The National Basketball League (NBL) Championship was the final series for the NBL and the conclusion of its postseason. The championship series were played in varying best-of-three or best-of-five formats. From 1937–38 to 1939–40, and again from 1944–45 to 1948–49, the championship series pitted the winners from the Eastern Division against the winners from the Western Division. However, due to fewer teams in the league caused by World War II, the NBL was not separated into divisions between 1940–41 and 1943–44, therefore the playoffs included the top four teams in the single-division league. Home court advantage was determined by better overall record heading into the championship series.

Three teams are tied with the most NBL championships at two each – the Akron Firestone Non-Skids (1939, 1940), Oshkosh All-Stars (1941, 1942), and Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1944, 1945). The Oshkosh All-Stars have the most championship appearances of any team with six, followed by the Sheboygan Red Skins' five appearances.

Champions The brackets in the Western champion, Eastern champion, Higher seed, and Lower seed columns indicate the number of times that teams have appeared in an NBL Championship as well as each respective team's NBL Championship record to date.

BoldWinning team of the NBL ChampionshipItalicsTeam with home-court advantage

1938 to 1940 Year Western champion CoachResult Eastern champion CoachReference 1938 Oshkosh All-Stars (1, 0–1)George Hotchkiss 1–2Akron Goodyear Wingfoots (1, 1–0)Lefty Byers 1939 Oshkosh All-Stars (2, 0–2)George Hotchkiss 2–3Akron Firestone Non-Skids (1, 1–0)Paul Sheeks 1940 Oshkosh All-Stars (3, 0–3)George Hotchkiss 2–3Akron Firestone Non-Skids (2, 2–0)Paul Sheeks

1941 to 1944 Year Higher seed CoachResult Lower seed CoachReference 1941 Oshkosh All-Stars (4, 1–3)George Hotchkiss 3–0Sheboygan Red Skins (1, 0–1)Frank Zummach 1942 Oshkosh All-Stars (5, 2–3)Lon Darling 2–1Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1, 0–1)Carl Bennett 1943 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (2, 0–2)Carl Bennett 1–2Sheboygan Red Skins (2, 1–1)Carl Roth 1944 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (3, 1–2)Bobby McDermott 3–0Sheboygan Red Skins (3, 1–2)Carl Roth

1945 to 1949 Year Western champion CoachResult Eastern champion CoachReference 1945 Sheboygan Red Skins (4, 1–3)Dutch Dehnert 2–3Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (4, 2–2)Bobby McDermott 1946 Sheboygan Red Skins (5, 1–4)Dutch Dehnert 0–3Rochester Royals (1, 1–0)Eddie Malanowicz 1947 Chicago American Gears (1, 1–0)Bobby McDermott 3–1Rochester Royals (2, 1–1)Eddie Malanowicz 1948 Minneapolis Lakers (1, 1–0)John Kundla 3–1Rochester Royals (3, 1–2)Eddie Malanowicz 1949 Oshkosh All-Stars (6, 2–4)Gene Englund & Eddie Riska 0–3Anderson Duffey Packers (1, 1–0)Murray Mendenhall

See also List of NBA champions

References General

Specific

External links NBL yearly standings – Association of Professional Basketball Research