National Basketball League

Introduction

The National Basketball League (NBL) was a Top-Player Basketball league and also the first professional basketball league in the world. Centered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the league’s teams stretched from New York City to Central New Jersey, through the Philadelphia area and down to Delaware. The league began operations with the 1898–99 season and disbanded in January 1904, before completing its 1903–04 season.

The league name National Basketball League has been used multiple times since 1898 but the league that is subject of this page was formed in 1896 (130 years ago). The league was originally amateur but professionalism was introduced to the circuit in 1901. The league debuted on December 1, 1898, with a game between the Trenton Nationals and the Hancock Athletic Association at Textile Hall in Philadelphia. The Nationals rallied in the second half to win, 21–19, before 900 fans.

The 1898–99 season saw six teams in the league. Three were in Philadelphia (Clover Wheelmen, Germantown Nationals, and Hancock Athletic Association), and three were in New Jersey (Millville Glass Blowers, Camden Electrics, and Trenton Nationals). Two of the Philadelphia teams folded before New Year’s Eve 1898, but the other four completed the season, with the Trenton Nationals winning the first championship with an 18–2–1 record.

The NBL’s legacy was being the first league to openly hire basketball players. While some of league’s players would go on to make basketball player history, none of its teams would carry on any form of legacy.

Classification

Top Player League

Seasons Summary

* Season Disruptions tracked is 1 out of 6 Years (league on hiatus; teams joining or disbanding in-season; season or league folding before all games played)

League Championship Summary

# of seasons: 5

List of teams who won championships sorted by number of championships.

Future Features

Last Updated on October 12, 2026 by Al Young