The National Professional Basketball League (NPBL) was a professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
league in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
from 1950–51, serving as a successor league to the
National Basketball League that operated from 1937 to 1949.
History
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 St ...
contracted after the 1949–1950 season, losing six teams: The
Anderson Packers
The Anderson Packers, also known as the Anderson Duffey Packers and the Chief Anderson Meat Packers, were a professional basketball team based in Anderson, Indiana, in the 1940s and 1950s.
The team was founded and owned by brothers Ike W. and Jo ...
,
Sheboygan Red Skins
The Sheboygan Red Skins (or Redskins) was a professional basketball team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which was an original National Basketball Association franchise during the 1949–1950 season.
History Overview
The Redskins played in th ...
and
Waterloo Hawks jumped to the NPBL, while the
Chicago Stags
The Chicago Stags were a National Basketball Association team based in Chicago from 1946 to 1950.
History
1946–47 season
In the BAA's inaugural year, the Chicago Stags were placed in the Western Division, and after 60 games were tied with the ...
,
Denver Nuggets and
St. Louis Bombers folded. The league went from 17 teams to 11 before the 1950–1951 season started. Midway through the 1950–1951 season, the
Washington Capitols
The Washington Capitols were a former Basketball Association of America (forerunner of the National Basketball Association) team based in Washington, D.C. from 1946 to 1951. The team was coached from 1946 to 1949 by NBA Hall of Famer Red Auerbac ...
folded as well, bringing the number of teams in the league down to ten.
The National Professional Basketball League was formed around the former NBA teams, with teams added in new larger markets. The charter teams were the East Division:
Sheboygan Redskins
The Sheboygan Red Skins (or Redskins) was a professional basketball team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which was an original National Basketball Association franchise during the 1949–1950 season.
History Overview
The Redskins played in th ...
(Former NBA),
Anderson Packers
The Anderson Packers, also known as the Anderson Duffey Packers and the Chief Anderson Meat Packers, were a professional basketball team based in Anderson, Indiana, in the 1940s and 1950s.
The team was founded and owned by brothers Ike W. and Jo ...
(Former NBA),
Louisville Alumnites and
Grand Rapids Hornets. West Division:
Denver Refiners
The Denver Refiners were a professional basketball team who played in Denver, Colorado, in 1950–1951 and were a member of the Western Division of the National Professional Basketball League, which lasted one season.
History
The National Basket ...
/
Evansville Agogans :''Also see: Sports in Evansville''.
The Evansville Agogans were a professional basketball team who played in Evansville, Indiana, in 1951 and were a member of the Western Division of the National Professional Basketball League (1950–1951), Natio ...
,
Saint Paul Lights
The St. Paul Lights were a franchise for the one season (1950) of the National Professional Basketball League, based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
History
The National Basketball Association contracted after the 1949–1950 season, losing six teams: ...
,
Kansas City Hi-Spots
The Kansas City Hi-Spots were a franchise for one season (1950-1951) in the National Professional Basketball League, based in Kansas City, Missouri.
History
The National Basketball Association contracted after the 1949-1950 season, losing six te ...
and
Waterloo Hawks (Former NBA).
The league played just one season, with no championship finals ever being staged.
Doxie Moore served as commissioner. The
Grand Rapids Hornets,
Kansas City Hi-Spots
The Kansas City Hi-Spots were a franchise for one season (1950-1951) in the National Professional Basketball League, based in Kansas City, Missouri.
History
The National Basketball Association contracted after the 1949-1950 season, losing six te ...
,
Louisville Alumnites and
Saint Paul Lights
The St. Paul Lights were a franchise for the one season (1950) of the National Professional Basketball League, based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
History
The National Basketball Association contracted after the 1949–1950 season, losing six teams: ...
franchised folded during the season and the
Denver Refiners
The Denver Refiners were a professional basketball team who played in Denver, Colorado, in 1950–1951 and were a member of the Western Division of the National Professional Basketball League, which lasted one season.
History
The National Basket ...
relocated to
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...
to become the
Evansville Agogans :''Also see: Sports in Evansville''.
The Evansville Agogans were a professional basketball team who played in Evansville, Indiana, in 1951 and were a member of the Western Division of the National Professional Basketball League (1950–1951), Natio ...
.
The Sheboygan Red Skins and Waterloo Hawks both claimed the championship because they were each in first in their divisions at the end of the season, but they never met in a playoff series.
1950–1951 Standings
Eastern Division
*
Sheboygan Red Skins
The Sheboygan Red Skins (or Redskins) was a professional basketball team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which was an original National Basketball Association franchise during the 1949–1950 season.
History Overview
The Redskins played in th ...
*
Louisville Alumnites
*
Anderson Packers
The Anderson Packers, also known as the Anderson Duffey Packers and the Chief Anderson Meat Packers, were a professional basketball team based in Anderson, Indiana, in the 1940s and 1950s.
The team was founded and owned by brothers Ike W. and Jo ...
*
Grand Rapids Hornets
Western Division
*
Waterloo Hawks
*
Denver Refiners
The Denver Refiners were a professional basketball team who played in Denver, Colorado, in 1950–1951 and were a member of the Western Division of the National Professional Basketball League, which lasted one season.
History
The National Basket ...
/
Evansville Agogans :''Also see: Sports in Evansville''.
The Evansville Agogans were a professional basketball team who played in Evansville, Indiana, in 1951 and were a member of the Western Division of the National Professional Basketball League (1950–1951), Natio ...
*
Saint Paul Lights
The St. Paul Lights were a franchise for the one season (1950) of the National Professional Basketball League, based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
History
The National Basketball Association contracted after the 1949–1950 season, losing six teams: ...
*
Kansas City Hi-Spots
The Kansas City Hi-Spots were a franchise for one season (1950-1951) in the National Professional Basketball League, based in Kansas City, Missouri.
History
The National Basketball Association contracted after the 1949-1950 season, losing six te ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Professional Basketball League (1950-1951)
1950 establishments in the United States
1951 disestablishments
Defunct professional sports leagues in the United States
Defunct basketball leagues in the United States