International Basketball League

International Basketball League (IBL)

International Basketball League Logo
Sport	Basketball
Founded	2004
Inaugural season	2005
Ceased	2014
No. of teams	13
Countries	United States
Continent	FIBA Americas (Americas)
Last champion(s)	Bellingham Slam (2014)
Most titles	Bellingham Slam (4)
Official website	IBL.com

The International Basketball League (IBL) was a semi-professional men's basketball league featuring teams from the West Coast. In 2010 the Albany Legends became the first team in the Northeastern United States to join. The IBL have also 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 features 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 "Immediate Inbound" Rule: After a made basket, the referee will throw the ball to a nearby player, instead of a player throwing in the ball from under the basket, to eliminate wasted time.
• A 22-second shot clock is used instead of the NBA's 24. A defensive non-shooting foul or kicked ball reset it to 12.

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.

Teams

Joined other leagues

• Akron Cougars (joined the Universal Basketball League. The league folded before the first season.)
• Battle Creek Knights (joined the Independent Basketball Association)
• Dayton Air Strikers (rejoined the Premier Basketball League)
• Gary Splash (joined the Independent Basketball Association^[6]
• Holland Blast (joined the Independent Basketball Association)
• Lake County All-Stars (joined the Independent Basketball Association)
• Lansing Capitals (joined the Independent Basketball Association)
• Kankakee County Soldiers (left to form the Independent Basketball Association^[7])
• Salem Stampede (joined the National Athletic Basketball League)
• Santa Barbara Breakers (joined the West Coast Pro Basketball League)
• Snohomish County Explosion (joined the National Athletic Basketball League)
• Washington Raptors (joined the American Basketball Association)
• West Virginia Wild (joined the National Professional Basketball League then the American Basketball Association)

Teams history

Akron Cougars (2007), as Cuyahoga Falls Cougars (2005–06) Akron Energy (2007) Akron Lightning (2005) Albany Legends (2010–11) Arizona Flame (2008–09), as Scottsdale Flame (2007); as Phoenix Flame (2007) Arizona Lightning (2007) Arizona Raptors (2010), as Phoenix Red Rock Raptors (2009) Aurora Cavalry (2006) Battle Creek Knights (2005–08, 2010-11[8]) BC Titans (2010[9]), as Vancouver Titans (2008–09) Bellingham Slam (2008–present) Cedar Valley Jaguars (2005–06) Chicago Steam (2009) Chico Force (2005–07) Colorado Crossover (2006–07) Dayton Air Strikers (2011) Dayton Jets (2005–06) Des Moines Heat (2005) Detroit Pros (2005) Edmonton Chill (2008) Edmonton Energy (2009–12) Elgin Racers (2007–08), as Windy City Dawgs (2005–06) Elkhart Express (2006–08) Eugene Chargers (2006–07) Gary Splash (2010-11[10]) Gary Steelheads (2008) Grand Rapids Flight (2005–09) Great Lakes All-Stars (2010) Holland Blast (2006–11) Hub City Hurricanes (2007) Jersey G-Force (2012–present), as New Jersey Titans (2011) Kankakee County Soldiers (2009–11[11]), as Windy City Soldiers (2008), as Chicago Heights Soldiers (2007)

Lake County All-Stars (2010–11) Lake County Lakers (2006) Lansing Capitals (2006–07, 2010–11) Las Vegas Pride (2009–10), as Nevada Pride (2009) Las Vegas Stars (2007–08) L.A. Lightning (2008–2010) Macomb County Mustangs (2005–06) Mahoning Valley Wildcats (2005) Marysville Meteors (2007), as Columbus Cyclones (2006) Nippon Tornadoes (2008–09, 2012) Oakland Slammers (2005–06) Ohio Hidden Gems (2010) Olympia Reign (2008–present) Orlando Venom (2012–present), as Florida Winning Ways (2011) Portland Chinooks (2005–08; 2011–present), as Oregon Waves (2009–11) Salem Stampede (2006–07) Salem Soldiers (2012–present) Santa Barbara Breakers (2007) Seattle Mountaineers (2006–07, 2009) Shaanxi Kylins (2008) Shanxi Zhongyu (2008–09) Snohomish County Explosion (2008–09), as Everett Explosion (2007) Tacoma Tide (2009–10) Tacoma Jazz (2007–08) Tacoma Jets (2007), as Tacoma Thunder (2005–06) Tri Valley Titans (2007), as Tri City Ballers (2006); as San Jose Ballers (2005) USA All-Stars (2008–present) Vancouver Volcanoes (2005–present) Washington Raptors (2007) West Coast High Flyers (2008) West Coast Hotshots (2010–present), as Central Oregon Hotshots (2005–10) West Virginia Wild (2006) Yamhill High Flyers (2009–present)

IBL Champions

Year	Champion	Score	Runner-Up
2005	Battle Creek Knights	124-121	Dayton Jets
2006	Elkhart Express	119-108 (OT)	Columbus Cyclones
2007	Elkhart Express	113-109	Portland Chinooks
2008	Bellingham Slam	118-111	Elkhart Express
2009	Los Angeles Lightning	2-1 (best-of 3)	Oregon Waves
2010 Summer	Albany Legends	126-111	Bellingham Slam
2010 Winter	Kankakee County Soldiers	88-87	Gary Splash
2011	Vancouver Volcanoes	124-116	Edmonton Energy
2012	Bellingham Slam	142-109	Portland Chinooks
2013	Bellingham Slam	117-114	Vancouver Volcanoes
2014	Bellingham Slam	143-126	Vancouver Volcanoes

Championships by club

Team	Championships	Summer Seasons	Winter Seasons
Bellingham Slam	4	2008, 2012, 2013, 2014
Elkhart Express	2	2006, 2007
Battle Creek Knights	1	2005
Los Angeles Lightning	1	2009
Albany Legends	1	2010
Kankakee County Soldiers	1		2010
Vancouver Volcanoes	1	2011

Notable people

Commissioners

• Mikal Duilio (2004–July 2011)
• Sharleen Graf (July 2011–present)

Players

• Toby Bailey, former UCLA player and NCAA Champion; NBA player
• Tim Hardaway, former Golden State Warriors star
• David Jackson, former NBA and Euroleague player; former Oregon Duck
• Shawn Kemp, former Seattle SuperSonics star
• Lamond Murray, 13-year NBA veteran
• Dennis Rodman, former Chicago Bulls player and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member
• Bryon Russell, former Utah Jazz star
• Fred Vinson, former Seattle SuperSonics player and current NBA Assistant Coach

Coaches

• Rob Ridnour, head coach of the Bellingham Slam and father of Charlotte Hornets guard Luke Ridnour
• Logan Vander Velden, head coach of the Battle Creek Knights and former Los Angeles Clippers player^[12]

Final regular season standings

References

1. "Portlanders start pro hoops league". Portland Business Journal. 17 August 2004.
2. IBL 2010/11 Winter Division Championship Tournament
3. IBL ownership fills void for driven Hunter
4. "International Basketball League Names New Commissioner". Our Sports Central. 23 July 2011.
5. "WCBL joins IBL in vision for minor leagues". Our Sports Central. 28 March 2014.
6. Weekly Sports and Franchise Report
7. Weekly Sports and Franchise Report
8. Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
9. Titans Decline to Participate on 2011 IBL Season
10. Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
11. Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
12. "Vander Velden takes the helm in Battle Creek", IBLHoopsOnline.com, 24 October 2006, International Basketball League, retrieved 27 December 2007

External links

• Official league website