The Eastern Basketball Association was a professional basketball league based in the United States. The league began in 1946 and was known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League. After two seasons of play, the league changed its name to the Eastern Professional Basketball League. By 1970, the EPBL removed the "Professional" part of its name in order to change its name to the Eastern Basketball Association. In 1978, the league changed its name again to the Continental Basketball Association after they added a team in Anchorage, Alaska into their league in its final season under the Eastern Basketball Association name.
Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League / Eastern Professional Basketball League (1946–1970) 1946–47 season
Teams Allentown Rockets Binghamton Triplets Hazleton Mountaineers Lancaster Red Roses Pottsville Pros Reading Keys Wilkes-Barre Barons
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GB Wilkes-Barre Barons 22 5 .815 Lancaster Red Roses 20 10 .667 3.5 Reading Keys 15 13 .536 7.5 Hazleton Mountaineers 11 17 .393 11.5 Allentown Rockets 8 18 .308 13.5Binghamton/Pottsville Pros 7 20 .259 15
Postseason
League map
Notes The Binghamton Triplets re-located to Pottsville, Pennsylvania in December 1946.
1947–48 season
Teams Harrisburg Senators Hazleton Mountaineers Lancaster Red Roses Philadelphia Lumberjacks Pottsville Packers Reading Keys Sunbury Mercuries Williamsport Billies
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GBPottsville Packers 19 9 .679 Reading Keys 19 9 .679 Hazleton Mountaineers 18 10 ..643 1Lancaster Red Roses 14 14 .500 5Sunbury Mercuries 13 15 .464 6Harrisburg Senators 11 16 .407 7.5Williamsport Billies 9 18 .333 9.5Philadelphia Lumberjacks 8 20 .286 11
Postseason
League map
1948–49 season
Teams Harrisburg Senators Lancaster Rockets Pottsville Packers Reading Keys Sunbury Mercuries Williamsport Billies York Victory A.C.
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GBWilliamsport Billies 18 12 .600 Reading Keys 18 12 .600 Harrisburg Senators 18 12 .600 Pottsville Packers 16 14 .533 2York Victory A.C. 15 15 .500 3Lancaster Rockets 11 19 .367 7Sunbury Mercuries 9 24 .300 9
Postseason
League map
1949–1950 season
Teams Berwick Carbuilders Harrisburg Senators Lancaster Rockets Pottsville Packers Reading Rangers Sunbury Mercuries Williamsport Billies York Victory A.C.
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GB Williamsport Billies 20 8 .714 Pottsville Packers 16 12 .571 4 Sunbury Mercuries 14 14 .500 8 Berwick Carbuilders 8 17 .320 10.5 Lancaster Rockets 18 10 .643 Harrisburg Senators 16 12 .571 2 York Victory A.C. 9 17 .346 8 Reading Rangers 7 18 .280 9.5
Postseason
League map
1950–51 season
Teams Berwick Carbuilders Harrisburg Senators Lancaster Rockets Pottsville Packers Reading Rangers Sunbury Mercuries Williamsport Billies York Professionals
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GB Sunbury Mercuries 23 5 .822 Williamsport Billies 16 12 .571 7 Berwick Carbuilders 15 13 .536 8 Pottsville Packers 12 16 .426 11 York Professionals 15 11 .577 Lancaster Rockets 12 15 .445 3.5 Harrisburg Senators 9 18 .333 6.5 Reading Rangers 8 20 .285 8
Postseason
League map
1951–52 season
Teams Ashland Greens Lancaster Rockets Hazleton Mountaineers Pottsville Packers Reading Merchants Sunbury Mercuries Williamsport Billies York Cleaners
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GB Pottsville Packers 21 9 .700 Sunbury Mercuries 20 10 .667 1 Williamsport Billies 17 12 .586 3.5 Lancaster Rockets 13 16 .448 7.5 Reading Merchants 11 17 .393 9 Hazleton Mountaineers 6 20 .200 15
Postseason
League map
1952–53 season
Teams Berwick Carbuilders Harrisburg Capitols Lancaster Rockets Lebanon Seltzers Sunbury Mercuries Williamsport Billies
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GBSunbury Mercuries 17 3 .850 Williamsport Billies 13 7 .650 4Lancaster Rockets 9 10 .474 7.5Berwick Carbuilders 8 12 .400 9Harrisburg Capitols 7 12 .369 9.5Lebanon Seltzers 5 15 .333 12
Postseason
League map
1953–54 season
Teams Berwick Carbuilders Lancaster Rockets Lebanon Seltzers Hazleton Hawks Sunbury Mercuries Williamsport Billies
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GB Sunbury Mercuries 22 8 .733 Williamsport Billies 20 10 ..667 2 Hazleton Hawks 15 15 .500 5 Lancaster Red Roses 15 15 .500 5 Berwick Carbuilders 14 16 .467 6 Lebanon Seltzers 4 26 .133 16
Postseason
League map
1954–55 season
Teams Carbondale Celtics Lancaster Rockets Hazleton Hawks Scranton Miners Sunbury Mercuries Wilkes-Barre Barons Williamsport Billies
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GB Williamsport Billies 19 11 .633 Wilkes-Barre Barons 18 12 .600 1 Scranton Miners 15 15 .500 4 Hazleton Hawks 15 15 .500 4 Sunbury Mercuries 13 17 .433 6 Lancaster Red Roses 10 20 .333 9
Notes William Morgan, the league commissioner since its inception, was succeeded by Harry Rudolph.
1955–56 season
Teams Hazleton Hawks New York–Harlem Yankees Scranton Miners Sunbury Mercuries Trenton Capitols Wilkes-Barre Barons Williamsport Billies
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GB Williamsport Billies 18 9 .667 Wilkes-Barre Barons 18 12 .600 1.5 Scranton Miners 14 13 .519 4 Sunbury Mercuries 13 13 .500 4.5 Hazleton Hawks 11 15 .423 6.5Trenton CapitolsNew York–Harlem Yankees 2 14 .125 10.5
1956–57 season
Teams Easton-Phillipsburg Madisons Hazleton Hawks Scranton Miners Sunbury Mercuries Wilkes-Barre Barons Williamsport Billies
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GB Scranton Miners 21 9 .700 Hazleton Hawks 20 10 .667 1 Sunbury Mercuries 14 16 .467 7 Williamsport Billies 13 17 .433 8 Wilkes-Barre Barons 11 18 .379 9.5 Easton-Phillipsburg Madisons 10 19 .345 10.5
1957–58 season
Teams Easton-Phillipsburg Madisons Hazleton Hawks Reading Keys Scranton Miners Sunbury Mercuries Wilkes-Barre Barons Williamsport Billies Wilmington Jets
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GB Wilkes-Barre Barons 19 10 .655 Hazleton Hawks 19 11 .633 .5 Easton-Phillipsburg Madisons 18 11 .621 1 Sunbury Mercuries 18 11 .621 1 Scranton Miners 18 12 .600 1.5 Williamsport Billies 17 12 .586 2 Wilmington Jets 6 22 .214 12.5 Reading Keys 1 27 .036 17.5
Notes and events Two expansion franchises were admitted to the league in September 1957. They were clubs in Reading, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware which would become the Reading Keys and Wilmington Jets, respectively. Harry Rudolph was elected league president in September 1957. Barry Sherman was elected secretary and public relations director. Elected members of the board of governors were Clem Palevitch, Richard Smith and Jack Agnor.
1958–59 season
Teams Allentown Jets Baltimore Bullets Easton-Phillipsburg Madisons Hazleton Hawks Rochester Colonels Scranton Miners Sunbury Mercuries Wilkes-Barre Barons Williamsport Billies
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GB Scranton Miners 21 7 .750 Wilkes-Barre Barons 19 9 .679 2 Easton-Phillipsburg Madisons 17 11 .607 4 Hazleton Hawks 16 12 .571 5 Sunbury Mercuries 12 16 .429 9 Baltimore Bullets 12 16 .429 9 Williamsport Billies 9 19 .321 12 Allentown Jets 6 22 .214 15
Notes and events League president Harry Rudolph announced that Bill Spivey of the Wilkes-Barre team was fined $10 for fighting during a game. It was Spivey's second fine of the season and Rudolph said if another incident occurred it would result in a suspension.
1959–1960 season
Teams Allentown Jets Baltimore Bullets Easton-Phillipsburg Madisons Hazleton Hawks Rochester Colonels Scranton Miners Sunbury Mercuries Wilkes-Barre Barons Williamsport Billies
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GB Easton-Phillipsburg Madisons 21 7 .750 Baltimore Bullets 20 8 .714 1 Allentown Jets 15 12 .556 5.5 Scranton Miners 15 13 .536 6 Williamsport Billies 12 16 .439 9 Wilkes-Barre Barons 10 18 .357 11 Hazleton Hawks 9 18 .333 11.5 Sunbury Mercuries 9 19 .321 12
Notes and events During the offseason before the 1959–1960 season, the league announced their collegiate draft was postponed so the league could vote on an expansion franchise from Baltimore, Maryland (which became the Baltimore Bullets). In January 1960, the league announced it had scrapped a rule permitting National Basketball Association (NBA) teams only one option per season on players. This rule would allow NBA team to call-up and send down players as much as they wished.
1960–61 season
Teams Allentown Jets Baltimore Bullets Easton-Phillipsburg Madisons Hazleton Hawks Scranton Miners Sunbury Mercuries Wilkes-Barre Barons Williamsport Billies
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GB Baltimore Bullets 19 9 .679 Allentown Jets 19 9 .679 Scranton Miners 15 13 .536 4 Sunbury Mercuries 13 15 .464 6 Wilkes-Barre Barons 13 15 .464 6 Easton-Phillipsburg Madisons 11 16 .407 7.5 Williamsport Billies 11 16 .407 7.5 Hazleton Hawks 10 18 .357 9
Notes and events The league held its annual preseason meeting on June 13, 1960 where league president Harry Rudolph was re-elected to a two-year term. He was also elected treasurer of the league. Ray Saul was re-elected as public relations director and secretary. EPBL president Harry Rudolph announced plans to file a $1,000,000 defamation of character lawsuit against National Football League (NFL) commissioner Pete Rozelle for saying, "several players in the Eastern Basketball [League] were accused of gambling on games involving teams for which they formerly played." The comment was about Rozelle's decision to bar NFL player Gene Lipscomb from joining the EPBL Baltimore Bullets.
1961–62 season
Teams Allentown Jets Camden Bullets Easton-Phillipsburg Madisons Hazleton Hawks Scranton Miners Sunbury Mercuries Trenton Colonials Wilkes-Barre Barons Williamsport Billies
Regular season standings Team W L PCT GB Allentown Jets 22 5 .815 Williamsport Billies 18 8 .692 3.5 Sunbury Mercuries 16 11 .593 6 Trenton Colonials 13 13 .500 8.5 Wilkes-Barre Barons 13 15 .464 9.5 Camden Bullets 10 15 .400 11 Scranton Miners 8 16 .333 12.5 Hazleton Hawks 4 21 .160 17
Notes and events At the league's annual meeting during the offseason before the 1961–62 season a proposal to relocate the Baltimore franchise to New England was to be proposed. The potential move would have been to either Bridgeport or Milton, Connecticut as facilitated by the prospective owner, Herb Kables. The proposal was ultimately rejected. The league postponed its collegiate draft due to the 1961 NCAA University Division men's basketball gambling scandal. Rules were adopted before the 1961–62 season to mirror the rules of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Allentown Jets announced they had signed Andrew "Fuzzy" Levane to a one-year contract as coach in September 1961. In October 1961, the EPBL passed a resolution that would give a lifetime ban to any player who left an EPBL team for another league. The rule came in response to players who left the league the fledgling American Basketball League (ABL). In December 1961, a "State Basketball Championship" for Pennsylvania was proposed by Pittsburgh Rens owner Lenny Litman between his ABL team, the NBA Philadelphia Warriors and the EPBL Sunbury Mercuries. EPBL president Harry Rudolph announced that the Camden franchise had been fined $150 for failing to have the required seven players in uniform for a game on January 27, 1962 in which Camden lost to Williamsport 153–126. According to the Associated Press several Camden players were delayed by car trouble forcing the team to play with six players. EPBL president Harry Rudolph announced that Trenton Colonials coach Harry Landa had been fined for pushing a referee during a game on February 3, 1962. According to Rudolph, if Landa failed to pay the fine he would be suspended for the remainder of the season.
1962–63 season
Teams Allentown Jets Camden Bullets Scranton Miners Sunbury Mercuries Trenton Colonials Wilkes-Barre Barons Williamsport Billies
Regular season standings