Current season, competition or edition: 2026 TBL season | |
 | |
| Formerly | North America Premier Basketball |
|---|---|
| Sport | Basketball |
| Founded | 2017; 9 years ago (2017) |
| First season | 2018 |
| Owners | Dave Magley Evelyn Magley |
| CEO | Evelyn Magley |
| President | Dave Magley |
| Commissioner | Carlnel Wiley |
| Motto | Where the spirit of the game lives |
| No. of teams | 32 |
| Countries | United States Canada |
| Continent | North America |
| Most recent champion | Potawatomi Fire (3rd title) |
| Most titles | Potawatomi Fire (3) |
| Broadcaster | TBL TV |
| Official website | thebasketballleague |
The Basketball League (TBL), formerlyNorth America Premier Basketball (NAPB), is a professionalbasketball league. The league began operating in North America in 2018 with eight teams, and has since expanded.
TBL's regular season runs from February through May, and their teams engage ininterleague play with franchises of theBasketball Super League (BSL).
In July 2017,Dave Magley and Severko Hrywnak announced the formation of North America Premier Basketball (NAPB).[1] Magley previously served as commissioner for theNational Basketball League of Canada (NBLC), and Hrywnak was co-founder of thePremier Basketball League (PBL).[1]
The league launched its inaugural2018 season with eight teams: theAlbany Patroons,Kansas City Tornados,Kentucky Thoroughbreds,Nevada Desert Dogs, Ohio Cardinals,Rochester Razorsharks, Vancouver Knights, and theYakima SunKings. The Yakima SunKings defeated the Albany Patroons in a best-of-three series to become inaugural NAPB champions.[2]
After the first season, Dave Magley and his wife Evelyn acquired the league as sole owners, andrebranded as The Basketball League (TBL).[3]Paul Mokeski was named commissioner of the league for its2019 season, which commenced with ten teams.[4] The league's second season was ended prematurely, as many teams were struggling financially.[5] In a rematch from the prior year, theAlbany Patroons defeated theYakima SunKings in a best-of-three series to become TBL champions.[6]Paul Woolpert was fired as Yakima's head coach prior to the final game, as he had protested the team owner refusing to pay for his coaching staff's flights to Albany.[7]
The2020 season began with twelve teams, but ended prematurely with no playoffs held due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[8] Carlnel Wiley replaced Paul Mokeski as league commissioner prior to this season.[9]
Twenty-nine teams played during the2021 season, with theEnid Outlaws defeating theSyracuse Stallions in a best-of-three series to capture the league championship.[10]
We are a showcase league, trying to provide players with opportunities. We don’t havebuyout clauses, so players can leave if they find another opportunity. We provide video and stats, which is important for players who want to go overseas, because those are the two things that you need to get a chance.[11]
National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) teams engaged ininterleague play with TBL franchises during the2022 season, including the2022 TBL All-Star Game.[12] Forty-four teams competed that season, and theShreveport Mavericks defeated theAlbany Patroons in a best-of-three series to become TBL champions.[13]
Forty-nine teams played during the2023 season, with the Potawatomi Fire defeating the St. Louis Griffins in their best-of-three series to become TBL champions.[14]
After the dissolution of NBLC following their 2022–23 season,Dave Magley announced the formation of theBasketball Super League (BSL), whose teams would engage ininterleague play with TBL franchises beginning in 2024.[15] The2024 season saw thirty-nine teams compete, with the Potawatomi Fire once again defeating the St. Louis Griffin in a best-of-three series to win the TBL championship.[16]
The current entry fee for a TBL franchise is $600,000, payable oninstallment, along with a $10,000 annual fee for officiating.[17] Owners are expected to have annualoperating budgets of $200,000 to $300,000, and are entitled to receive 50% of the league'ssponsorship earnings throughrevenue sharing.[17]
| Season | Regular season champion | Regular season MVP | Playoff champion | Playoff runner-up | Playoff MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Yakima SunKings | Edwin Ubiles (Albany) | Yakima SunKings | Albany Patroons | Renaldo Major |
| 2019 | Yakima SunKings | Robert Duncan (Yakima) | Albany Patroons | Yakima SunKings | Shadell Millinghaus |
| 2020 | Indy Express* | Corey Taite (Tri-State) | Season canceled due toCOVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2021 | Enid Outlaws | Chance Comanche (Enid) | Enid Outlaws | Syracuse Stallions | Chance Comanche |
| 2022 | Shreveport Mavericks | Deshawn Munson (Potawatomi) | Shreveport Mavericks | Albany Patroons | PJ Meyers |
| 2023 | Potawatomi Fire | Chris Darrington (Glass City) | Potawatomi Fire | St. Louis Griffins | Daylon Guy and Deshawn Munson |
| 2024 | Potawatomi Fire | Daylon Guy (Potawatomi) | Potawatomi Fire | St. Louis Griffins | Deshawn Munson |
* Shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Indy Express had the best overall record at the time of cancellation.
