The Premier Basketball League is a rival semi-professional basketball league that was founded in the 2007-2008 season by the owners of the Rochester Razorsharks and Maryland Nighthawks American Basketball Association franchises on the heels of the controversy surrounding the ABA's 2006-2007 playoffs. The PBL first season began play in January 2008.
When asked about his thoughts on the PBL, league CEO Joe Newman responded in an e-mail, saying,
"You really don't want to hear my response about the PBL. There is nothing good I can say about them. We will leave it at that."
History[]
2008-2012: A New League[]
The PBL was formed after a number of disagreements between several former ABA franchises and ABA CEO Joe Newman. Eight of the initial ten PBL teams had played/were slated to play in the ABA.
After the league's first season, six more ABA franchises decided to jump to the PBL, including then ABA champions the Vermont Frost Heaves.
In the 2008-2009 season, two franchises were removed/inactive during the season, leaving twelve teams remaining.
In the 2009-2010 season, three teams left the league, while three other teams joined the league from the ABA, the Continental Basketball Association, and through the first expansion franchise.
In the 2010-2011 season, the league created controversy over many finals games in which the officiating was called into question by various franchises. This caused every team, aside from the founding members the Razorsharks, to leave the league. Ironically, many of the league's teams left the ABA due to similar issues, including Rochester.
In the 2011-2012 season, two expansion franchises were added along with eight other teams that either left the ABA or joined the league.
2012-2013: IBA Merger and Break-Up[]
In the 2012-2013 season, the PBL and the Independent Basketball Association (IBA) announced a merger, but soon afterwards the merger dissolved, with the PBL breaking-off to form it's own four-team playoff.