The USPBA : A League in expansion!

The year is 2021.. The United States Professional Basketball Association (USPBA) has been in operation for 10 seasons. 22 teams, from around the country, each battling it out over 82 games per season, for the right to be the USPBA Champion

Tonight, that all changes.

When the league was first formed, the 22 owners and the league commissioners signed an agreement that there would be no league expansion until the completion of the 10th season. That agreement expires in about 12 hours. USPBA history is unfolding around us, and I hope to play a major part in the next phase of the league.

Hoped.. Dreamed.. Prayed.. With 12 hours to go, nothing was set in stone. When you have 10 years to plan, you are going to get more than 1 City going for that 23rd spot. With 12 hours to go, our bid was amongst the final 5, whittled down from an initial list of 12 teams who put proposals together for the 1 expansion spot offered this season.

Five Cities.. Five dreams. 1 spot. All the campaigning was finished, now all there was left to do was to wait, wait for an announcement that felt like it might never come. Millions of dollars had been spent, millions more promised by the winning candidate.... The five cities left standing are :

Brooklyn - New Yorkers love winners, and the Metros have won in spades.. 5 Championships in 10 seasons, including 3 in a row.. The sports popularity is at an all time high, and many feel a 2nd team with a strong cross town rivalry will propel the sport into the stratosphere.

Las Vegas – The most popular tourist destination in the US.. People literally flock here by their millions each year.. Rich people... People looking to experience everything they can, including pro sport, an experience so far denied to those outside of the pugilists.

Dallas – A city with a proud tradition in professional sport, always looking to expand into new frontiers, and with plenty of money and fans to support the new franchise. Dallas are the favorite amongst the punters.

Toronto – Traditionally a hotbed for Hockey, Toronto is looking to expand its pro sports offering into the basketball court. Toronto is a sports mad town, but they love a winner.. The concern here, is if the expansion team is as bad in the first few seasons as many expect, the experiment could fall over very quickly.

St Louis – St Louis has a proud history in professional sport, but the fans there also have a history apathy, leading to sports teams having to find a new home, in new cities. The city knows what it has missed out on from past mistakes, the question is, if successful, will they show they have learned from past mistakes, or make the same mistakes again.

5 Cities.. 5 dreams.. 5 prayers.....

You, the readers, have the power. Cast your vote. You decide who will be the 23rd team in the league..

If only the expansion could be to the UK! closest to it is Toronto (being outsidethe US) so that gets my vote.

Interesting one you got going here, im intrigued to see more

I gotta vote for St. Louis! I'd love to see them get an NBA team

However, before we go forwards, it is imperative that we go backwards, and look at the history that has shaped this great league, and this great sport. 22 Professional ball clubs, leveraging talent not just from the Domestic College competition, but player flocking from around the world to stamp their authority in the biggest league in the world.

First of all, a look at the 22 teams that shape this league, starting with the Atlantic Division.

Boston Irish – A true hard luck story.. For 9 straight seasons, they played the bridesmaids in the division to the New York Metros, finally breaking the curse and winning the Atlantic last season. You have to go back to the inaugural season in 2012 to find their worst record, 44-38

New York Metros – A team that needs no introduction.. 5 Titles in 10 seasons.. The 3-peat between 2014 and 2016, and again going back to back in 2018-2019.. 9 straight Atlantic titles, dropping the title this season for the first time, with their franchise worse record of 43-39.. Maybe their dominance has come to an end!

Washington Americans – The Americans have been YoYo's in the Atlantic.. Bouncing around from 3rd to 5th from season to season. They look to have stabilized in recent seasons, claiming 3rd spot for the past 4 seasons.. This season they improved on last seasons winning record by 16 games.. Are they on the right path, or will they bounce right back down again?

Philadelphia Freedom – This team is starved of success. In 10 seasons, they are still yet to record a positive win-loss ratio, and in 2012 won a league record low of just 10 games.. They have had 2 1st overall draft selections over the journey, but seem to want to battle it out with New Jersey for last spot in the league.

New Jersey Hoops – The Hoops are on a fast track to nowhere.. Whilst the Metros hold up the top of the ladder, the Hoops carry the burden at the other end.. Finishing last in the division for the last 5 seasons, with an average of 22 wins per season. They have held 2nd pick in the draft on 3 occasions, yet still show no sign of improving.

The Atlantic division has been the powerhouse of the USPBA until now.. Can the Metros bounce back next season, or is their reign at the top over?

The Central Division :

San Antonio Outlaws – After losing in the finals in 2013, the Outlaws finally achieved ultimate glory in 2017, breaking the Metros 3 ring streak. They have won the division 7 times, and have never slipped below 2nd in the table. They still have a strong core in place, but with only 8 players on the books they need to surround them with the right impact players to continue to dominate the central division

Atlanta Eagles – The Eagles franchise got off to a shaky start. From 2012 to 2018 they failed to have a positive win-loss record, but in 2020 they won an amazing 70 games, as well as the league title..They are proof that getting it right on draft day, can have positive long term effects for a franchise.

Detroit Gears – another franchise mired in mediocrity.. They have been a constant feature around the mid table for the duration of the league. In 2021 they showed good signs of life, winning 53 games. Is it Detroit's time to shine? Only time will tell.

Indiana Racers – The Racers were 1 of the most exciting teams in the early years of the league. They won the inaugural title in 2012, but since 2014 they have been in constant decline.. They haven't ever completely bottomed out, and bounced back to a 52 win record last season, the question is can they re-discover the magic that led them to a title 10 seasons ago?

Houston Blast – Another franchise that cant put it together. The blast have only ever had 3 seasons of +.500 win loss record. In 2019, they secured the first overall pick in the draft after getting a lucky run in the lotto, but wasted it with probably the worst no.1 selection in league history. Unless their back office improves, they will always be a mediocre side.

Cleveland Knights – The curse of Cleveland continues to live in the Knights. They have finished bottom of the division an astonishing 5 times in 10 seasons. They managed to bounce up to 3rd in 2020, with 44 wins, but dropped straight back to last place in 2021. This franchise is so bad, they cant even win the lottery!

There we have the East wrapped up.. Between the 2 divisions, they have won 8 out of 10 titles, leaving the west in their wake.

Were the players randomly generated from the start, meaning everyone is fictional, or are their still some vets we'll recognize hanging around?

Myles Nelson wrote:Were the players randomly generated from the start, meaning everyone is fictional, or are their still some vets we'll recognize hanging around?

100% fictional. will update some of the key playes in the league once the west overview is dobe.

Great start, buddy. Interesting and unique concept. I particularly like that it's entirely fictional players.

With the East dominating, it is time to take a look at the West, starting in the Midwest :

Denver Peaks – Denver have had their Peaks and their Valleys.. They started off strong in the formation years, before dropping out of playoff contention in the middle years. Since 2019 they have been back at their best, making back to back finals appearances, and finally claiming the title in the 2021 season.

Sacramento Royals – The Royals struggled in the formation years finishing around the bottom of the Midwest, before having a couple of good seasons and taking the Midwest title in 2017.. Since then however, they have failed to take the next step as expected, and gone back to the middle of the pack.

Utah Blues - The Blues are lucky their fans are a loyal bunch.. The only area they have featured heavily in through the past 10 seasons is the Lottery, holding 1st selection on 2 occasions. From 2017-2019 they finished on the bottom of the Midwest, but have been showing some signs of improvement in the last 2 seasons,

Chicago Bison – Chicago had some great early seasons, making the finals 3 times from 2013-2015, but only walking away with the chocolates in 2013, both other times losing to their arch rivals the Metros.
Recently they have struggled to reach the heights of yesteryear, and have consistently finished 2nd last in the division.

Milwaukee Moose – Milwaukee have been in the mix for most of the time, and hold 2 Division titles. Recently however, they have found themselves at the bottom of the pack, finishing bottom of the division for the last 2 seasons. Their stars now are at the tail end of their careers, and the big question is whether or not they have the youth to step up and compete!

St. Louis

Las Vegas