1937–38 National Basketball League (United States) season
| 1937-38 NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | 1937-1938 |
| Number of teams | 13 |
| Regular season | |
| Top scorer | Leroy Edwards (Oshkosh) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | Akron Goodyear Wingfoots |
| Eastern runners-up | Akron Firestone Non-Skids |
| Western champions | Oshkosh All-Stars |
| Western runners-up | Whiting Ciesar All-Americans |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Akron Goodyear Wingfoots |
| Runners-up | Oshkosh All-Stars |
The 1937–38 NBL season was the inaugural season of the National Basketball League (NBL). This league is the evolution of the Midwest Basketball Conference Championship, a league that had a duration of two years before becoming the NBL. The league launched with 9 franchises, it was irregular because the teams were the ones that had to choose the day and the hour of the match, even the duration (4 quarters of 10 minutes or 3 parts of 15 minutes) was chosen by the local team before the match. The season ended with the Akron Goodyear Wingfoots becoming the NBL's first champions.
Standings
Eastern Division
| Pos | Team | Wins | Losses | Win Percentage[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akron Firestone Non-Skids | 14 | 4 | .778 |
| 2 | Akron Goodyear Wingfoots | 13 | 5 | .722 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 8 | 5 | .615 |
| 4 | Buffalo Bisons | 3 | 6 | .333 |
| 5 | Warren Penns | 3 | 9 | .250 |
| 6 | Columbus Athletic Supply | 1 | 12 | .091 |
Western Division
| Pos | Team | Wins | Losses | Win Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oshkosh All-Stars | 12 | 2 | .857 |
| 2 | Whiting Ciesar All-Americans | 12 | 3 | .800 |
| 3 | Fort Wayne General Electrics | 13 | 7 | .650 |
| 4 | Indianapolis Kautskys | 4 | 9 | .308 |
| 5 | Richmond King Clothiers | 3 | 7 | .300 |
| 6 | Kankakee Gallagher Trojans | 3 | 11 | .214 |
| 7 | Dayton Metropolitans | 2 | 11 | .154 |
Awards
- MVP: Leroy Edwards (Oshkosh)[2]
- Coach of the Year: Cliff Byers (Akron Goodyear)
- Rookie of the Year: Bob Kessler (Indianapolis)
NBL-All First Team
- Leroy Edwards, Oshkosh All-Stars
- Scott Armstrong, Fort Wayne General Electrics
- John Wooden, Whiting Ciesar All-Americans
- Charlie Shipp, Akron Goodyear Wingfoots
- Chuck Bloedorn, Akron Goodyear Wingfoots
NBL-All Second Team
- Soup Cable, Akron Firestone Non-Skids
- Jack Ozburn, Akron Firestone Non-Skids
- Bob Kessler, Indianapolis Kautskys
- Vince McGowan, Whiting Ciesar All-Americans<
- Bart Quinn, Fort Wayne General Electrics