The United States Basketball League (USBL) was a professional men's spring

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

league. The league was formed in 1985 and ceased operations in 2008. The USBL started in 1985 as one of the first basketball leagues to play a late-spring to early-summer schedule. The league quickly became known as a development league for players, with many players moving up to 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 many more playing in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

after stints here. In 1996, the league made a

stock offering A public offering is the offering of securities of a company or a similar corporation to the public. Generally, the securities are to be listed on a stock exchange. In most jurisdictions, a public offering requires the issuing company to publish a ...

, a rarity among sports leagues. However, in later years, the league declined as rival leagues appeared and USBL had a tougher time replacing teams that folded. In the last two seasons, the league was mainly a midwestern league, with teams mainly in

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

, and

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. After speculation that the USBL might fold after the 2007 season, the league announced that it would sit out the 2008 season and consider its options for the future. In January 2010, the league expressed hopes to resume play in April 2010. However, no further news has surfaced from the league. The final champions are the

Kansas Cagerz The Kansas Cagerz was a United States Basketball League team in Salina, Kansas. They were founded in 1998 as the Columbus Cagerz in Columbus, Ohio before moving after their inaugural season. The last head coach was Francis Flax. The Kansas Cagerz ...

, who won the title game on July 1, 2007.

History

The United States Basketball League was founded in December 1984 by Daniel T. Meisenheimer, a

stockbroker A stockbroker is a regulated broker, broker-dealer, or registered investment adviser (in the United States) who may provide financial advisory and investment management services and execute transactions such as the purchase or sale of stocks an ...

from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

. The league management initially planned to schedule about 40 games during the summer, and started to look for new teams to join the newly formed USBL. Former

referee Richie Powers was named the league's vice president and director of operations, while

Earl Monroe Vernon Earl Monroe (born November 21, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for two teams, the Baltimore Bullets and the New York Knicks, during his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Both teams ...

was the commissioner. Meisenheimer introduced a

salary cap In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Sever ...

of $250,000 per team. The teams for the first season were the Connecticut Colonials from

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

; the New Jersey Jammers from

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Long Island Knights The Long Island Surf were a professional basketball team based in Long Island, New York. They played 14 seasons in the United States Basketball League (USBL). History The franchise was established in 1985 as the Long Island Knights, and played ...

from

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18th ...

(owned by Meisenheimer himself); the Rhode Island Gulls from

Warwick, Rhode Island Warwick ( or ) is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, the third largest city in the state with a population of 82,823 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is located approximately south of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, sout ...

; the Springfield Fame from

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...

; the

Westchester Golden Apples The Westchester Golden Apples was a professional basketball team based in the United States Basketball League (USBL). The team was a charter member of the USBL in 1985. The team was originally owned by former New York Knicks player Dick Barnett a ...

from

Westchester, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

; and the Wildwood Aces from

Wildwood, New Jersey Wildwood is a city in Cape May County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area and is a popular summer resort destination along the Jersey Shore. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's year-ro ...

. Several players with NBA experience joined the USBL: among them

Ken Bannister Kenneth Darnell Bannister (born April 1, 1960) is a retired American professional basketball player, from Baltimore, Maryland. At 6' 9" tall he was a power forward-center. College career Bannister played college basketball at Trinidad State Junio ...

Jim Bostic James Bostic (born January 28, 1953) is a retired American basketball player. Born in Yonkers, New York, he played in college for New Mexico State University. He was selected by the Kansas City Kings in the 8th round (139th pick overall) of the ...

Tracy Jackson Tracy Cordell Jackson (born April 21, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, Maryland, and was named to the inaugu ...

Lowes Moore Lowes Lee Moore (born May 5, 1957) is a former American National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Moore was a 2-time Continental Basketball Association (CBA) champion for the Albany Patroons under coaches Phil Jackson and George Karl. Most know ...

Eddie Lee Wilkins Eddie Lee Wilkins (born May 7, 1962) is an American former basketball player. A 6'10" forward/center from Gardner-Webb University, Wilkins played in six NBA seasons for the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers. Early life Wilkins grad ...

and

Sam Worthen Samuel Lee Worthen (born January 17, 1958) is an American former NBA player who currently is touring as the coach of the Washington Generals, the team that perennially loses to the Harlem Globetrotters. He was well known for his play at the Ru ...

. Other players who played in the 1985 USBL season would later play in the NBA, such as Michael Adams,

Manute Bol Manute Bol (; October 16, 1962 – June 19, 2010) was a Sudanese-American professional basketball player and political activist. Listed at or tall, Bol was tied with Gheorghe Mureșan as the tallest player in the history of the National Bas ...

Ron Crevier Ronald Joseph Oscar Camille Crevier (born April 14, 1958) is a Canadian former professional basketball player. He played part of one season in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and in the early 1980s for the Canadian national men's basket ...

Spud Webb Anthony Jerome "Spud" Webb (born July 13, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player. Webb, who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), is known for winning a Slam Dunk Contest despite being one of the shortest players ...

and John "Hot Rod" Williams. After the regular season ended after each team played 25 games, the league management decided not to organize postseason games, since many players were going to join other teams for the start of the regular season of other leagues such as the NBA or the CBA. The first USBL champions were the Springfield Fame, that had ended the regular season leading the league with a 19–6 record. Hot Rod Williams and Tracy Jackson were named co-MVPs, while Manute Bol led the league both in rebounds per game (14.2) and blocks per game (11.2). In 1986 two teams, the Long Island Knights and the Rhode Island Gulls, left the league, and three new franchises joined the USBL: the Gold Coast Stingrays from

West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lagoon. The populati ...

, the

Staten Island Stallions The United States Basketball League (USBL) was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985 and ceased operations in 2008. The USBL started in 1985 as one of the first basketball leagues to play a late-spring to ...

from

Staten Island, New York Staten Island ( ) is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey b ...

and the

Tampa Bay Flash Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough Count ...

from

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

. In the same year

Nancy Lieberman Nancy Elizabeth Lieberman (born July 1, 1958), nicknamed "Lady Magic", is an American former professional basketball player and coach in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) who is currently a broadcaster for the Oklahoma City Thun ...

joined the Springfield Fame and became the first female player to play in a professional league with men. Lieberman debuted in June 1986 in a game against the

, playing 3 minutes during which she did not score. In 1987 another woman joined the USBL:

Lynette Richardson Lynnette, also spelled Lynette, is a feminine given name. People * Lynette Boggs (born 1963), American politician * Lynnette Brooky (born 1968), New Zealand golfer * Lynette Chico (21st century), Puerto Rican fashion model and actress * Lynnett ...

, who had played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

at Florida International, signed for the

Miami Tropics Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at the ...

. On June 13, 1987, Richardson and Lieberman played against each other during a game between the Miami Tropics and the

Long Island Knights The Long Island Surf were a professional basketball team based in Long Island, New York. They played 14 seasons in the United States Basketball League (USBL). History The franchise was established in 1985 as the Long Island Knights, and played ...

: Richardson scored 3 points while Lieberman scored 2. The top teams of the regular season advanced to the ''USBL Postseason Festival'', a playoffs system that saw teams play single elimination games in order to advance to the final game. On three occasions (1985, 1986 and 1990) no postseason was held, and the team with the best regular season record won the championship. In 1989 the USBL ceased operations temporarily in order to improve its organization, and resumed the following season, in 1990.

Complete team list

USBL Champions

''Teams played a single championship game at the end of the playoffs to name the league champions'' *1985 Springfield Fame (19–6) won regular season, no playoffs *1986

(22–8) won regular season, no playoffs *1987

103 Rhode Island Gulls 99 *1988

New Haven Skyhawks The Connecticut Skyhawks were a men's spring-professional basketball team in the United States Basketball League. History The Skyhawks were founded in 1985 as the Connecticut Colonels. The Colonels suspended operations until the 1988 season, whe ...

134

Palm Beach Stingrays The United States Basketball League (USBL) was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985 and ceased operations in 2008. The USBL started in 1985 as one of the first basketball leagues to play a late-spring to ...

126 *1989 ''USBL suspended operations'' *1990

Jacksonville Hooters Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the c ...

(15–1) won regular season, no playoffs *1991

Philadelphia Spirit The Philadelphia Spirit was a United States Basketball League team that played from 1991 to 1992 at Holy Family University in Northeast Philadelphia. In 1991, they finished first in the league, with a 15–5 record. They beat the Miami Tropics in ...

110

108 *1992

116

114 *1993

139 Westchester Stallions 127 *1994

117

Atlanta Trojans Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

109 *1995

Florida Sharks Florida is a U.S. state, state located in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia (U.S. state), Geo ...

109

104 *1996

118 Atlantic City Seagulls 115 *1997 Atlantic City Seagulls 114

Long Island Surf The Long Island Surf were a professional basketball team based in Long Island, New York. They played 14 seasons in the United States Basketball League (USBL). History The franchise was established in 1985 as the Long Island Knights, and played ...

112 *1998 Atlantic City Seagulls 100

96 *1999 Atlantic City Seagulls 83 Connecticut Skyhawks 77 *2000

Dodge City Legend The Dodge City Legend was a professional basketball franchise located in Dodge City, Kansas in the United States Basketball League, a minor league that played in the spring. The Legend won three USBL titles, in 2000, its first season, 2003 and in ...

Oklahoma Storm The Oklahoma Storm was a United States Basketball League (USBL) team in Enid, Oklahoma. Founded by sports agent and attorney James Sears Bryant, the Storm successfully captured the USBL championship under head coach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 2002, de ...

86 *2001 Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs 100

91 *2002

122

109 *2003

97 Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs 96 *2004 Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs 118 Brooklyn Kings 116 *2005

84 *2006

Nebraska Cranes The Nebraska Cranes were a United States Basketball League team located in Kearney, Nebraska. The most recent head coach was Brian Walsh. In the team's second season, the Cranes won the USBL championship by defeating the defending champion Dodge C ...

100

92 *2007

95 Brooklyn Kings 92 *2008 ''USBL suspended operations''

League awards

Player of the Year

*1985: John "Hot Rod" Williams, Rhode Island Gulls &

, Springfield Fame *1986:

Don Collins Donald Collins (born November 28, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player. Collins was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks, in the first round (18th pick), of the 1980 NBA draft. Collins played in 303 National Basketball Association ...

, Tampa Bay Flash *1987: Don Collins (2), Tampa Bay Stars *1988: Lewis Lloyd, Philadelphia Aces *1990: Jerry Johnson, Jacksonville Hooters *1991: Michael Anderson, Philadelphia Spirit *1992:

Roy Tarpley Roy James Tarpley (November 28, 1964 – January 9, 2015) was an American professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions in the National Basketball Association (NBA), earning an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in ...

, Miami Tropics *1993:

, Miami Tropics *1994: Stan Rose, Atlanta Trojans *1995: Charles Smith, Florida Sharks *1996: Brent Scott, Portland Mountain Cats *1997:

Dennis Edwards Dennis Edwards Jr. (February 3, 1943 – February 1, 2018) was an American soul and R&B singer who was best known as the frontman in The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a serie ...

, Florida Sharks *1998:

Curt Smith Curt Smith (born 24 June 1961) is a British singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and co-founding member of the pop rock band Tears for Fears along with childhood friend Roland Orzabal. Smith plays bass guitar, has co-written several ...

, Washington Congressionals *1999:

Adrian Griffin Adrian Darnell Griffin Sr. (born July 4, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA as a shooting guard ...

, Atlantic City Seagulls *2000:

Sean Colson Sean Tyree Colson (born July 1, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At a height of 6'0" (1.83 m) tall, he played at the point guard position. College career Colson attended the U ...

, Dodge City Legend *2001:

Aubrey Reese Aubrey Lamar Reese (born October 13, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6-foot point guard, he played college basketball at Murray State for 3 years, being named the OVC Player of the Year in 2000. After going undrafted ...

, Oklahoma Storm *2002:

Kwan Johnson Kwan may refer to: People * Kwan (surname) (關), a Chinese surname * Kwan Cheatham (born 1995), American basketball player for Ironi Nes Ziona of the Israel Basketball Premier League * nickname of Kwandwane Browne (born 1977), Trinidadian field ...

, Brevard Blue Ducks *2003:

Albert Mouring Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...

, Oklahoma Storm *2004: Chudney Gray, Brooklyn Kings *2005: Nate Johnson, Kansas Cagerz *2006: Quannas White, Oklahoma Storm *2007: Anthony Richardson, Kansas Cagerz

Postseason MVP

*1987: World B. Free, Miami Tropics *1988:

Bobby Parks Bobby Ray Parks Sr. (November 26, 1961 – March 30, 2013) was an American professional basketball player from Grand Junction, Tennessee. He played for Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) from 1980-1984 and played inte ...

, New Haven Skyhawks *1991: Paul Graham, Philadelphia Spirit *1992:

Duane Washington Duane Eddy Washington Sr. (born August 31, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Early life Washington is a graduate of Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School. ...

, Miami Tropics *1993:

, Miami Tropics *1994:

Fred Lewis Frederick Deshaun Lewis (born December 9, 1980) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He made his debut on September 1, , with the San Francisco Giants. He is the cousin of former Major League outfielder Matt Lawton. He lived ...

, Jacksonville Hooters *1995: Charles Smith, Florida Sharks *1996: Charles Smith (2), Florida Sharks *1997: Mark Baker, Atlantic City Seagulls & Brent Scott, Atlantic City Seagulls *1998:

, Atlantic City Seagulls *1999: Adrian Griffin (2), Atlantic City Seagulls *2001:

Frantz Pierre-Louis Frantz may refer to: * Frantz (given name), a masculine given name (and list of people with the given name) * Frantz (surname), a surname (and list of people with the surname) * Frantz (''Coppélia''), a character in ''Coppélia'' * ''Frantz'' (fi ...

, Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs & Ace Custis, Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs *2002: Joe Ira Clark, Oklahoma Storm *2003: Darrin Hancock, Dodge City Legend *2004:

Marcus Fleming John Marcus Fleming (1911 – 3 February 1976) was a British economist. He was the deputy director of the research department of the International Monetary Fund for many years; he was already a member of this department during the period of ...

, Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs *2005:

Jermaine Boyette Jermaine ( ) is a masculine given name of Latin origin, derived from the French given name , which is in turn derived from the Latin given name , meaning "brother". The masculine given name Jermaine was popularized in the 1970s by Jermaine Jack ...

, Dodge City Legend *2006: Alex Sanders, Nebraska Cranes *2007: Nate Johnson, Kansas Cagerz

Rookie of the Year

*1985: John "Hot Rod" Williams, Rhode Island Gulls *1986:

Marty Embry Marty Embry (born March 28, 1964) is an American chef, entrepreneur and retired professional basketball player. Basketball career At 6'9, 270 lbs., he was drafted out of DePaul University in the 4th round of the 1986 NBA draft by the Utah J ...

, Jersey Jammers *1987:

Muggsy Bogues Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues (born January 9, 1965) is a former American basketball player. The shortest player ever to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Bogues played point guard for four teams during his 14-season caree ...

, Rhode Island Gulls *1988:

Ricky Grace Ricky Ray Grace (born August 20, 1966) is an American-Australian former professional basketball player who spent the majority of his career in the Australian National Basketball League with the Perth Wildcats. Playing career Ricky "Amazing ...

, Jersey Shore Bucs *1990:

Randy Henry Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolf, Randolph, as well as Bertrand and Andrew, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of them ...

, Jacksonville Hooters *1991: Greg Sutton, Empire State Stallions *1992:

, Jacksonville Hooters *1993:

Khari Jaxon Khari is a village development committee in Dhading District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. ...

, Palm Beach Stingrays *1994:

Randy Carter Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolf, Randolph, as well as Bertrand and Andrew, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of them ...

, Memphis Fire *1995: Roger Crawford, Memphis Fire *1996: Mike Lloyd, Atlantic City Seagulls *1997:

Mikki Moore Clinton Renard "Mikki" Moore (pronounced "MY-key"; born November 4, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Early life and college Born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Moore graduated from Blacksburg High School at Blacksburg, ...

, Atlanta Trojans *1998:

Kerry Thompson Kerry or Kerri may refer to: * Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name) Places * Kerry, Queensland, Australia * County Kerry, Ireland ** Kerry Airport, an international airport in Count ...

, Tampa Bay Windjammers *1999:

Adrian Pledger Adrian Pledger (born May 3, 1976) is a former American professional basketball player. Pledger played guard and forward for Ironi Nahariya in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He was the top scorer in the 2000-01 Israel Basketball Premier Le ...

, New Hampshire Thunder Loons *2000: Chudney Gray, Long Island Surf *2001: George Evans, Maryland Mustangs *2002:

Devin Brown Devin LaVell Brown (born December 30, 1978) is an American former professional basketball shooting guard who played 8 seasons in the National Basketball Association. Brown won an NBA championship as a member of the San Antonio Spurs in 2005. E ...

, Kansas Cagerz & Corsley Edwards, Adirondack Wildcats *2003:

Lenny Cooke Leonard Cooke (born April 29, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, he is known primarily for having been ranked higher than LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in 2001. He had averaged 25 poi ...

, Brooklyn Kings *2004:

Tony Bland Anthony David Bland (21 September 1970 – 3 March 1993) was a supporter of Liverpool F.C. injured in the Hillsborough disaster. He suffered severe brain damage that left him in a persistent vegetative state as a consequence of which the hospita ...

, Brevard Blue Ducks *2005:

Badou Gaye Badou is a town in western Togo near the Ghanaian border, in Plateaux Region. Its main industries are cocoa- and coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a s ...

, Westchester Wildfire & John Allen, New Jersey Flyers *2006:

Tristan Smith Tristan (Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed T ...

, Long Island PrimeTime *2007:

Adam Schaper Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Book of Genesis, Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a coll ...

, Gary Steelheads

Coach of the Year

*1985:

Gerald Oliver Gerald is a male Germanic given name meaning "rule of the spear" from the prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule"). Variants include the English given name Jerrold, the feminine nickname Jeri and the Welsh language Gerallt and Iris ...

, Springfield Fame *1986:

Henry Bibby Charles Henry Bibby (born November 24, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the New York Knicks, New Orleans Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, and San Diego Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He a ...

, Springfield Fame *1987:

Gordon Gibbons Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...

, Tampa Bay Stars *1988:

Dave Ervin Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

, Philadelphia Aces *1990: Rex Morgan, Jacksonville Hooters *1991: Bill Lange, Philadelphia Spirit *1992:

Al Outlaw AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media * Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera * Al (''Fullmetal ...

, Atlanta Eagles *1993:

John Lucas II John Harding Lucas II (born October 31, 1953) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played basketball and tennis at the Un ...

, Miami Tropics *1994: Al Outlaw (2), Atlanta Trojans *1995:

Mike Mashak Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat) Mike (Some sources have his date of birth as 1909. In the ''Evening Standard'' obituary, Wallis Budge says that Mike started hanging around the museum in 1910. However, in his foreword to the "Mike" pamp ...

, Jersey Turnpikes *1996:

Eric Musselman Eric Musselman (born November 19, 1964) is an American college basketball coach who is the current head men's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas. He is the former head coach of the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors of the ...

, Florida Sharks *1997:

Kevin Mackey Kevin Mackey (born August 21, 1946) is a former head coach of men's basketball at Cleveland State University. His CSU Vikings upset the Indiana Hoosiers and the Saint Joseph's Hawks to make the Sweet 16 in the 1986 NCAA Division I men's basketbal ...

, Atlantic City Seagulls *1998:

Ray Hodge Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...

, Connecticut Skyhawks *1999:

Darryl Dawkins Darryl R. Dawkins (January 11, 1957 – August 27, 2015) was an American professional basketball player. He was particularly known for his tenure with the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he als ...

, Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs & Kevin Mackey (2), Atlantic City Seagulls *2000:

Kent Davidson Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, Dodge City Legend *2001:

Robert Parish Robert Lee Parish (born August 30, 1953) is an American former professional basketball player who played 21 seasons as a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA), tied for second most in league history. He played an NBA-record 1,61 ...

, Maryland Mustangs *2002:

Francis Flax Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) Places *Rural Mu ...

, Kansas Cagerz &

Harvey Grant Harvey Grant (born July 4, 1965) is an American former professional National Basketball Association basketball player. He is the identical twin brother of Horace Grant, also a former NBA player. College Grant transferred to Oklahoma after a year ...

, Brevard Blue Ducks *2003:

Cliff Levingston Clifford Eugene Levingston (born January 4, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. Professional playing career A former power forward, Levingston played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Levingston st ...

, Dodge City Legend *2004: Dale Osbourne, Dodge City Legend *2005: Ken Charles, Brooklyn Kings *2006:

Bryan Gates Bryan Gates is an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns. Before joining the Suns, Gates was an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Sacramento Kings, and the New Orleans Pelicans. Outside of the National Basketball Association, Gate ...

, Oklahoma Storm *2007: Dale Osbourne (2), Dodge City Legend

Defensive Player of the Year

*2002: Johnny Jackson, Kansas Cagerz *2003: Kevin Freeman, Westchester Wildfire *2004:

Immanuel McElroy Immanuel Jarod McElroy (born March 25, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player. He played as a point guard- shooting guard and small forward. College career McElroy played college basketball at Tyler Junior College from 1998- ...

, Dodge City Legend *2005:

Eric Coley The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...

, Oklahoma Storm *2006: Anthony Johnson, Kansas Cagerz *2007:

Ronald Ross Sir Ronald Ross (13 May 1857 – 16 September 1932) was a British medical doctor who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his work on the transmission of malaria, becoming the first British Nobel laureate, and the f ...

, Albany Patroons

Man of the Year

*1986:

, Westchester Golden Apples *1987: World B. Free, Miami Tropics *1988: Michael Brooks, Philadelphia Aces *1992:

, Miami Tropics *1993:

, Atlanta Eagles *1996:

Roy Jones Jr. Roy Levesta Jones Jr. (born January 16, 1969) is an American former professional boxer who holds dual American and Russian citizenship. He competed in boxing from 1989 to 2018, and held multiple world championships in four weight classes, inc ...

, Jacksonville Barracudas

Statistical leaders

Scoring leaders

Rebounding leaders

Assists leaders

Notable past players

''Source'' * Flag of the United States

Michael Adams – ( Springfield Fame) * Flag of Philippines

Bong Alvarez Paul Beleno "Bong" Alvarez (born June 15, 1968) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. Dubbed as "Mr. Excitement" because of his high-leaping, slam-dunking acts. Basketball career At the ...

- ( Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs) * Flag of the United States

Michael Anderson – (

Philadelphia Aces The Philadelphia Aces were a United States Basketball League team that played from 1987 to 1988 and in 1990. History The Philadelphia Aces were previously known as the Wildwood Aces during the 1985 and 1986 seasons. Their home court was the Wild ...

) *

Nate Archibald Nathaniel "Tiny" Archibald (born September 2, 1948) is an American retired professional basketball player. He spent 14 years playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA), most notably with the Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City–Omaha Kings ...

– (

Jersey Shore Bucs The United States Basketball League (USBL) was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985 and ceased operations in 2008. The USBL started in 1985 as one of the first basketball leagues to play a late-spring to ...

) *

Darrell Armstrong Darrell Eugene Armstrong (born June 22, 1968) is a former American professional basketball player, who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He is currently an assistant coach for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, who won the cha ...

– (

) *

Raja Bell – (

Tampa Bay Windjammers Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough Count ...

) *

- ( Springfield Fame) * Flag of the United States

Mark Blount Mark D. Blount ( ; born November 30, 1975) is an American retired professional basketball center with four teams in the National Basketball Association between 2000 and 2009. Career Blount spent his freshman year of high school in Summerville, ...

– ( Atlantic City Seagulls,

New Jersey Shorecats The New Jersey ShoreCats was a professional basketball team in the United States Basketball League (USBL) from 1998 to 2000. The team was based in Asbury Park, New Jersey and played home games at Asbury Park Convention Hall. The ShoreCats were o ...

) *

Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues – ( Rhode Island Gulls) * Flag of Sudan

– ( Rhode Island Gulls) * Flag of the United States

– (

) *

Chris Childs – (

) *

Lloyd Daniels Lloyd Daniels (born September 4, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who played parts of five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Early life The shooting guard was one of the most sought-after recruit ...

– (

) *

Yinka Dare Yinka Dare (October 10, 1972 – January 9, 2004) was a Nigerian professional basketball player. A , center, he played four seasons in the National Basketball Association. Early years Born in Kano, Dare was discovered by Nigerian-born lawyer Llo ...

– (

) *

Mark Davis Mark Davis may refer to: Entertainers *Mark Davis (talk show host), American radio talk show host * Mark Jonathan Davis (born 1965), American actor/singer and creator of Richard Cheese *Mark Davis, American bassist and founding member for the band ...

– (

) *

Waliyy Dixon Waliyy Dixon (born February 7, 1974), better known by his streetball nickname "Main Event", is an American professional basketball player. He was born and raised in Linden, New Jersey. Early life Dixon spent his youth honing his streetball skills ...

– ( Atlantic City Seagulls) * Flag of the United States

Richard Dumas Richard Wayne Dumas (born May 19, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he is the son of former American Basketball Association player Rich Dumas. Basketball career Dumas, a 6' 7" small forward f ...

– (

) *

Mario Elie is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his cr ...

– (

) *

LeRon Ellis LeRon Perry Ellis (born April 28, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. Ellis was considered to be one of the premier high school basketball players in the nation among the class of 1987 while playing for the top-ranked Sout ...

– ( Connecticut Skyhawks) * Flag of the United States

World B. Free – (

) *

Doug Gottlieb Douglas Mitchell Gottlieb (born January 15, 1976) is an American basketball analyst and sports talk radio host. He played both NCAA collegiate basketball, twice leading the nation in assists, and professional basketball (including USBL; leading ...

– (

) *

Darrin Hancock – (

New Jersey Shore Cats The New Jersey ShoreCats was a professional basketball team in the United States Basketball League (USBL) from 1998 to 2000. The team was based in Asbury Park, New Jersey and played home games at Asbury Park Convention Hall. The ShoreCats were ow ...

, Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs,

) *

Antonio Harvey Antonio Harvey (born July 6, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Harvey attended Southern Illinois University (1988–89), Connors State College (1989–90), the University of Georgia (19 ...

– (

Atlanta Eagles Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

) *

Vince Hizon Vince is a given name, it is the anglicisation and shortened form of the name Vincent, as well as a surname. It may refer to: Given name People * Vince Agnew (born 1987), American football player * Vince Cable (born 1943), British politician ...

– ( Pennsylvania Valleydawgs) * Flag of the United States

Craig Hodges Craig Anthony Hodges (born June 27, 1960)
''basketball-reference.com''. Retrieved March 19, 2011 is an ...

– ( Washington Congressionals) * Flag of the United States

Anderson Hunt – (

) *

Mike James – (

) *

Keith Jennings – (

) *

Avery Johnson Avery DeWitt Johnson (born March 25, 1965) is an American basketball television commentator and former player and coach who most recently served as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team. He is currently an NBA and college ...

– (

) *

Anthony Jones – (

) *

– (

Brevard Blue Ducks Brevard is the name of some places in the United States of America: * Brevard, North Carolina **Brevard College **Brevard Music Center *Brevard County, Florida Brevard County ( ) is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. s ...

) *

Eddie Jordan Edmund Patrick Jordan, OBE (born 30 March 1948), also known as EJ, is an Irish businessman, television personality and former motorsport team owner. Born in Dublin, Jordan worked first at the Bank of Ireland. He won the Irish Kart Championship ...

– (

Jersey Jammers The New Jersey Jammers, known also as the Jersey Jammers, was a professional basketball in the United States Basketball League (USBL). The team was a charter franchise of the USBL in 1985. In 1985, the Jammers played home games at Lakewood High ...

) *

R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwi ...

– ( Atlantic City Seagulls) * Flag of the United States

Shawn Kemp Shawn may refer to: *Shawn (given name) *Shawn (surname) See also * Sean * Shaun Shaun is an anglicized spelling of the Irish name Seán. Alternative spellings include Shawn, Sean and Shawne. Notable persons with the given name include: Peop ...

Rusty LaRue Rusty LaRue (born December 10, 1973) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He was a multi-sport athlete who played basketball, baseball, and football at Wake Forest University. LaRue played in the National Basketball As ...

– ( Carolina Cardinals) * Flag of the United States

– ( Springfield Fame) * Flag of the United States

Anthony Mason – (

) *

Cheryl Miller Cheryl D. Miller (born January 3, 1964) is an American former basketball player. She was formerly a sideline reporter for NBA games on TNT Sports and also works for NBA TV as a reporter and analyst, having worked previously as a sportscaster f ...

– (

) *

Jamario Moon Jamario Raman Moon (born June 13, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for one season at Meridian Community College and began his professional career with teams in the United States Basketball ...

– (

), (

Gary Steelheads The Gary Steelheads were a professional basketball team. They played in the International Basketball League, Continental Basketball Association, and the United States Basketball League. They were based in Gary, Indiana, United States, and played ...

) *

Marcelo Nicola Marcelo Patricio Nicola Virginio (born May 12, 1971) is an Argentine-Italian former professional basketball player and a current coach. A very versatile power forward, he was a regular member of the Argentine national basketball team, and compete ...

– (

) *

Moochie Norris – ( Washington Congressionals) * Flag of the United States

Kevin Ollie Kevin Jermaine Ollie (born December 27, 1972) is an American basketball coach and former player. Kevin is the head coach for Overtime Elite, a professional basketball league co-founded by Dan Porter and Zack Weiner for top players between 16 and ...

– ( Connecticut Skyhawks) * Flag of the United States

Terrell Owens Terrell Eldorado Owens (; born December 7, 1973), nicknamed T.O., is an American football wide receiver for the Knights of Degen of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Regar ...

– (

Adirondack Wildcats Adirondack may refer to: Places *Adirondack Mountains, New York, US **Adirondack Park, a protected area in the US, containing a large portion of the Adirondack Mountains * Adirondack County, New York, a proposed county in New York * Adirondack, Ne ...

) *

Victor Page Victor Martin Page (born February 19, 1975) is an American former basketball player who once played for the Georgetown University Hoyas and Sioux Falls Skyforce. He holds the freshman scoring record of 34 points in a game, breaking Allen Iverson' ...

– ( Washington Congressionals) * Flag of the United States

Simeon Rice Simeon James Rice (; born February 24, 1974) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals third overall in the 1996 NFL Draft. In his 12-year NFL career, Rice recorded 122 sacks, forced 25 fumbles, recov ...

– (

Philadelphia Power Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since 1 ...

) *

– (

) *

Micheal "Sugar" Ray Richardson – (

) *

Cliff Robinson – (

) *

LaMont "ShowBoat" Robinson - (

) *

Jim Rowinski James Rowinski (born January 4, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. College career Rowinski, a 6'8" 250 lb center, attended and played collegiately at Purdue University. Along with standout freshman and fellow cent ...

- (

) *

Shawnelle Scott – (

) *

Charles Smith – (

) *

– ( Washington Congressionals) * Flag of the United States

Mark Strickland – (

, Atlantic City Seagulls) * Flag of the United States

Derek Strong Derek Lamar Strong (born February 9, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who played in ten National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons from 1991 to 2001 for six different teams. A 6'8" forward from Xavier University, Stro ...

– (

) *

– (

) *

Kelvin Upshaw Kelvin Parnell Upshaw (born January 24, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player. He is a 6'2" (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) guard and played competitively at Chicago's Marshall High School, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Colleg ...

– ( Palmbeach Stingrays) * Flag of the United States

Chris Washburn Christopher Scott Washburn (born May 13, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player. College career A 6'11" center (basketball), center, Washburn was one of the top three high school recruits in the country in 1984, along with ...

– (

, Westchester Stallions) * Flag of the United States

Anthony "Spud" Webb – ( Rhode Island Gulls) * Flag of the United States

Freeman Williams Freeman Williams Jr. (May 15, 1956 – April 19, 2022) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Portland State Vikings, where he was a two-time All-Americ ...

– (

) *

John "Hot Rod" Williams – ( Rhode Island Gulls) * Flag of the United States

Lorenzo Williams – ( Palmbeach Stingrays) * Flag of the United States

Ime Udoka Ime Sunday Udoka ( ; born August 9, 1977) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA), currently suspended by the team for the 2 ...

– (

)

References

External links

HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES BASKETBALL LEAGUE
on apbr.org

Press Releases from USBasket
{{Men's professional basketball leagues Defunct basketball leagues in the United States Defunct professional sports leagues in the United States Publicly traded sports companies Sports leagues established in 1985 Organizations disestablished in 2008 1985 establishments in the United States