International Basketball League Explained

International Basketball League (IBL)
Pixels:100px
Sport:Basketball
Folded:2014
Inaugural:2005
Teams:13
Continent:FIBA Americas (Americas)
Champion:Bellingham Slam (2014)
Most Champs:Bellingham Slam (4)

The International Basketball League (IBL) was a semi-professional men's basketball league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States. In 2010 the Albany Legends became the first team in the Northeastern United States to join. The IBL also sometimes featured teams from China and Japan which temporarily relocated to the United States for the IBL season. The IBL season typically ran from the end of March through July.

History

Founded by Portland area sports promoter Mikal Duilio,[1] the league featured rules designed to create a fast-paced, high-scoring brand of basketball. Duilio first began planning for the league with a series of test games in Portland and Seattle in November 2003. These games featured a mixture of traditional college and NBA rules, plus two rules created specifically for the league:

The test games proved popular and resulted in the founding of the IBL in August 2004. Founded with eight teams, the league expanded to 17 by the start of the season in April 2005. Each team played approximately 20 regular season games, most of them centered on their home region, with the teams with the two best records playing in a championship game at the end of the season. The Battle Creek Knights won the inaugural title by going undefeated in the regular season and beating the Dayton Jets in the finals.

In the league's first year, the up-tempo rules resulted in the average team scoring 126.9 points per game, nearly 30 points more than the NBA team average in 2004–05, and slightly higher than the NBA record for points per game by a team in a single season, set by the Denver Nuggets in 1981–82.

In 2010, the league launched a winter season which saw nine different teams compete. Four teams played an entire schedule and thus made them eligible for the playoffs.[2]

In July 2011, Duilio sold the league to Vancouver, Washington, businessman Bryan Hunter.[3] Sharleen Graf was appointed as the league's new commissioner.[4]

In March 2014 the IBL ceased operation as an independent entity and combined with the West Coast Basketball League (WCBL).[5] Teams were split into an 'International Conference' and 'Continental Conference' based on geography. The owner of the NBA over the past decade has actively been internationalizing the game by recruiting potential international players and expanding overseas markets.[6]

Teams

International Conference TeamCity, StateArenaFoundedJoined
Bellingham SlamBellingham, WAWhatcom Pavilionalign=center 2005align=center 2007
Lone Star StrikersConroe, TXOak Ridge High Schoolalign=center 2013align=center
Olympia ReignOlympia, WALittle Creek Casinoalign=center 2008align=center
Portland ChinooksBeaverton, OREastmoreland Courtsalign=center 2009align=center
Salem SabresSalem, ORChemeketa Community Collegealign=center 2013align=center
Seattle FlightSeattle, WANorth Seattle Community College Wellness Centeralign=center 2013align=center
Vancouver VolcanoesVancouver, WAO'Connell Sports Centeralign=center 2005align=center
Continental Conference TeamCity, StateArenaFoundedJoined
Hollywood Shooting StarsHollywood, Californiaalign=center 2012align=center 2014
Los Angeles Team MacleemLos Angeles, CaliforniaMt. Carmel Recreation Centeralign=center 2014align=center 2014
Malibu BeachdogsMailibu, Californiaalign=center 2014align=center 2014
Santa Barbara BreakersSanta Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara City Collegealign=center 2006align=center 2014
Santa Monica JumpSanta Monica, Californiaalign=center 2012align=center 2014
Venice Beach WarriorsVenice Beach, Californiaalign=center 2013align=center 2014

Joined other leagues

Teams history

Champions

Year Champion Score Runner-up
2005align=center align=center 124-121 Dayton Jets
2006align=center align=center 119-108 (OT) Columbus Cyclones
2007align=center align=center 113-109 Portland Chinooks
2008align=center align=center 118-111 Elkhart Express
2009align=center align=center 2-1 (best-of 3) Oregon Waves
2010 Summeralign=center align=center 126-111 Bellingham Slam
2010 Winteralign=center align=center 88-87 Gary Splash
2011align=center align=center 124-116 Edmonton Energy
2012align=center align=center 142-109 Portland Chinooks
2013align=center align=center 117-114 Vancouver Volcanoes
2014align=center align=center 143-126 Vancouver Volcanoes

Wins by club

Team Championships Summer Seasons Winter Seasons
align=center align=center 4 align=center 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014 align=center
align=center align=center 2 align=center 2006, 2007 align=center
align=center align=center 1 align=center 2005 align=center
align=center align=center 1 align=center 2009 align=center
align=center align=center 1 align=center 2010 align=center
align=center align=center 1 align=center align=center 2010
align=center 1 align=center 2011 align=center

Notable people

Commissioners

Players

Coaches

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Portlanders start pro hoops league. 17 August 2004. Portland Business Journal.
  2. http://www.iblhoopsonline.com/gary_splash/ IBL 2010/11 Winter Division Championship Tournament
  3. http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jul/10/ibl-ownership-fills-void-for-driven-hunter/ IBL ownership fills void for driven Hunter
  4. Web site: International Basketball League Names New Commissioner. 23 July 2011. Our Sports Central.
  5. Web site: WCBL joins IBL in vision for minor leagues. 28 March 2014. Our Sports Central.
  6. Kawashiri . Kyle . 2020-09-02 . The Societal Influence of the NBA . Pop Culture Intersections.
  7. http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4270153 Weekly Sports and Franchise Report
  8. http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4270153 Weekly Sports and Franchise Report
  9. http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4270153 Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
  10. http://www.bctitans.ca/ Titans Decline to Participate on 2011 IBL Season
  11. http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4270153 Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
  12. http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4270153 Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
  13. "Vander Velden takes the helm in Battle Creek", IBLHoopsOnline.com, 24 October 2006, International Basketball League, retrieved 27 December 2007

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