Tombstone
Formed: May 10, 1970 (Re-branded Eastern Professional Basketball League)1Sports Flashes, The Youngstown Vindicator, May 11, 1970
Re-branded: August 26, 1978 (Continental Basketball Association)2EBA takes on Continental flare, The Bangor Daily News, Aug. 28, 1978
First Game: December 12, 1970
Last Game: May 7, 1978
Seasons: 8
States: 8 plus the District of Columbia
(AK, CT, DC, DE, MA, NJ, NY, PA, RI)
Leadership
Trophy Case
Editor's Pick
Boxed Out
Remembering The Eastern Professional Basketball League
In Boxed out of the NBA: Remembering the Eastern Professional Basketball League, Syl Sobel and Jay Rosenstein tell the fascinating story of a league that was a pro basketball institution for over 30 years, showcasing top players from around the country. During the early years of professional basketball, the Eastern League was the next-best professional league in the world after the NBA. It was home to big-name players such as Sherman White, Jack Molinas, and Bill Spivey, who were implicated in college gambling scandals in the 1950s and were barred from the NBA, and top Black players such as Hal “King” Lear, Julius McCoy, and Wally Choice, who could not make the NBA into the early 1960s due to unwritten team quotas on African-American players.
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Background
Coming soon…
Eastern Basketball Association Franchise List
[etable]
| Franchise | Years Active | League Champions |
|---|---|---|
| Allentown Jets | 1970-1978 | 1972-1975-1976 |
| Anchorage Northern Knights | 1977-1978 | NONE |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 1977-1978 | NONE |
| Brooklyn Pros | 1976 | NONE |
| Camden Bullets | 1970-1971 | NONE |
| Cherry Hill Rookies | 1973-1975 | NONE |
| Connecticut Gold Coast Stars | 1975-1976 | NONE |
| Delaware Blue Bombers | 1970-1971 | NONE |
| East Orange Colonials | 1973-1974 | NONE |
| Garden State Colonials | 1972-1973 | NONE |
| Hamburg Bullets | 1972-1973 | NONE |
| Hamden Bics | 1970-1971 | NONE |
| Hamilton Pat Pavers | 1972-1974 | NONE |
| Hartford Capitols | 1970-1974 | 1974 |
| Hartford Downtowners | 1976-1977 | NONE |
| Hazleton Bits | 1971-1972 | NONE |
| Hazleton Bullets | 1973-1977 | NONE |
| Jersey Shore Bullets | 1977-1978 | NONE |
| Lancaster Red Roses | 1975-1978 | NONE |
| Long Island Ducks | 1977-1978 | NONE |
| Long Island Sounds | 1975-1976 | NONE |
| Providence Shooting Stars | 1977-1978 | NONE |
| Quincy Chiefs | 1977-1978 | NONE |
| Scranton Apollos | 1970-1977 | 1971-1977 |
| Shore Bullets | 1977 | NONE |
| Sunbury Mercuries | 1970-1971 | NONE |
| Syracuse Centennials | 1976-1977 | NONE |
| Trenton Capitols | 1975-1976 | NONE |
| Trenton Pat Pavers | 1970-1972 | NONE |
| Washington Metros | 1977-1978 | NONE |
| Wilkes-Barre Barons | 1970-1976 & 1977-1978 | 1973-1978 |
| Wilkes-Barre Pros | 1977 | NONE |
##
More teams and franchises
These additional team histories are filed under this league.