA Americas (Americas) |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Rochester Razorsharks (2016) |
| Most titles | Rochester Razorsharks (6) |
| Official website | thePBL.com |
The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is an American professional men's basketball minor league that began play in January 2008. In the past, there have been teams also in Canada and Puerto Rico. The league season typically operates from January to April.
The PBL was formed after a number of disagreements between several former member teams of the modern American Basketball Association (ABA) and ABA CEO Joe Newman. Eight of the initial ten PBL teams either played in or were slated to play in the ABA.
In early 2007, Newman was voted out of his position as CEO of the ABA by the board of directors, which included Maryland Nighthawks owner and then-ABA COO Tom Doyle (who was later a commissioner of the PBL), citing dissatisfaction with how Newman executed his duties as CEO. Newman responded by using his and other shares that formed a controlling interest to remove the entire board of directors.
Newman then refused to reschedule a weather-delayed playoff game between the Rochester Razorsharks and Wilmington Sea Dawgs although the two teams agreed to a make up date, wanting instead to force Rochester to accept a forfeit. It was on the heels of these two incidents that the Nighthawks and Razorsharks ownership groups decided to found the PBL.
Former Houston Rockets point guard and current NBA on TNT analyst Kenny Smith was the league's first commissioner.
During the 2008 off season, six more former ABA teams decided to move to the PBL. First, on May 9, the Manchester Millrats and the 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 ABA champion Vermont Frost Heaves moved. Then on May 20, the inactive Detroit Panthers re-activated and joined the league. And on May 21, the Quebec Kebs joined. On June 5 another team with an ABA history, the Augusta Groove, joined the league, but from the Continental Basketball Association. On June 23, the Halifax Rainmen, an ABA team the previous year, announced they were also joining the PBL after a bid to join the NBA Development League fell short. The first International Basketball League defection came on July 31 when the Battle Creek Knights joined the league. The Rochester Razorsharks went on to win their second straight PBL title after beating the Battle Creek Knights.
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