Tombstone
Formed: May 25, 19691Continental Cage League Officially Set, UPI via The Sheboygan Pres, May 26, 1969
Disbanded: 1974
First Game: November 1969 (Either 11/15 or 11/16)
Last Game: February 23, 1974
Seasons: 5
States : 5
(Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio & Wisconsin)
Leadership
Commissioner:
- 1969 – ????: Jack Nagle
- ???? – March 1972: Marshall Theroux
- 1972 – 1974: Marv Rotblatt
Background
This Upper Midwest-based minor basketball league operated from 1969 until 1974. This version of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), sometimes called the Continental Basketball League, is not to be confused with the later CBA that operated from 1978 until 2009 and served as the NBA’s official developmental league throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s.
The league’s great success story was future Hall-of-Famer George Gervin. The Ice Man, who went by the rather less iconic nickname of “Twiggy” during his brief tour of duty in the Continental Basketball Association, got his professional start with the CBA’s Pontiac Capparrells during the 1972-73 season after leaving Eastern Michigan University. He played only briefly in the league before leaving for the ABA’s San Antonio Spurs the season.
Continental Basketball Association Franchise List
| Franchise | Years Active | CBA Champions |
|---|---|---|
| Beloit Bucks | 1971-1972 | None |
| Chicago Sons | 1973-1974 | None |
| Cudahy Medalist Mods | 1969-1970 | 1970 (as Waukesha Medalist Mods) |
| Decatur Bullets | 1969-1973 | None |
| Flint Pros | 1972-1973 | None |
| Grand Rapids Tackers | 1969-1974 | 1973-1974 |
| Lake County Lakers | 1971-1973 | None |
| Milwaukee Muskies | 1970-1971 | None |
| Northwest Chicago Travelers | 1970-1971 | None |
| Oakland Capparrells | 1973-1974 | None |
| Peoria Chiefs | 1969-1971 | None |
| Pontiac Capparrells | 1972-1973 | None |
| Rockford Rockets | 1972-1973 | None |
| Rockford Royals | 1969-1972 | 1971 |
| Toledo Pipers | 1973-1974 | None |
| Waukegan Wizards | 1969-1971 | None |
| Waukesha Medalist Mods | 1970 | 1970 |
| Waukesha Pros | 1970-1971 | None |
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More teams and franchises
These additional team histories are filed under this league.
5 Responses
The Grand Rapids Tackers! They played their games at my local HS gymnasium and we got free admission so I was at most of these games. Such great memories.
Do you have any info on a team from New Mexico called the Glovers? They traveled around the southwest to Houston, Dallas, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Wichita and Shreeveport? There was a 5’8″ guard by the name of Charlie Foster who oftened jumped tipoff.
We do not, but that sounds like a team worth looking into.
Check the Alamogordo Daily News, 2/5/71. There’s a pic there of them taking second in the Sacramento Basketball Tournament (presumably named after the mountains in New Mexico, not the capital of California). Charlie Foster is in the pic, along with Dan Washington (coach), Robert Bowman, Zell Smith, Ben Bradford, Jerry Taylor, Lorenzo Bradford, Elbert Gardner, and Ezan Allen.
There’s also a pic from 1/4/63 with Dan Washington listed as a player. This team (Glover’s Gulf) appears to be a part of the local city league. It sounds from the OP that they did some barnstorming as well.
I played a couple of games with the Toledo Pipers.