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RetroSeasons
RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
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National Basketball League I logo

National Basketball League I (NBL1)
Seasons 1899-1904 (6 seasons)

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Leagues Basketball NBL1 History Seasons

Recap

In early August of 1898, in the office Horace Fogel, the sports editor of the Philadelphia Public Ledger, the first professional basketball league, the National Basketball League, was organized.

Centered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the league's teams stretched from New York City to Central New Jersey, through the Philadelphia area and down to Wilmington, Delaware. On Dec. 1 the first game sees the Trenton Nationals defeat the Hancock Athletic Association. YMCA star Fred Cooper was the coach of the Trenton team and still occasionally performed on the court. He also contributed advice and coached players throughout the circuit on an informal basis.

During the summer of 1903, businessmen representing the Massachusetts Central League, traveled south to Philadelphia with an open checkbook. By the time they headed home they had signed the cream of the National League performers to play in Massachusetts. Nine weeks into the 1903-04 season, the NBL collapsed.

Close
Other concurrent basketball leagues:    
PBL  ·  NEL  ·  MCBL  ·  MSBL
1903-04 NBL1 Season
1903-04 NBL1 Season
Camden Electrics
1902-03 NBL1 Season
1902-03 NBL1 Season
Camden Electrics
1901-02 NBL1 Season
1901-02 NBL1 Season
Bristol Pile Drivers
1900-01 NBL1 Season
1900-01 NBL1 Season
New York Wanderers
1899-00 NBL1 Season
1899-00 NBL1 Season
Trenton Potters
1898-99 NBL1 Season
1898-99 NBL1 Season
Trenton Potters

NBL1 History

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