The National Industrial Basketball League was founded in 1947 to enable U.S. mill workers a chance to compete in basketball. The league was founded by the industrial teams (teams sponsored by the large companies and made up of their employees) belonging to the National Basketball League (NBL) that did not join the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

when the NBL merged with the

Basketball Association of America The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. Following its third season, 1948–49, the BAA absorbed most of National Basketball League (NBL) and rebranded as the National Ba ...

League history

The league first year, 1947–48, featured five teams in an eight-game schedule—the Milwaukee Harnischfeger's (which won the round robin schedule with an 8-0 record), Peoria Caterpillars, Milwaukee Allen-Bradleys,

Akron Goodyear Wingfoots The Akron Goodyear Wingfoots are one of the oldest basketball teams in the United States. They were founded in 1918, by the workers at the Goodyear Tire Company, in Akron, Ohio. The teams, while giving workers recreation, also helped to promote ...

, and Fort Wayne General Electrics. The following season (1948-1949), with a 16-game schedule, the new lineup was league champion Bartlesville

Phillips 66ers The Phillips 66ers (also known as the Oilers) were an amateur basketball team located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and sponsored and run by the Phillips Petroleum Company. The 66ers were a national phenomenon that grew from a small-town team to an ...

(15-1 record), Denver Chevvies, Peoria Caterpillars, Akron Goodyears/Akron Goodyear Wingfoots, and Milwaukee Allen-Bradleys. In the 1949-50 season, with the addition of the Dayton Industrialists making the league a six-team circuit, the Phillips 66ers repeated as champions. The league expanded again in the 1950-51 season to eight teams, adding the ( Oakland Blue 'n Gold Atlas) and San Francisco Stewart Chevrolets. The Dayton team renamed as the Dayton Air Gems, and the Phillips 66ers repeated for their third consecutive title.

High Point of League Expansion

The league in 1951-52 expanded to 11 teams, with such new teams as the Los Angeles Fibber McGee & Mollys, Artesia REA Travelers, and Santa Maria Golden Dukes. The Phillips 66ers just edged the Oakland Atlas-Pacific Engineers and the San Francisco Stewart Chevrolets for their fourth title, with a 17-5 record to their opponents 16-6 records that tied for second. The next season (1952-1953), the league dropped down to nine teams, but saw new opponents in the

Houston Ada Oilers The Houston Ada Oilers was an amateur basketball club located in Houston, Texas, sponsored and run by the Phillips Petroleum Company. The team was created after the huge success the company's other team, the Phillips 66ers, had achieved in the 19 ...

and the Los Angeles Kirby's Shoes. The Phillips 66ers edged the Peoria Caterpillars for the title by one game, with a 13-3 record. The Peoria Cats tied the Phillips 66ers for the 1953-54 title, each with a 10-4 record. Charter member Milwaukee Allen Bradleys, which managed to stay in the league, took last place for the fifth year in seven years in the eight-team circuit. Those Milwaukee fans were supportive apparently. The next two seasons, the Phillips 66ers and the Peoria Cats took first and second respectively. A new team in the greatly reduced circuit of five teams in 1955-56 was the Wichita Vickers. Milwaukee Allen-Bradley again took last place, their sixth time since the league began. The 1956-57 season was one of the most competitive in the NIBL history, with the Phillips 66ers taking first with a 13-7 record, but tied for second were four teams with 11-9 records, among them new member the Denver-Chicago Truckers, headquartered in Denver. Milwaukee Allen-Bradley was typically the only non-competitive team, finishing last for the seventh time with a 3-17 record. This was the last season for the Milwaukee team, which had valiantly survived since the league's founding. The 1957-58 season saw the Wichita Vickers move to the forefront, tying the Phillips 66ers for the league title, each with a 21-9 record. A new team that year was the Kansas City Kaycee's.

End of the Phillips 66ers Winning Streak

Finally, in the 1958-59 season, the Phillips 66ers showed they were mortal, and took a mediocre third-place. First was the Denver-Chicago Truckers, with a 21-9 record, and second the Wichita Vickers, with a 19-11 record. Joining the league that season was the Seattle

Buchan Bakers The Buchan Bakers was an amateur basketball team located in Seattle, Washington and competed in the National Industrial Basketball League. The Bakers were one of the most popular teams of the Amateur Athletic Union, rising to fame in 1957 when the ...

. Unhappily for the rest of the league, in the 1959-60 season, the Phillips 66ers were again on top.

Demise of the NIBL

The escalation in the salaries of the National Basketball Association had a serious impact on industrial basketball teams. When the salaries of NBA players and industrial league players were comparable in the 1950s, top-notch players saw little advantage to joining the pros. However, by the early 1960s, the industrial teams found that they could not compete with the pros salary-wise, as top college graduates increasingly gravitated to the NBA. The NIBL saw a decline in its program. The Peoria Cats, for example, disbanded at the end of the 1959-60 season. In the NIBL's final season, 1960–61, the league had dropped down to only six members, and was divided into two divisions, Eastern (Cleveland Pipers, Akron Goodyears, New York Tuck Tapers) and Western (Denver-Chicago Truckers, Phillips 66ers, and Seattle Buchan Bakers). Instead of the round-robin schedule determining a winner, the league sponsored a four-team playoff. The Cleveland Pipers beat the Denver-Chicago Truckers for the championship, 136-100; and for third place, the Phillips 66ers beat the Akron Goodyears, 114-112. In 1961 the league reorganized changing sponsorship from industrial companies and became the

National Alliance of Basketball Leagues The National Alliance of Basketball Leagues (NABL) (founded 1961) is the descendant of the industrial-based basketball clubs that formed into the National Basketball League (NBL) in the early 1930s. History Origins in the 1930s The league was ...

(NABL). The

Cleveland Pipers The Cleveland Pipers were an American industrial basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1950s and early 1960s. The Pipers are mostly known for having played in the short-lived American Basketball League from 1961–62. They were also a p ...

and the

New York Tapers New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

joined the newly formed American Basketball League in 1961. The Bartlesville

won the league championship in 11 of the league's 14 seasons.

The amateur nature of the NIBL

In the 1950s the salaries were about the same as the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

and there was a job for all players in their companies. Some of them ended up being president of their companies, working there for a lifetime. Most of players wanted no part of the uncertain professional game, and instead were accepting a position with the companies, rejecting offers even from NBA. The NIBL was dedicated to remaining amateur at a time when basketball was desperately trying to carve out some postwar space in the pro sports landscape. But professional basketball staggered forward and the NIBL flourished, mostly because its stability allowed companies to poach stars such as Bob Kurland. The NIBL merged with other AAU leagues and reorganized into the National AAU Basketball League (NABL) in 1961.

Notable NIBL alumni

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
alumni

Don Barksdale Donald Argee Barksdale (March 31, 1923 – March 8, 1993) was an American professional basketball player. He was a pioneer as an African-American basketball player, becoming the first to be named NCAA All-American, the first to play on a ...

( Oakland Blue 'n Gold Atlas) Inducted, 2012 *

Bob Boozer Robert Louis Boozer (April 26, 1937 – May 19, 2012) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Boozer won a gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics and won an NBA Championship as a member of the ...

( Peoria Caterpillars) Inducted, 2016 * Larry Brown (

Akron Goodyears The Akron Goodyear Wingfoots are one of the oldest basketball teams in the United States. They were founded in 1918, by the workers at the Goodyear Tire Company, in Akron, Ohio. The teams, while giving workers recreation, also helped to promote ...

) Inducted, 2002 *

Ace Gruenig Robert F. "Ace" Gruenig (March 12, 1913 – August 11, 1958) was an American basketball player during the 1930s and 1940s. The 6 ft. 8 in. (203 cm) Gruenig is considered one of the game's first great big men. The Chicago, Illinois nativ ...

(Denver Chevvies) Inducted, 1963 *

Alex Hannum Alexander Murray Hannum (July 19, 1923 – January 18, 2002) was a professional basketball player and coach. Hannum coached two National Basketball Association (NBA) teams and one American Basketball Association (ABA) team to league championships. ...

(Coach, Wichita Vickers) Inducted, 1998 * Gus Johnson (Cleveland Pipers) Inducted, 2010 *

Bob Kurland Robert Albert Kurland (December 23, 1924 – September 29, 2013) was a American basketball center, who played for the two-time NCAA champion Oklahoma A&M Aggies (now Oklahoma State Cowboys) basketball team. He led the U.S. basketball team to go ...

(

Bartlesville Phillips 66ers The Phillips 66ers (also known as the Oilers) were an amateur basketball team located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and sponsored and run by the Phillips Petroleum Company. The 66ers were a national phenomenon that grew from a small-town team to an ...

) Inducted, 1961 *

Clyde Lovellette Clyde Edward Lovellette ( ; September 7, 1929 – March 9, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. Lovellette was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988. He was the first basketball player in history to ...

(

) Inducted, 1988 *

Hank Luisetti Angelo-Giuseppi "Hank" Luisetti (June 16, 1916 – December 17, 2002) was an American college men's basketball player. He is considered to be one of the great innovators of the sport. In an era that featured the traditional two-handed set shot, ...

( Coach, Denver Chevvies & Coach, San Francisco Stewart Chevrolets) Inducted, 1959 *

John McLendon John B. McLendon Jr. (April 5, 1915 – October 8, 1999) was an American basketball coach who is recognized as the first African American basketball coach at a predominantly white university and the first African American head coach in any professi ...

(Coach,

) Inducted, 1979 and 2016 *

George Yardley George Harry Yardley III (November 3, 1928 – August 12, 2004) was an American basketball player. He was the first player in NBA history to score 2,000 points in one season, breaking the 1,932-point record held by George Mikan. Yardley was en ...

(San Francisco Stewart Chevrolets) Inducted, 1996

NIBL players who became NBA/ABA All-Stars

(Oakland Bittners, Oakland Blue 'n Gold Atlas) *

Dick Barnett Richard Barnett (born October 2, 1936) is an American former basketball player who was a shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Syracuse Nationals, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks. He won two NBA championshi ...

(

) *

Vince Boryla Vincent Joseph Boryla (March 11, 1927 – March 27, 2016) was an American basketball player, coach and executive. His nickname was "Moose". He graduated from East Chicago Washington High School in 1944. He played basketball at the University of N ...

(Denver Chevvies) *

( Peoria Caterpillars) * Larry Brown (Akron Goodyears) * Gus Johnson (Cleveland Pipers) *

(

) *

Tom Meschery Thomas Nicholas Meschery ( ; born Tomislav Nikolayevich Meshcheryakov (russian: Томислав Николаевич Мещеряков); October 26, 1938)

(San Francisco Stewart Chevrolets) * Chuck Noble (Akron Goodyears) *

Don Ohl Donald Jay Ohl (born April 18, 1936) is an American former professional basketball player who spent 10 seasons (1960–1970) in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His nickname was ''Waxie'' because of his crew cut. College career Ohl ...

(Peoria Caterpillars) *

Lee Shaffer Lee Philip Shaffer II (born February 23, 1939) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'7" forward born in Chicago, Shaffer starred at the University of North Carolina, where he was the ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year ...

(Cleveland Pipers) * Ben Warley (Cleveland Pipers) *

(San Francisco Stewart Chevrolets)

NIBL Olympic Players and Coaches

(Oakland Blue 'n Gold Atlas) 1948 Olympic Team Gold Medal * Lew Beck (Phillips 66ers) 1948 Olympic Team Gold Medal * George Bon Salle (Denver-Chicago Truckers) 1959 Pan American Games Gold Medal *

Ron Bontemps Ronald Yngve Bontemps (August 11, 1926 – May 13, 2017) was an American basketball player who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics. He was born in Taylorville, Illinois and attended Beloit College. He was a captain of the United States men's bask ...

(Peoria Caterpillars) 1952 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

(Peoria Caterpillars) 1959 Pan American Games Gold Medal, 1960 Olympic Team Gold Medal * B.H. Born (Peoria Caterpillars) 1954 FIBA USA Team Gold Medal *

Dick Boushka Richard James Boushka (July 29, 1934 – February 19, 2019) was an American basketball player who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics. Born in Springfield, Illinois, Boushka played collegiately at Saint Louis University. In addition to h ...

(Wichita Vickers) 1956 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

(Denver Chevvies) 1948 Olympic Team Gold Medal * Larry Brown (Akron Goodyears) 1964 Olympic Team Gold Medal * Omar Browning (Coach, Bartlesville Phillips 66ers), Head Coach,

1948 United States men's Olympic basketball team The 1948 United States men's Olympic basketball team competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics, along with 22 other basketball teams. The basketball tournament was held in London, England at Wembley Stadium. Team USA won their second straight gold me ...

Gold Medal *

Gordon Carpenter Gordon "Shorty" Carpenter (September 24, 1919 – March 8, 1988) was an American basketball player, and part of gold medal winning American basketball team at the 1948 Summer Olympics. Born in Ash Flat, Arkansas and nicknamed ''Shorty'' despite ...

(Phillips 66ers) 1948 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

Dick Davies Richard Allan Davies (January 21, 1936 – February 25, 2012) was an American basketball player. He played for the gold medal-winning United States men's national basketball team at the 1964 Summer Olympics. He is also the youngest brother of Bob ...

(Akron Goodyears) 1964 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

Chuck Darling :''A fictional character named Chuck Darling was in the comedy series Back to You.'' Charles Frick Darling (March 20, 1930 – April 6, 2021) was an American basketball player who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics. Born in Denison, Iowa, Darl ...

(Phillips 66ers) 1956 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

Marc Freiberger Marcus Ross Freiberger ( – June 29, 2005) was an American basketball player from Amarillo, Texas who was a Gold Medalist in the 1952 Summer Olympics. Playing career At 6'11", Freiberger played collegiately for the Oklahoma Sooners. He was ...

(Peoria Caterpillars & Houston Ada Oilers) 1952 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

Wayne Glasgow Victor Wayne Glasgow (January 17, 1926 – December 31, 2000) was an American basketball player. He played in college for Oklahoma University where he was a two time All- Big Seven selection. Glasgow passes playing in the NBA to play for the Ph ...

(Phillips 66ers) 1952 Olympic Team gold medal *

Don Goldstein Donald Goldstein (1937 – May 27, 2022), known as "Red", was an American college All-American and Pan American Games champion basketball player. Early life Goldstein was Jewish. His mother died when he was four. He grew up poor, in the Brook ...

(New York Tuck Tapers) 1959 Pan American Games Gold Medal * Burdie Haldorson (Phillips 66ers) 1956 Olympic Team Gold Medal, 1960 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

Bill Hougland William Marion Hougland (June 20, 1930 – March 6, 2017) was an American basketball player who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics and in the 1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympi ...

(Phillips 66ers) 1956 Olympic Team Gold Medal * Robert Jeangerard (Phillips 66ers) 1956 Olympic Team Gold Medal * Gene Johnson (Coach, Kansas City Kaycees & Seattle

) Head Coach,

1936 United States men's Olympic basketball team The 1936 United States men's Olympic basketball team competed in the Games of the XI Olympiad in Berlin, representing the United States of America, and was coached by Jimmy Needles of the Amateur Athletic Union's Universal Pictures team. Gene ...

Gold Medal *

Allen Kelley Earl Allen Kelley (December 24, 1932 – August 13, 2016) was an American basketball player who competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics. Born in Dearing, Kansas, he was part of the American basketball team, which won the gold medal in 1960. Kell ...

(Peoria Caterpillars) 1960 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

(Phillips 66ers) 1948 Olympic Team Gold Medal, 1952 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

Lester Lane Lester E. Lane (March 6, 1932 – September 5, 1973) was an American basketball player who competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics. Lane was born in Purcell, Oklahoma, which after his death, renamed Fourth street south of Main Street in his h ...

(Wichita Vickers) 1960 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

(Phillips 66ers) 1956 Olympic Team Gold Medal * Frank McCabe (Peoria Caterpillars) 1952 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

Pete McCaffrey John Paul "Pete" McCaffrey (December 24, 1938 – March 4, 2012) was an American basketball player. He played for the gold medal-winning United States men's national basketball team at the 1964 Summer Olympics. He also played for the fourth place ...

(Akron Goodyears) 1964 Olympic Team Gold Medal * Art Mollner (Coach, Los Angeles Fibber McGee and Mollys) 1936 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

Dan Pippin Dan Luther Pippin (October 20, 1926 – April 1, 1965) was an American basketball player who played for the University of Missouri. He later captained the American basketball team at the 1952 Summer Olympics that won the gold medal in Helsinki ...

(Peoria Caterpillars) 1952 Olympic Team Gold Medal * R. C. Pitts (Phillips 66ers) 1948 Olympic Team Gold Medal * Jesse Renick (Phillips 66ers) 1948 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

Jerry Shipp Jerome Franklin Shipp (September 27, 1935 – October 5, 2021) was an American basketball player. He played for the U.S. national team at the 1963 FIBA World Championship, 1963 Pan American Games and 1964 Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal at ...

(Phillips 66ers) 1964 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

Charlie Slack Charles E. Slack (February 26, 1931 – July 3, 2020) was an American college basketball player from Marshall University. He holds the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I record for the highest single-season rebo ...

(Akron Goodyears) 1960 Olympic Team Gold Medal (alternate) *

Adrian Smith Adrian Frederick "H" Smith (born 27 February 1957) is an English guitarist best known as a member of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, for whom he also writes songs and performs backing vocals both live and in the studio. Smith grew up in London ...

(Akron Goodyears) 1960 Olympic Team Gold Medal * Johnny Stanich (Phillips 66ers, Denver Chevrolets, Denver Central Bankers) 1950 FIBA USA Team Silver Medal * Dan Swartz (Wichita Vickers)

1959 Pan American Games The 1959 Pan American Games were held in Chicago, Illinois, United States between August 28 and September 7, 1959. Host city selection One city initially submitted a bid to host the 1959 Pan American Games that was recognized by the Pan Ame ...

Gold Medal * Gary Thompson (Phillips 66ers)

Gold Medal *

Ron Tomsic Ronald Paul Tomsic (born April 3, 1933) is an American former basketball player. Tomsic, a guard born in Oakland, California, played college basketball at Stanford University from 1951–1955. A three-time All-PCC selection, he scored 1,416 po ...

(San Francisco Stewart Chevrolets) 1956 Olympic Team Gold Medal *

Gerald Tucker Gerald Tucker (March 14, 1922 – May 29, 1979) was the head coach on the Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics, 1956 USA Men's Basketball Gold Medal Olympic Team. He was the coach of Bartlesville Phillips 66ers for four seasons from 1954 to ...

(Phillips 66ers) 1956 Olympic Team Gold Medal * Jim Walsh (Phillips 66ers) 1956 Team Olympic Gold Medal * Howie Williams (Peoria Caterpillars) 1952 Olympic Gold Medal *

Warren Womble John Warren Womble, Jr. (March 15, 1920 – March 21, 2015) was an American basketball coach. He was the head coach of the Peoria Cats, a National Industrial Basketball League (NIBL) team, located in Peoria, Illinois, and the head coach of the 195 ...

(Coach, Peoria Caterpillars) Head Coach, 1952 United States men's Olympic basketball team, Gold Medal

Notable NIBL alumni

Bud Adams Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, Jr. (January 3, 1923 – October 21, 2013) was an American businessman who was the founder and owner of the Tennessee Titans, a National Football League franchise. A member of the Cherokee Nation who originally mad ...

(Owner, Houston Ada Oilers) * Jim Ashmore (Denver-Chicago Truckers) *

Joe Belmont Joseph Elliott Belmont (July 12, 1934 – January 6, 2019) was an American basketball player and coach. He played college basketball at Duke University, and was selected in the 1956 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia Warriors. He never played in ...

(Denver-Chicago Truckers) *

Al Bunge Allan J. Bunge (November 24, 1937 – November 26, 2019) is a former National Basketball Association (NBA) first round draft pick (seventh pick overall) of the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1960 NBA draft. Bunge led the Maryland Terrapins to the ...

(Bartlesville Phillips 66ers) * Art Bunte (Denver-Chicago Truckers) * Bill Calhoun ( Oakland Blue 'n Gold Atlas) * Ken Charlton (Denver-Chicago Truckers) *

Gene Conley Donald Eugene Conley (November 10, 1930 – July 4, 2017) was an American professional baseball and basketball player. He played as a pitcher for four teams in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1952 to 1963. Conley also played as a forward in t ...

(Washington Tapers) * Johnny Cox (Cleveland Pipers), (Akron Goodyears) *

Howie Crittenden Howard Royce Crittenden (March 3, 1933 – August 30, 2013) was an American basketball player, best known for his college career at Murray State University and in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). High school and college career Crittenden first g ...

(Peoria Caterpillars) *

Johnny Dee Johnny Dee (John D.) is a fictional mutant character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He debuted in ''Son of M #1'' (2005). Fictional character biography Johnny was one of the few mutants who kept his powers after ...

(Coach, Denver-Chicago Truckers) * Billy Donovan Sr. (Los Angeles Fibber McGee & Mollys) *

Chuck Hanger Charles E. Hanger (February 23, 1924 – July 23, 1995) was an American basketball player, known for his career as a collegian at the University of California, Berkeley (Cal) and as an All-American player in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in th ...

(Oakland Blue 'n Gold Atlas) * Jerry Harper (Bartlesville Phillips 66ers),

* Swede Halbrook (Wichita Vickers) *

Phil Jordon Philip Jordon (September 12, 1933 – June 7, 1965) was an American professional basketball player. He played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Professional career A 6'10" center from Whitworth University, Jordon p ...

(Seattle

) *

George King George King may refer to: Politics * George King (Australian politician) (1814–1894), New South Wales and Queensland politician * George King, 3rd Earl of Kingston (1771–1839), Irish nobleman and MP for County Roscommon * George Clift King (18 ...

(Bartlesville Phillips 66ers) * Ron Livingstone (Oakland Blue 'n Gold Atlas) * Bill Logan (Denver-Chicago Truckers) *

Dave Minor Davage T. Minor (February 23, 1922 – March 14, 1998) was a player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played with the Baltimore Bullets before being traded along with Stan Miasek to the Milwaukee Hawks for Don Boven, Pete Darcey ...

( Denver Chevvies) * Bill Morris (Coach, Buchan Bakers) *

Red Murrell Joyce Wayne "Red" Murrell (June 27, 1921 – February 10, 2001) was a Western swing performer from Missouri. He led one of the more notable Western swing bands in California California is a state in the Western United States, locate ...

(Bartlesville Phillips 66ers) * Paul Neumann ( New York Tuck Tapers) *

Jim Palmer James Alvin Palmer (born October 15, 1945) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1965–1967, 1969–1984). Palmer was the winningest MLB pitcher in the ...

(Dayton Industrials) * Bobby Plump (Bartlesville Phillips 66ers), movie '' Hoosiers'' * Ken Pryor (Bartlesville Phillips 66ers) * Terry Rand (Denver-Chicago Truckers) *

Hank Rosenstein Henry Rosenstein (June 16, 1920 – February 27, 2010) was an American professional basketball player. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Rosenstein attended City College of New York before starring in AAU Basketball and being named MVP in the Eastern Je ...

(Coach, New York Tuck Tapers) * Harv Schmidt (Denver-Chicago Truckers) * Lloyd Sharrar (Cleveland Pipers, Akron Wingfoots) *

Arnold Short Arnold Short (October 3, 1932 – September 26, 2014) was an American basketball player. A 6'3 Guard (basketball), guard, he was an NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans, All-American college player at Oklahoma City University and a second round p ...

(Bartlesville Phillips 66ers) * Glen Smith (Denver Central Bankers) *

George Steinbrenner George Michael Steinbrenner III (July 4, 1930July 13, 2010) was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. He was the longest-serving own ...

(Owner, Cleveland Pipers) * Jack Stone (Los Angeles Fibber McGee & Mollys) * Stan Stutz (Coach, New York Tuck Tapers) * Rolland Todd (Buchan Bakers) *

Bumper Tormohlen Eugene R. "Bumper" Tormohlen (May 12, 1937 – December 27, 2018) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He was born and raised in Holland, Indiana; he attended Holland High and helped lead the Dutchmen to an IHSAA Sectional ...

(Cleveland Pipers) * Hank Vaughn (Coach, Akron Goodyears) * Ed Voss ( Oakland Blue 'n Gold Atlas) * Hoarce Walker (Denver-Chicago Truckers) *

Bus Whitehead Milton Edgar "Bus" Whitehead (January 13, 1928 – June 11, 2010). was an American basketball player. He was an All-conference college player for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, University of Nebraska and was an AAU Men's Basketball All-Ame ...

(Bartlesville Phillips 66ers) *

Gene Wiley Gene Wiley (born November 12, 1937) is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) player for the Los Angeles Lakers. He attended Carver High School in Amarillo, Texas and Wichita State University. He was drafted in 1962 with the ei ...

(Denver-Chicago Truckers) * Andy Wolfe (San Francisco Stewart Chevrolets)

NIBL Teams

* Akron Goodyear Wingfoots/Akron Goodyears (1947-1961) *

(1948-1961) * Milwaukee Allen-Bradleys (1947-1957) * Artesia CVE Travelers, Artesia REA Travelers (1951-1955) *

(1959-1961) * Dayton Air-Gems (1950-1952) * Dayton Industrials (1949-1950) * Denver Chevvies (1948-1951) * Denver Central Bankers (1951-1955) * Denver D-C Truckers (1956-1961) * Fort Wayne General Electrics (1947-1948) *

(1952-1955) * Kansas City Kaycees (1957-1958) * Los Angeles Fibber McGee & Mollys (1951-1952) * Los Angeles Kirby's Shoes (1952-1953) * Milwaukee Harnischfegers (1947-1948) * Peoria Caterpillars (1947-1960) * New York Tuck Tapers (1959-1961) * Oakland Blue 'n Gold Atlas (1950-1951) * Oakland Atlas-Pacific Engineers (1951-1952) * San Francisco Investors (1959-1960) * San Francisco Stewart Chevrolets (1950-1952) * Santa Maria Golden Dukes (1951-1954) * Seattle Buchan Bakers (1958-1961) * Wichita Vickers (1955-1960)

NIBL Champions

*1947-48

Milwaukee Harnischfegers *1948-49 600px_Nero_e_Verde_(Bordato)

*1949-50

*1950-51

*1951-52

*1952-53

*1953-54

and

Peoria Cats The Caterpillar Diesels (also later known as the Peoria Cats or Caterpillars) was an amateur basketball team located in Peoria, Illinois and sponsored and run by the Caterpillar Inc. company. The Caterpillars were one of the most successful tea ...

*1954-55

*1955-56

*1956-57

*1957-58

and

Wichita Vickers *1958-59 Verde Flag

Denver-Chicago Truckers *1959-60 600px_Nero_e_Verde_(Bordato)

*1960-61

NIBL All-Star Game

1958, Peoria: East - West 113-104
1959, Denver: East - West 81-78

Yearly NIBL Standings (1947-1948 to 1960-1961)

Teams profiles

References

{{Reflist

External links

History of the Amateur Athletic Union
* http://www.dondennisfamily.com/D_C_Truckers/index.html Defunct basketball leagues in the United States Amateur Athletic Union

League history

High Point of League Expansion

End of the Phillips 66ers Winning Streak

Demise of the NIBL

The amateur nature of the NIBL

Notable NIBL alumni

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ... alumni

NIBL players who became NBA/ABA All-Stars

NIBL Olympic Players and Coaches

Notable NIBL alumni

NIBL Teams

NIBL Champions

NIBL All-Star Game

Yearly NIBL Standings (1947-1948 to 1960-1961)

Teams profiles

References

External links

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
alumni