NABL History

The NABL League History

	Welcome to North America's Second Division of Pro Basketball. The 21st century is seeing the alliance of the historic traditions of the NABL predecessor leagues with today's marketing and communications to form an organization designed to provide exciting hometown teams with local owners/sponsors playing in regional conferences with the opportunity for a national championship. The key word is NATIONAL . . . . Although the NABL will concentrate on regional team conferences with heated rivalries, the ultimate goal is to attract enough of these hotly contested conferences across the country to allow teams to compete for a national title. The key word is ALLIANCE . . . . The NABL will always strive for the ALLIANCE among the teams and its fans through strong local owners/sponsors . . . competitive but supportive conferences . . . strong league support of the local teams and conferences . . . and most importantly an ALLIANCE between the NABL and its fans. TODAY'S NABL . . . . Quality hometown teams owned by local owners/sponsors ! Continuing tradition of a National AAU League begun in 1935 with the Missouri Valley League. The American Basketball League (1945-1948) gave way to the National Industrial Basketball League which continued through 1961. The National AAU League (NABL) then operated from 1966-73. Now the NABL is back after many years in which the AAU existed solely of touring teams. Exciting FIBA rules! Exciting regional conferences with red hot rivalries ! National non-conference games! Conference championship tournaments! Conference and tournament champions playing for a national championship, the 97th Annual AAU Basketball Championship April 11-16, 2002 in Sacramento. AAU "Fall Tour" of college teams! New Balance - the official NABL shoe and coaches apparel Molten International- the official NABL game ball
	AAU BASKETBALL HISTORY: GREAT TEAMS, GREAT LEAGUES, A GREAT FUTURE What is old is new again! The NABL returns the AAU to national league play for the first time since 1973 with a 21st Century marketing plan that will present 'old fashioned' team basketball. The AAU was once the mainspring of USA basketball, delivering great teams, Olympic players, and sold out crowds in communities across the USA. Indeed, through the 1960's many a great player would eschew the NBA for the AAU teams in the NIBL/NABL, citing better compensation and a chance to be an Olympian. The AAU presented classic teams througout the 20th Century such as the Phillips 66ers, the Akron Wingfoots, the Peoria Cats, and the Seattle Bakers. Olympic teams until 1972 were made up primarily, if not exclusively of AAU based players. And its not all ancient history either. Larry Brown, Bill Bradley, and -most recently- David Robinson are familiar names to todays basketball fans. Top players who played AAU basketball include Bob Kurland, Clyde Lovelette, Jim Pollard, Richie Guerin, Andy Phillip, Hank Luisetti, Vince Boryla, Dick Boushka, Cazzie Russell, Bailey Howell, Steve Jones, Roger Brown, George Yardley, Elgin Baylor, Jim Luscotoff, Don Ohl, Darel Carrier, Darnell Hillman, John Barnhill, Adrian (Odie) Smith, Ben Warley, Tom Meschery, Billy McGill, Don Kojis, Flynn Robinson, Dave Stallworth, Ollie Johnson, Clyde Lee, Ollie Darden, Byron Beck, Mike Barrett, and Rich Manning. As in the past, today's NABL features community based teams featuring a mix of local and national stars. Here are some of today's stars: Owensboro- Chris Thomas (Kentucky Wesleyan); Tony Lovan (W. Kentucky); Richard Duncan (M. Tennessee St); Gino Bartolone (Kentucky Wesleyan); Jeremy Stanton (Evansville) Frankfort- Jerrod West (W.Virginia); Franklin Paul (McNeese St.); Terrence Newby (N. Carolina); Jeffrey Joseph (Maine - PI); Adam Earnhardt(N. Carolina-Asheville); Jeff Ellis (Concordia) Kentucky- Collier Mills (Transylvania); Kyle Green (Transylvania); Will Carleton (Georgetown); Charles Thomas (Minnesota) Charleston- Greg Dennis (E. Tennesee St); Shawn Good (Virginia Tech); Corey Jackson (Marshall); Dwayne Price (U. Charleston); Basra Fakhir (Ohio U.)