Louisville Colonels (PBLA)
Encyclopedia
Louisville Colonels were a team in the Professional Basketball League of America
, and the first professional basketball team to play in Louisville, Kentucky
.
There were 16 teams in the PBLA when it began play in 1947. The Colonels' first game, on October 30, 1947 was a 57-36 loss on the road to the Springfield Squires. The team's November 1, 1947 home opener was a 51-49 loss to the New Orleans Hurricanes. November 6, 1947 saw the team's first win, a 57-49 win at home against the Grand Rapids Rangers. The very next day Louisville played in Chicago, Illinois and managed a 60-48 win against the Omaha Tomahawks; the game would prove to the be the franchise's final victory.
The Colonels, competing in the PBLA's Northern Division, finished with a record of 2 wins and 4 losses, five games behind the first place Chicago Gears
. The entire league did not make it through the entire season, folding in 1948 due to competition from the Basketball Association of America
, the National Basketball League
and the American Basketball League
.
Professional basketball returned to Louisville two years later with the Louisville Alumnites
of the National Professional Basketball League
.
Professional Basketball League of America
The Professional Basketball League of America was a basketball league in the United States that was started in 1947 in response to the tremendous upsurge in interest in basketball in the era immediately following World War II...
, and the first professional basketball team to play in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
There were 16 teams in the PBLA when it began play in 1947. The Colonels' first game, on October 30, 1947 was a 57-36 loss on the road to the Springfield Squires. The team's November 1, 1947 home opener was a 51-49 loss to the New Orleans Hurricanes. November 6, 1947 saw the team's first win, a 57-49 win at home against the Grand Rapids Rangers. The very next day Louisville played in Chicago, Illinois and managed a 60-48 win against the Omaha Tomahawks; the game would prove to the be the franchise's final victory.
The Colonels, competing in the PBLA's Northern Division, finished with a record of 2 wins and 4 losses, five games behind the first place Chicago Gears
Chicago American Gears
The Chicago American Gears were a National Basketball League team who played from 1944 to 1947.Led by George Mikan and Bobby McDermott, they defeated the Rochester Royals to win the 1947 NBL Championship....
. The entire league did not make it through the entire season, folding in 1948 due to competition from the Basketball Association of America
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ...
, the National Basketball League
National Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
and the American Basketball League
American Basketball League (1925-1955)
The American Basketball League was an early professional basketball league. During six seasons from 1925-26 to 1930-31, the ABL was the first attempt to create a major professional basketball league in the United States...
.
Professional basketball returned to Louisville two years later with the Louisville Alumnites
Louisville Alumnites
Louisville Alumnites were a team in the National Professional Basketball League , based in Louisville, Kentucky.The Alumnites competed in the Eastern Division of the NPBL. They compiled a record of 18 wins and 17 losses , and finished in second place in the Eastern Division behind the Sheboygan...
of the National Professional Basketball League
National Professional Basketball League
National Professional Basketball League was a pro basketball league in the USA in . The league played just one season, with no championship finals ever being staged. Grand Rapids, Kansas City, Louisville and Saint Paul all disbanded during the season; Denver moved to Evansville...
.