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List of Eastern Basketball Association seasons

The Eastern Basketball Association was a professional basketball league based in the United States. The league began in 1946 and was known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League. After one season the league changed its name to the Eastern Professional Basketball League. In 1979, the league changed its name again to the Continental Basketball Association.

Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League / Eastern Professional Basketball League (1946–1970)

1946–47 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Postseason
League map
Notes

1947–48 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Postseason
League map

1948–49 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Postseason
League map

1949–1950 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Postseason
League map

1950–51 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Postseason
League map

1951–52 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Postseason
League map

1952–53 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Postseason
League map

1953–54 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Postseason
League map

1954–55 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Notes
  • William Morgan, the league commissioner since its inception, was succeeded by Harry Rudolph.

1955–56 season

Teams
Regular season standings

1956–57 season

Teams
Regular season standings

1957–58 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Notes and events
  • Two expansion franchises were admitted to the league in September 1957. They were clubs in Reading, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware which would become the Reading Keys and Wilmington Jets, respectively.
  • Harry Rudolph was elected league president in September 1957. Barry Sherman was elected secretary and public relations director. Elected members of the board of governors were Clem Palevitch, Richard Smith and Jack Agnor.

1958–59 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Notes and events
  • League president Harry Rudolph announced that Bill Spivey of the Wilkes-Barre team was fined $10 for fighting during a game. It was Spivey's second fine of the season and Rudolph said if another incident occurred it would result in a suspension.

1959–1960 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Notes and events
  • During the offseason before the 1959–1960 season, the league announced their collegiate draft was postponed so the league could vote on an expansion franchise from Baltimore, Maryland (which became the Baltimore Bullets).
  • In January 1960, the league announced it had scrapped a rule permitting National Basketball Association (NBA) teams only one option per season on players. This rule would allow NBA team to call-up and send down players as much as they wished.

1960–61 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Notes and events
  • The league held its annual preseason meeting on June 13, 1960 where league president Harry Rudolph was re-elected to a two-year term. He was also elected treasurer of the league. Ray Saul was re-elected as public relations director and secretary.
  • EPBL president Harry Rudolph announced plans to file a $1,000,000 defamation of character lawsuit against National Football League (NFL) commissioner Pete Rozelle for saying, "several players in the Eastern Basketball [League] were accused of gambling on games involving teams for which they formerly played." The comment was about Rozelle's decision to bar NFL player Gene Lipscomb from joining the EPBL Baltimore Bullets.

1961–62 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Notes and events
  • At the league's annual meeting during the offseason before the 1961–62 season a proposal to relocate the Baltimore franchise to New England was to be proposed. The potential move would have been to either Bridgeport or Milton, Connecticut as facilitated by the prospective owner, Herb Kables. The proposal was ultimately rejected.
  • The league postponed its collegiate draft due to the 1961 NCAA University Division men's basketball gambling scandal.
  • Rules were adopted before the 1961–62 season to mirror the rules of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
  • The Allentown Jets announced they had signed Andrew "Fuzzy" Levane to a one-year contract as coach in September 1961.
  • In October 1961, the EPBL passed a resolution that would give a lifetime ban to any player who left an EPBL team for another league. The rule came in response to players who left the league the fledgling American Basketball League (ABL).
  • In December 1961, a "State Basketball Championship" for Pennsylvania was proposed by Pittsburgh Rens owner Lenny Litman between his ABL team, the NBA Philadelphia Warriors and the EPBL Sunbury Mercuries.
  • EPBL president Harry Rudolph announced that the Camden franchise had been fined $150 for failing to have the required seven players in uniform for a game on January 27, 1962 in which Camden lost to Williamsport 153–126. According to the Associated Press several Camden players were delayed by car trouble forcing the team to play with six players.
  • EPBL president Harry Rudolph announced that Trenton Colonials coach Harry Landa had been fined for pushing a referee during a game on February 3, 1962. According to Rudolph, if Landa failed to pay the fine he would be suspended for the remainder of the season. 

1962–63 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Notes and events
  • During the offseason before the 1962–63 season, the EPBL considered admitting two new franchises in Philadelphia and Carbondale, Pennsylvania/ The Philadelphia franchise was not approved as the team's owners could not find a suitable venue. The Carbondale franchise was admitted to the league, but that deal was eventually voided when team owners failed to meet their financial obligations according to league president Harry Rudolph.
  • In November 1962, after the American Basketball League (ABL) folded, EPBL president Harry Rudolph announced that players who were banned for leaving their EPBL teams for the ABL could apply for re-admittance to the league if they wrote a letter to the league president with $25 as payment for a fine. Players affected by the ban were: Hal Lear, David Gunther, Hershel Thurner, Kelly Coleman and Spike Gibson.
  • In April 1963, EPBL president Harry Rudolph announced that Camden Bullets player Tom Hoover was fined $100 and suspended for four games following a physical altercation with referee Jim Armstong.

1963–64 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Notes and events
  • During the offseason before the 1963–64, the Wilmington Blue Bombers of Wilmington, Delaware were admitted into the league. The league also announced it had abolished its territorial draft.
  • The Wilmington Blue Bombers announced they had hired Alexander Severance as coach during the offseason before the 1963–64 season.
  • In October 1963, the Camden Bullets announced that Charles "Buddy" Donnelly was hired as coach.

1964–65 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Notes and events
  • EPBL president Harry Rudolph was re-elected to a two-year term during the offseason before the 1964–65 season. The league also re-elected Ray Saul as secretary. David Waters was newly elected to the position of vice president. Hal Simon, Spike Shandelman and Arthur Pachter were elected to the board of governors.
  • In June 1964, the EPBL held its annual collegiate draft in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
  • Before the 1964–65 season, the EPBL established a three-point field goal from 25 feet away from the basket.
  • Brendan McCann replaced Pete Monska as the Allentown Jets' head coach during the offseason before the 1964–65 season.

1965–66 season

Teams
Regular season standings

1966–67 season

Teams
Regular season standings

1967–68 season

Teams
Regular season standings

1968–69 season

Teams
Regular season standings

1969–1970 season

Teams
Regular season standings

Eastern Basketball Association (1970–78)

1970–71 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Postseason
Notes
  • William J. Montzman is named the commissioner of the league, making him the third person to serve in that capacity. He succeeded Harry Rudolph, who was commissioner since 1955.
ABA and NBA affiliations

1971–72 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Postseason
ABA and NBA affiliations

1972–73 season

Teams
Regular season standings

1973–74 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Notes
  • The East Orange Colonials (originally the Garden State Colonials) were owned by author Larry Armour and his 14 year-old son, Andy Armour, who was the youngest team owner in EBA history. The Colonials had a working agreement with three NBA teams: the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Golden State Warriors and the Detroit Pistons.

1974–75 season

Teams
Regular season standings

1975–76 season

Teams
Regular season standings
ABA and NBA affiliations

1976–77 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Syracuse Centennials folded midseason
Timeline
NBA affiliations

1977–78 season

Teams
Regular season standings
Postseason
NBA affiliations

References