North American Basketball League
 | |
| Founded | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Ceased | 2021 |
| Motto | "It's about the game" |
| No. of teams | 9 |
| Countries | United States |
| Continent | FIBA Americas (Americas) |
| Last champion(s) | Georgia Kingz (2019) |
| Most titles | 4 teams (1 title each) |
| Official website | www |
The North American Basketball League (NABL) was an American minor professional basketball league organization founded in 2016.
History
[edit]Formed in 2016, the NABL began with 10 teams based in the South and Southwest regions of the United States. The first regular season games were played on April 30, 2016. Atlanta Show defeated Music City Kings in the first-ever league game 113-78. Atlanta Show would go undefeated on their way to capture the first league championship in August by defeating the Dallas Hoyas 145-110 in the championship game.[1]
Season two saw expansion to a national level with 19 teams competing. Four teams from the Northwest were added including the Vancouver-based SB Battle. The San Antonio Lions became the second league champion by defeating the defending champ Atlanta Show 103-82 in the championship.
In the third season the league would again see 19 member teams, this time with a different footprint. Northwest division was eliminated and replaced by expansion in the Midwest with a six-team division and three teams in the Northeast.[2] Dallas Mustangs (previously known as Dallas Hoyas) won the championship defeating Chautauqua Hurricane 112-105.
Teams
[edit]| Conference | Team | City | Arena | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest | ||||
| Metroplex Lightning | Fort Worth, TX | 2019 | ||
| North Texas Saints | Fort Worth, TX | 2019 | ||
| Oklahoma Outlaws | El Reno, OK | 2018 | ||
| San Antonio Soldiers | San Antonio, TX | 2019 | ||
| Southeast | Georgia Kingz | Decatur, GA | N.H. Scott Recreation Center | 2019 |
| Tennessee Stallions | Antioch, TN | Antioch Community Center | 2019 | |
| Tuscaloosa Titans | Tuscaloosa, AL | Belk Activity Center | 2018 | |
| Midwest | Kentucky Enforcers | Florence, KY | Sports of All Sorts | 2019 |
| West Michigan Lake Hawks | Muskegon, MI | Reeths-Puffer High School | 2018 |
Former teams
[edit]- Alamo City Aztecs (2017)
- Atlanta Show (2016–2017)
- Austin Knights (2016)
- Buffalo Blue Hawks (2019)
- Capital Cardinals (2017)
- Charleston Panthers (2019)
- Chautauqua Hurricane (2018–2019)
- Dallas Diesel (2018)
- Dallas Mustangs (2016–2018)
- DFW United (2016–2017)
- DuBois Dream (2018–2019)
- Florida GymRats (2018)
- Grand Rapids Danger (2018–2019)
- Huntsville Force (2017)
- Indianapolis Diesels (2018)
- Jamestown Jackals (2018)
- Kitsap Admirals (2017)
- Kentucky Enforcers (2019)
- Lancaster Thunder (2019)
- Miss-Lou Warriors (2016–2018)
- Motor City Chargers (2018)
- Music City Kings (2016–2017, 2019)
- Ohio Bootleggers (2018)
- Panama City Piranhas (2017)
- Quad City Flames (2017)
- RDC Vulcans (2017)
- San Antonio Lions (2016–2018)
- Savannah Cavaliers (2016)
- SB Battle (2017)
- Shreveport-Bossier Flight (2016)
- Southern Illinois Pharaohs (2017–2018)
- Tacoma Thunder (2017)
- Tampa Bay Hawks (2018)
- Texas Toros (2018)
- Texas Wolverines (2017)
Champions
[edit]| Season | Champion | Runner-up | Result | Finals MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Atlanta Show | Dallas Hoyas | 145-110 | Bernard Parks |
| 2017 | San Antonio Lions | Atlanta Show | 103-82 | Eric Nuncio |
| 2018 | Dallas Mustangs | Jamestown Jackals | 112-105[3] | D.K. Eldridge |
| 2019 | Georgia Kingz | Grand Rapids Danger | 96-86 | Bernard Parks |
Awards
[edit]| Season | MVP | Newcomer | Coach | Community Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Bruce Barron, Dallas Hoyas[4] | — | David Kesler, Atlanta Show | Music City Kings |
| 2017 | Bernard Parks, Atlanta Show | Lonnie Pearson, Kitsap Admirals | Justin Billings, Huntsville Force | Southern Illinois Pharaohs |
| 2018 | Bernard Parks, Tuscaloosa Titans | — | Paul C. Parker Jr., Dallas Mustangs | Grand Rapids Danger |
| 2019 | Cameron Mitchell, Kentucky Enforcers | Dorian Watson, Grand Rapids Danger | Dustin Driskell, Kentucky Enforcers | Lancaster Thunder |
References
[edit]- ^ "BC prepares David Kessler for success". Bluefield College. July 23, 2018.
- ^ "Change is in air for DuBois Dream". Courier Express. January 23, 2018.
- ^ "Dallas Mustangs are the 2018 Champions". USBasket.com. August 6, 2018.
- ^ "NABL Announces Most Valuable Player". nabl2.basketballshift.com. Retrieved 4 July 2017.