American Basketball League (1925–55)

The American Basketball League ( ABL) was an existing 1925-1955 American professional league for basketball. The ABL is one of the first professional basketball leagues at all. It was characterized over competing leagues with a local focus as the NBL by the fact that they could embed on regional teams from major cities in the game mode.

History

The ABL was by then President of the National Hockey League, Joseph Carr, founded .. He managed to commit nine of the best teams in the country, which were not organized at that time in a league. One of the dominant teams in the first year were the Cleveland Rosenblum, the Philadelphia SPHAS and in particular the Original Celtics. Between 1925 and 1931, the newly formed ABL was the first choice in professional basketball. Of the original nine teams played at the end of the season 1930/31 but only five. A major reason for this was that the Team Manager of the League in general had little financial resources available. So had the ABL at the height of the Great Depression playing mode after 1931 finally set for two seasons. 1933, the ABL was revived, lost compared to 1937 NBL founded but quickly gaining popularity and importance. After 1949 resulted from the merger of the NBL and the BAA, the National Basketball Association ( NBA), lost the ABL completely on competitiveness and was disbanded in 1955.

Game Mode

The ABL divided each season into two halves. The two teams with the most wins in each of the two halves played in a play-off from the masters of the season. The only exception was the 1927/28 season, in which the teams were divided from the outset into two divisions. The championship was played in accordance with the two division winners.

The Original Celtics in the ABL

Under its official name " New York Celtics " the original Celtics were a dominant team in the early 20s. After five games of the ABL Season 1926/27, they replaced the team the Brooklyn Arcadians and so joined the League in. But they took the team name "Brooklyn Celtics " on. The Celtics have won 32 of the remaining 37 games. The following year she competed under its old name and won the championship. Following the season the owners of the other teams voted to eliminate the Celtics from the ABL.