American Basketball League

The American Basketball League (ABL) was an early professional basketball league. During six seasons from 1925–26 to 1930–31, the ABL was the first attempt to create a major professional basketball league in the United States. Joseph Carr, who was, in 1925, the president of the recently founded, three year old National Football League, organized the ABL from nine of the best independent pro teams from the East and the Midwest. George Halas of the NFL Chicago Bears was the owner of the Chicago Bruins, and department store magnate Max Rosenblum, a part owner of the NFL's Cleveland Bulldogs, financed the Cleveland Rosenblums. Future NFL (Washington Redskins) owner George Preston Marshall, the owner of a chain of laundries, was owner of the Washington Palace Five. Other teams were the Boston Whirlwinds, Brooklyn Arcadians, Buffalo Bisons, Detroit Pulaski Post Five, Fort Wayne Caseys, and Rochester Centrals. With the exception of 1927–28, the ABL season was divided into two halves, with the winner of the first half playing the winner of the second half for the championship.

In 1953, ABL and NBL merge to form the American Basketball Association (ABA), ABL and NBL become the two conferences in ABA

League winners
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" !Year !Winner !Result !Runner Up
 * 1925–26
 * Cleveland Rosenblums
 * 3–0
 * Brooklyn Arcadians
 * 1926–27
 * Original Celtics
 * 3–0
 * Cleveland Rosenblums
 * 1927–28
 * Original Celtics
 * 3–1
 * Fort Wayne Hoosiers
 * 1928–29
 * Cleveland Rosenblums
 * 4–0
 * Fort Wayne Hoosiers
 * 1929–30
 * Cleveland Rosenblums
 * 4–1
 * Rochester Centrals
 * 1930–31
 * Brooklyn Visitations
 * 4–2
 * Fort Wayne Hoosiers
 * 1931–32
 * colspan="3"|League suspended operations.
 * 1932–33
 * colspan="3"|League suspended operations.
 * 1933–34
 * Philadelphia Sphas
 * 4–2
 * Trenton Moose
 * 1934–35
 * Brooklyn Visitations
 * 3–2
 * New York Jewels
 * 1935–36
 * Philadelphia Sphas
 * 4–3
 * Brooklyn Visitations
 * 1936–37
 * Philadelphia Sphas
 * 4–3
 * Jersey Reds
 * 1937–38
 * Jersey Reds
 * 4–2
 * New York Jewels
 * 1938–39
 * New York Jewels
 * 3–0
 * Jersey Reds
 * 1939–40
 * Philadelphia Sphas
 * 1–0
 * Washington Heurich Brewers
 * 1940–41
 * Philadelphia Sphas
 * 3–1
 * Brooklyn Celtics
 * 1941–42
 * Wilmington Blue Bombers
 * colspan="2"|Won both halves to claim championship.
 * 1942–43
 * Philadelphia Sphas
 * 4–3
 * Trenton Tigers
 * 1943–44
 * Wilmington Bombers
 * 4–3
 * Philadelphia Sphas
 * 1944–45
 * Philadelphia Sphas
 * 2–1
 * Baltimore Bullets
 * 1945–46
 * Baltimore Bullets
 * 3–1
 * Philadelphia Sphas
 * 1946–47
 * Trenton Tigers
 * colspan="2"|Won forfeit, Baltimore Bullets could not play finals
 * 1947–48
 * Wilkes-Barre Barons
 * 2–1
 * Paterson Crescents
 * 1948–49
 * Wilkes-Barre Barons
 * 3–2
 * Scranton Miners
 * 1949–50
 * Scranton Miners
 * 1–0
 * Bridgeport Aer-A-Sols
 * 1950–51
 * Scranton Miners
 * 1–0
 * Wilkes-Barre Barons
 * 1951–52
 * Wilkes-Barre Barons
 * 1–0
 * Scranton Miners
 * 1952–53
 * Manchester British-Americans
 * 1–0
 * Wilkes-Barre Barons
 * Wilkes-Barre Barons
 * 2–1
 * Paterson Crescents
 * 1948–49
 * Wilkes-Barre Barons
 * 3–2
 * Scranton Miners
 * 1949–50
 * Scranton Miners
 * 1–0
 * Bridgeport Aer-A-Sols
 * 1950–51
 * Scranton Miners
 * 1–0
 * Wilkes-Barre Barons
 * 1951–52
 * Wilkes-Barre Barons
 * 1–0
 * Scranton Miners
 * 1952–53
 * Manchester British-Americans
 * 1–0
 * Wilkes-Barre Barons
 * 1952–53
 * Manchester British-Americans
 * 1–0
 * Wilkes-Barre Barons
 * Wilkes-Barre Barons