National Basketball League (NBL)

E11015

defunct sports league professional basketball league

The National Basketball League (NBL) was a pioneering professional basketball league in the United States that operated from the 1930s to 1940s and helped lay the foundation for what became the modern NBA.

Aliases (2)

National Basketball League ×9
NBL ×1

Statements (46)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	defunct sports league → professional basketball league →
alsoKnownAs	NBL →
championshipFormat	playoff series →
competitionLevel	major league →
country	United States →
dissolved	1949 →
era	pre–NBA era →
founded	1937 →
gender	men →
governingBodyType	league office →
hadPlayoffs	true →
helpedForm	modern professional basketball structure in the United States →
historicalSignificance	pioneered professional basketball in the United States →
influenced	rules and style of early NBA play →
levelOnPyramid	top-tier →
mergedInto	National Basketball Association (NBA) →
mergedWith	Basketball Association of America (BAA) →
mergerYear	1949 →
notableCoach	John Kundla →
notableFranchise	Akron Firestone Non-Skids → Akron Goodyear Wingfoots → Anderson Packers → Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons → Minneapolis Lakers → Oshkosh All-Stars → Rochester Royals → Sheboygan Red Skins → Syracuse Nationals → Tri-Cities Blackhawks →
notablePlayer	Al Cervi → Bobby McDermott → George Mikan → Red Holzman →
numberOfTeamsAtPeak	13 →
originType	industrial-sponsored league →
playedIndoor	true →
predecessorOf	National Basketball Association (NBA) →
primarySeason	winter →
professionalStatus	professional →
region	Midwestern United States →
sport	basketball →
status	defunct →
timePeriod	1930s → 1940s →
typicalVenue	small arenas and gymnasiums →

Referenced by (11)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
National Basketball League (NBL) ("NBL") →	alsoKnownAs
National Basketball Association ("National Basketball League") →	formedByMergerOf
Atlanta Hawks ("National Basketball League") →	foundingLeague
Western Division ("National Basketball League") →	governingBody
Tri-Cities Blackhawks ("National Basketball League") →	joinedLeague
Rochester Royals ("National Basketball League") →	league
1948–49 BAA season ("National Basketball League") →	leagueMergerAfterSeasonWith
George Mikan ("National Basketball League") →	leaguePlayedIn
National Basketball Association →	mergedWith
Basketball Association of America ("National Basketball League") →	mergerPartner
Western Division ("National Basketball League") →	partOf