World Basketball League

World Basketball League or WBL was a minor professional basketball league in the United States and Canada. It was founded as the International Basketball Association in November, 1987, before changing its name prior to the 1988 season. One of the major differences between it and other leagues was that it had a height restriction. Players over 6-foot-5 were not allowed to play (this restriction was raised to 6-foot-7 in 1992). The league folded in 1992.

Basketball Hall-of-Famer and Boston Celtic great Bob Cousy was one of the league's founders and Norm Drucker, a 25-year veteran referee with the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association, and a former supervisor of officials for the NBA, served as the WBL's supervisor of officiating.

One of the league's founders, Michael Monus, was eventually convicted of having embezzled $10 million to finance the league, from a publicly-owned company he had founded, Phar-Mor. He was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison.

In addition to games against other teams in the league, games were also played against international teams.

The league had several of its games broadcast on television. In Canada, the games were broadcast on the CanWest Global System. In the United States, the games were broadcast on SportsChannel America.

Teams

*Calgary 88's 1988 to 1992
*Chicago Express 1988
*Dayton Wings 1991 to 1992
*Erie Wave 1990 to 1992
*Florida Jades 1991 to 1992
*Fresno Flames 1988
*Halifax Windjammers 1991 to 1992
*Hamilton Skyhawks 1992
*Illinois Express 1989 to 1990
*Jacksonville Stingrays 1992
*Las Vegas Silver Streaks 1988 to 1990
*Memphis Rockers 1990 to 1991
*Nashville Stars 1991
*Saskatchewan Storm 1990 to 1992
*Vancouver Nighthawks 1988
*Winnipeg Thunder 1992
*Worcester Counts 1989
*Youngstown Pride 1988 to 1992

Champions of WBL

*1988 Las Vegas Silver Streaks
*1989-90 Youngstown Pride
*1991 Dayton Wings(1992 League folded)

elected Notable Players

*Mario Elie
*Keith Smart
*John Starks

External links

* [http://members.aol.com/apbrhist/wbl88-92.html History of the league]