United States Basketball League

United States Basketball League

Sport	Basketball
Founded	1985
Ceased	2008
Motto	"The League of Opportunity"
Country	US
Continent	FIBA Americas (Americas)
Last champion	Kansas Cagerz (1st title)
Most titles	Atlantic City Seagulls Dodge City Legend Miami Tropics (3 titles each)

The United States Basketball League (USBL) was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985 and ceased operations in 2008.

The United States Basketball League was founded in December 1984 by Daniel T. Meisenheimer, from Connecticut.¹²³ The league management initially planned to schedule about 40 games during the summer, and started to look for new teams to join the newly formed USBL.⁴ Former NBA referee Richie Powers was named the league's vice president and director of operations, while Earl Monroe was the commissioner.⁵ Meisenheimer introduced a salary cap of $250,000 per team.⁵² The teams for the first season were the Connecticut Colonials from New Haven, Connecticut; the New Jersey Jammers from Jersey City, New Jersey; the Long Island Knights from Long Island, New York (owned by Meisenheimer himself); the Rhode Island Gulls from Warwick, Rhode Island; the Springfield Fame from Springfield, Massachusetts; the Westchester Golden Apples from Westchester, New York; and the Wildwood Aces from Wildwood, New Jersey.

Several players with NBA experience joined the USBL: among them Ken Bannister, Jim Bostic, Tracy Jackson, Lowes Moore, Eddie Lee Wilkins and Sam Worthen. Other players who played in the 1985 USBL season would later play in the NBA, such as Michael Adams, Manute Bol, Ron Crevier, Spud Webb and John "Hot Rod" Williams. The first ever game in USBL was played on May 25, 1985, between Rhode Island Gulls and Springfield Fame (94-101) at the Springfield Civic Center. After the regular season ended after each team played 25 games, the league management decided not to organize postseason games, since many players were going to join other teams for the start of the regular season of other leagues such as the NBA or the CBA.⁶ The first USBL champions were the Springfield Fame, that had ended the regular season leading the league with a 19–6 record. Hot Rod Williams and Tracy Jackson were named co-MVPs, while Manute Bol led the league both in rebounds per game (14.2) and blocks per game (11.2).

In 1986 two teams, the Long Island Knights and the Rhode Island Gulls, left the league, and three new franchises joined the USBL: the Gold Coast Stingrays from West Palm Beach, Florida, the Staten Island Stallions from Staten Island, New York and the Tampa Bay Flash from Tampa, Florida. In the same year Nancy Lieberman joined the Springfield Fame and became the first female player to play in a professional league with men.⁷ Lieberman debuted in June 1986 in a game against the Staten Island Stallions, playing 3 minutes during which she did not score.⁷ In 1987 another woman joined the USBL: Lynette Richardson, who had played college basketball at Florida International, signed for the Miami Tropics.⁸ On June 13, 1987, Richardson and Lieberman played against each other during a game between the Miami Tropics and the Long Island Knights: Richardson scored 3 points while Lieberman scored 2.⁹¹⁰

The top teams of the regular season advanced to the USBL Postseason Festival, a playoffs system that saw teams play single elimination games in order to advance to the final game. On three occasions (1985, 1986 and 1990) no postseason was held, and the team with the best regular season record won the championship. In 1989 the USBL ceased operations temporarily in order to improve its organization, and resumed the following season, in 1990.¹¹

In 1985, the league introduced a salary cap of $250,000 per team. In 1992, the salary cap was $40,000, with rookies being paid $315 per week.¹² In 1998 it had remained the same, as each franchise had a regular season salary cap of $40,000, which meant that an average player earned roughly around $400 a week during the 2-month season of the league (rosters of 10 players).¹³ As reported in 2000, the annual salary cap of the league was $47,500 for a franchise, for all its players. No player was allowed to receive more than $1,000 per week as salary.¹⁴

First picks are as below:

USBL 1st overall picks

Year	Player	USBL pick by	College
1985 15	Jeff Allen	Connecticut Skyhawks	St. John's Red Storm
1986 16	John "Hot Rod" Williams	Rhode Island Gulls	Tulane Green Wave
1992 17	Tony Smith	New Jersey Jammers	Pfeiffer Falcons
1995 18	Arthur Agee	Florida Sharks	Arkansas State Red Wolves
1996 19	Stephon Marbury	Long Island Surf	Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
1998 20	Doug Gottlieb	Oklahoma Storm	Oklahoma State Cowboys
2000 21	Detric Golden	Gulf Coast SunDogs 22	Troy Trojans
2001 23	George Evans	Maryland Mustangs	George Mason Patriots
2002 24	John Linehan	St. Joseph Express	Providence Friars
2003 25	Bingo Merriex	Texas Rim Rockers 26	TCU Horned Frogs
2004 27	R. T. Guinn	Cedar Rapids River Raiders28	Baylor Bears
2005 29	Jared Homan	Nebraska Cranes	Iowa State Cyclones
2006 30	Gerry McNamara	NEPA Breakers	Syracuse Orange
2007 31	Michael Haddix	Albany Patroons	Siena Saints

Source:nbahoopsonline.com

Teams played a single championship game at the end of the playoffs to name the league champions

Year	Champion	Score	Runner-up	Regular season champion	Finals MVP	Winning coach	Notes
1985	Springfield Fame	-	New Jersey Jammers	Springfield Fame	-	Gerald Oliver	Springfield Fame record (19–6), won regular season, no playoffs
1986	Tampa Bay Flash	-	Springfield Fame	Tampa Bay Flash	-	Gordon Gibbons	Tampa Bay Flash record (22–8), won regular season, no playoffs
1987	Miami Tropics	103 - 99	Rhode Island Gulls	Tampa Bay Stars	World B. Free	Sam Worthen
1988	New Haven Skyhawks	134 - 126	Palm Beach Stingrays	Jacksonville Hooters	Bobby Parks	Murray Knox
1990	Jacksonville Hooters	-	New Haven Skyhawks	Jacksonville Hooters	N/A	Rex Morgan	Jacksonville Hooters record (15–1), won regular season, no playoffs
1991	Philadelphia Spirit	110 - 108	Miami Tropics	Philadelphia Spirit	Paul Graham	Bill Lange
1992	Miami Tropics	116 - 116	Philadelphia Spirit	Philadelphia Spirit	Duane Washington	John Lucas
1993	Miami Tropics (3)	139 - 127	Westchester Stallions	Daytona Beach Hooters	Ken Bannister	John Lucas (2)
1994	Jacksonville Hooters (2)	117 - 109	Atlanta Trojans	Mississippi Coast Gamblers	Fred Lewis	Rex Morgan (2)
1995	Florida Sharks	109 - 104	Atlanta Trojans	Florida Sharks	Charles Smith	Eric Musselman
1996	Florida Sharks (2)	118 - 115	Atlantic City Seagulls	Atlantic City Seagulls	Charles Smith (2)	Eric Musselman (2)
1997	Atlantic City Seagulls	114 - 112	Long Island Surf	Atlantic City Seagulls	Mark Baker, Brent Scott	Kevin Mackey
1998	Atlantic City Seagulls	100 - 96	Long Island Surf	Atlantic City Seagulls	Adrian Griffin	Kevin Mackey
1999	Atlantic City Seagulls (3)	83 - 77	Connecticut Skyhawks	Atlantic City Seagulls	Adrian Griffin (2)	Kevin Mackey (3)
2000	Dodge City Legend	89 - 86	Oklahoma Storm	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs	Artie Griffin	Kent Davidson
2001	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs	100 - 91	Dodge City Legend	Maryland Mustangs	Frantz Pierre-Louis, Ace Custis	Darryl Dawkins
2002	Oklahoma Storm	122 - 109	Kansas Cagerz	Brevard Blue Ducks	Ira Clark	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2003	Dodge City Legend	97 - 96	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs	Westchester Wildfire	Darrin Hancock	Cliff Levingston
2004	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs (2)	118 - 116	Brooklyn Kings	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs	Marcus Fleming	Darryl Dawkins (2)
2005	Dodge City Legend (3)	97 - 84	Kansas Cagerz	Brooklyn Kings	Jermaine Boyette	Dale Osbourne
2006	Nebraska Cranes	100 - 92	Dodge City Legend	Brooklyn Kings	Alex Sanders	Brian Walsh
2007	Kansas Cagerz	95 - 92	Brooklyn Kings	Dodge City Legend	Nate Johnson	Francis Flax

• In 1989 and 2008, USBL suspended operations.

Northern - Southern era

Year	Northern	Winning coach	Southern	Winning coach	Mid-Atlantic Division	Winning coach
1991	Philadelphia Spirit	Bill Lange	Miami Tropics	John Lucas
1992	Philadelphia Spirit (2)	Bill Lange (2)	Miami Tropics (2)	John Lucas (2)
1996	Atlantic City Seagulls	Mike Gatley	Florida Sharks	Eric Musselman
1997	Atlantic City Seagulls (2)	Kevin Mackey	Atlanta Trojans	Derek Howard
1998	Long Island Surf	James Ryans	Jacksonville Barracudas	Rex Morgan	Atlantic City Seagulls	Kevin Mackey
1999	Connecticut Skyhawks	Roy Hodge	Kansas Cagerz	Tom Hughes	Atlantic City Seagulls (2)	Kevin Mackey
2000	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs	Darryl Dawkins	Dodge City Legend	Kent Davidson
2001	Maryland Mustangs	Robert Parish	Oklahoma Storm	Bryan Gates

Eastern - Mid-West era

Year	Eastern	Winning coach	Mid-West	Winning coach
2002	Brevard Blue Ducks	Harvey Grant	Kansas Cagerz	Francis Flax
2003	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs	Darryl Dawkins	Dodge City Legend	Cliff Levingston
2004	Brooklyn Kings	Ken Charles	Dodge City Legend (2)	Dale Osbourne
2005	Brooklyn Kings	Ken Charles	Oklahoma Storm	Bryan Gates
2006	Brooklyn Kings (3)	Ken Charles (3)	Oklahoma Storm (2)	Bryan Gates (2)

• Division groups started in 1991. There were not held (one single group) between 1993 and 1995 and in 2007. The Mid-Atlantic Division lasted for only two seasons (1998 and 1999).

Albany Patroons (2006–07) Atlanta Trojans (1991–99, as Atlanta Eagles in 1991–93) Atlantic City Seagulls (1996–2001) Brevard Blue Ducks (1988, 1990–2004, as Jacksonville Hooters in 1988, 1990–92; as Daytona Beach Hooters in 1993; as Jacksonville Hooters in 1994; as Jacksonville Shooters in 1995; as Jacksonville Barracudas in 1996–98; as Gulf Coast SunDogs in 1999–2000; as Lakeland Blue Ducks in 2001; back to being the Brevard Blue Ducks in 2002–2004) Brooklyn Kings (1999–2007) Camden Power (1997–98, as Philadelphia Power in 1997) Carolina Cardinals (1996) Cedar Rapids River Raiders (2004) Connecticut Skyhawks (1985, 1988, 1990–2001, as Connecticut Colonels in 1985; as New Haven Skyhawks in 1988, 1990–92) Delaware Stars (2007) Dodge City Legend (2000–2007) Empire State Stallions (1991) Florence Flyers Florida Sea Dragons (2000–02, as Tampa Bay Windjammers in 1996–99) Florida Sharks (1995–97) Gary Steelheads (2007) Jackson Jackals (1995) Jackson Wildcats (2007), as Adirondack Wildcats (2002–04) Jersey Shore Bucs (1988) Jersey Turnpikes (1995) Kansas Cagerz (1998–2007, as Columbus Cagerz in 1998) Long Island Surf (1985, 1987–88, 1991–2001, as Long Island Knights in 1985, 1987–88) Maryland Mustangs (2001) Memphis Fire (1994–95) Miami Tropics (1987–88, 1991–1995) Mississippi Coast Gamblers (1994) Nebraska Cranes (2005–2006)

New Hampshire Thunder Loons (1996–99) New Jersey Jammers (1985–88, 1992, as Jersey Jammers in 1986–88) New Jersey Flyers (2004–05, as Florence Flyers in 2004) New Jersey Meteors (2007) New Jersey ShoreCats (1998–2001) New York Whitecaps (1991) Northeast Pennsylvania Breakers (2006–2007) Oklahoma Storm (2000–2007) Palm Beach Stingrays (1986–88, 1990, 1992–94, as Gold Coast Stingrays in 1986; as West Palm Beach Stingrays in 1987) Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs (1999–2006) Philadelphia Aces (1985–88, 1990 as Wildwood Aces in 1985–86) Philadelphia Spirit (1991–92) Portland Wave (1996–97, as Portland Mountain Cats in 1996) Raleigh Cougars (1997–99) Rhode Island Gulls (1985, 1987) Saint Joseph Express (2002, 2004) Saint Louis Skyhawks (2002–2004) Springfield Fame (1985–86) Staten Island Stallions (1986–87) Suncoast Sunblasters (1991) Tampa Bay Stars (1986–87, as Tampa Bay Flash in 1986) Tampa Bay Sunblasters (1992) Texas Rim Rockers (2003–04), no relationship to the American Basketball Association (2000-present) team of the same name Treasure Coast Tropics (1996, as Miami Tropics in 1987–88, 1991–95) Tulsa Tough-Necks (1999–2000) Washington Congressionals (1998–2000) Westchester Golden Apples (1985–86) Westchester Kings (1997) Westchester Stallions (1993–94) Westchester Wildfire (2003–05)

Year	Player	Team	Reference
1985	John "Hot Rod" Williams	Rhode Island Gulls
	Tracy Jackson	Springfield Flame
1986	Don Collins	Tampa Bay Flash
1987	Don Collins (2)	Tampa Bay Stars
1988	Lewis Lloyd	Philadelphia Aces
1989	League suspends operations for the 1989 season
1990	Jerry Johnson	Jacksonville Hooters
1991	Michael Anderson	Philadelphia Spirit
1992	Roy Tarpley	Miami Tropics
1993	Ken Bannister
1994	Stan Rose	Atlanta Trojans
1995	Charles Smith	Florida Sharks
1996	Brent Scott	Portland Mountain Cats
1997	Dennis Edwards	Florida Sharks
1998	Curt Smith	Washington Congressionals
1999	Adrian Griffin	Atlantic City Seagulls
2000	Sean Colson	Dodge City Legend
2001	Jason Lampa	Brooklyn Kings
2002	Kwan Johnson	Brevard Blue Ducks	32
2003	Albert Mouring	Oklahoma Storm	33
2004	Chudney Gray	Brooklyn Kings	34
2005	Nate Johnson	Kansas Cagerz	3536
2006	Quannas White	Oklahoma Storm	37
2007	Anthony Richardson	Kansas Cagerz	38

Year	Player	Team	Reference
1987	World B. Free	Miami Tropics
1988	Bobby Parks	New Haven Skyhawks
1989	League suspends operations for 1989 season
1990
1991	Paul Graham	Philadelphia Spirit
1992	Duane Washington	Miami Tropics
1993	Ken Bannister
1994	Fred Lewis	Jacksonville Hooters
1995	Charles Smith	Florida Sharks
1996	Charles Smith (2)
1997	Mark Baker	Atlantic City Seagulls
	Brent Scott
1998	Adrian Griffin		39
1999	Adrian Griffin (2)		40
2000			41
2001	Frantz Pierre-Louis	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs
	Ace Custis
2002	Joe Ira Clark	Oklahoma Storm	32
2003	Darrin Hancock	Dodge City Legend	33
2004	Marcus Fleming	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs	34
2005	Jermaine Boyette	Dodge City Legend	35
2006	Alex Sanders	Nebraska Cranes	42
2007	Nate Johnson	Kansas Cagerz

Year	Player	Team	Reference
1985	John "Hot Rod" Williams	Rhode Island Gulls
1986	Marty Embry	Jersey Jammers
1987	Muggsy Bogues	Rhode Island Gulls
1988	Ricky Grace	Jersey Shore Bucs
1989	League suspends operations for 1989 season
1990	Randy Henry	Jacksonville Hooters
1991	Greg Sutton	Empire State Stallions
1992	Fred Lewis	Jacksonville Hooters
1993	Khari Jaxon	Palm Beach Stingrays
1994	Randy Carter	Memphis Fire
1995	Roger Crawford
1996	Mike Lloyd	Atlantic City Seagulls
1997	Mikki Moore	Atlanta Trojans
1998	Kerry Thompson	Tampa Bay Windjammers
1999	Adrian Pledger	New Hampshire Thunder Loons
2000	Jason Lampa	Long Island Surf
2001	George Evans	Maryland Mustangs
2002	Devin Brown	Kansas Cagerz	32
	Corsley Edwards	Adirondack Wildcats
2003	Lenny Cooke	Brooklyn Kings	33
2004	Tony Bland	Brevard Blue Ducks	34
2005	Badou Gaye	Westchester Wildfire	35
	John Allen	New Jersey Flyers
2006	Tristan Smith	Long Island PrimeTime	37
2007	Adam Schaper	Gary Steelheads	43

Year	Coach	Team	GC	W	L	Pct.
1985	Gerald Oliver	Springfield Flame
1986	Henry Bibby
1987	Gordon Gibbons	Tampa Bay Stars
1988	Dave Ervin	Philadelphia Aces
1989	League suspends operations for 1989 season
1990	Rex Morgan	Jacksonville Hooters
1991	Bill Lange	Philadelphia Spirit
1992	Al Outlaw	Atlanta Eagles
1993	John Lucas II	Miami Tropics
1994	Al Outlaw (2)	Atlanta Trojans
1995	Mike Mashak	Jersey Turnpikes
1996	Eric Musselman	Florida Sharks
1997	Kevin Mackey	Atlantic City Seagulls
1998	Ray Hodge	Connecticut Skyhawks
1999	Darryl Dawkins	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs
	Kevin Mackey (2)	Atlantic City Seagulls
2000	Kent Davidson	Dodge City Legend
2001	Robert Parish	Maryland Mustangs
2002	Francis Flax	Kansas Cagerz
	Harvey Grant32	Brevard Blue Ducks
2003	Cliff Levingston33	Dodge City Legend
2004	Dale Osbourne34
2005	Ken Charles35	Brooklyn Kings
2006	Bryan Gates37	Oklahoma Storm
2007	Dale Osbourne (2) 38	Dodge City Legend

Year	Player	Team	Reference
2002	Johnny Jackson	Kansas Cagerz	32
2003	Kevin Freeman	Westchester Wildfire	33
2004	Immanuel McElroy	Dodge City Legend	34
2005	Eric Coley	Oklahoma Storm	35
2006	Anthony Johnson	Kansas Cagerz	37
2007	Ronald Ross	Albany Patroons	38

Year	Player	Team
1986	Jim Bostic	Westchester Golden Apples
1987	World B. Free	Miami Tropics
1988	Michael Brooks	Philadelphia Aces
1992	John Lucas II	Miami Tropics
1993	Al Outlaw	Atlanta Eagles
1996	Roy Jones Jr.	Jacksonville Barracudas

Season	Player	Pos	Team	Points per game
1985	John "Hot Rod" Williams	C	Rhode Island Gulls	23.144
1986	Don Collins	F/G	Tampa Bay Stars	31.845
1987	Don Collins (2)	F/G	Tampa Bay Stars	31.046
1988	Richard Rellford	F	Palm Beach Stingrays	31.447
1990	Lewis Lloyd	G/F	New Haven Skyhawks	26.848
1991	Norris Coleman	F	Jacksonville Hooters	29.349
1992	Roy Tarpley	C	Miami Tropics	32.250
1993	Ken Bannister	F/C	Miami Tropics	30.251
1994	Mark Brisker	G	Jacksonville Hooters	26.9
1995	Jerry Reynolds	G/F	Atlanta Trojans	26.352
1996	Brent Scott	C	Portland Mountain Cats	29.8
1997	Dennis Edwards	F	Florida Sharks	32.8
1998	Ochiel Swaby	F	Tampa Bay Windjammers	26.2
1999	Mike Lloyd	G	Atlantic City Seagulls	27.3
2000	Sean Colson	G	Dodge City Legend	28.2
2001	Jermaine Walker	C	Lakeland Blue Ducks	27.553
2002	Jason Lampa	G	Brooklyn Kings	25.9
2003	Lenny Cooke	G	Brooklyn Kings	28.854
2004	Jason Lampa (2)	G	Brooklyn Kings	26.7
2005	Kareem Reid	G	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs	27.4
2006	Brian Chase	G	Nebraska Cranes	19.9
2007	Anthony Richardson	F	Kansas Cagerz	20.0

Season	Player	Pos	Team	Rebounds per game
1985	Manute Bol	C	Rhode Island Gulls	14.244
1986	Jim Bostic	F	Westchester Golden Apples	10.145
1987	Hank McDowell	F/C	Rhode Island Gulls	10.746
1988	Michael Brooks	F	Philadelphia Aces	13.547
1990	Alex Roberts	F	New York Whitecaps	15.348
1991	Anthony Mason	F	Long Island Surf	11.249
1992	Roy Tarpley	C	Miami Tropics	17.050
1993	Fred Lewis	F	Daytona Beach Hooters	9.351
1994	Keith Lee	F/C	Memphis Fire	14.5
1995	Brent Scott	C	Miami Tropics	12.052
1996	Shawnelle Scott	C	Long Island Surf	13.5
1997	Brent Scott (2)	C	Atlantic City Seagulls	11.4
1998	Andre Perry	F	Atlanta Trojans	11.0
1999	Andre Perry	F	Atlanta Trojans	11.6
2000	Andre Perry (3)	F	Florida Sea Dragons	11.4
2001	John Jackson	F	Kansas Cagerz	12.053
2002	John Jackson (2)	F	Kansas Cagerz	11.7
2003	Antonio Smith	C	Dodge City Legend	11.3
2004	Mario Woodson	F	Florence Flyers	10.5
2005	Roderick Riley	C	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs	10.2
2006	Steve Castleberry	F	Northeast Pennsylvania Breakers	10.7
2007	Jason Miller	F/C	Kansas Cagerz	8.0

Season	Player	Pos	Team	Assists per game
1985	Sam Worthen	G	Springfield Fame	8.544
1986	Leroy Witherspoon	G	Tampa Bay Flash	15.145
1987	Leroy Witherspoon (2)	G	Tampa Bay Flash	9.646
1988	Duane Washington	G	New Haven Skyhawks	8.347
1990	Jerry Johnson	G	Jacksonville Hooters	8.848
1991	Michael Anderson	G	Philadelphia Aces	10.349
1992	Tony Smith	G	New Jersey Jammers	9.250
1993	David Cain	G	Long Island Surf	9.451
1994	Jean Prioleau	G	Long Island Surf	10.3
1995	Charles Smith	G	Florida Sharks	11.952
1996	Charles Smith (2)	G	Florida Sharks	11.4
1997	Mark Baker	G	Atlantic City Seagulls	7.2
1998	Curt Smith	G	Washington Congressionals	7.4
1999	James Blackwell	G	Tampa Bay Windjammers	7.4
2000	Sean Colson	G	Dodge City Legend	8.0
2001	Jermaine Jackson	G	Kansas Cagerz	9.653
2002	Duane Simpkins	G	Kansas Cagerz	6.2
2003	Kareem Reid	G	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs	9.6
2004	Tyson Patterson	G	Florence Flyers	8.4
2005	Kareem Reid	G	Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs	8.9
2006	Tory Cavalieri	G	Northeast Pennsylvania Breakers	8.1
2007	Kareem Reid (3)	G	Albany Patroons	6.4

• Norris Coleman, a four-time USBL All Star, was the USBL All-time leading Scorer with 3,104 points until 2001.⁵⁵ He became the all-time scorer with the conclusion of the 1994 USBL season with 2,949 points.
• On June 6, 2001, Kwan Johnson who was only 13 pts short, broke his all-time record in the game Westchester Wildfire - Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs.
• By June 21, 2005, Kwan Johnson was the USBL's All-Time (1985-2009) leading scorer overall with 3,453 points. Herman Alston is 3d on the list with 2,639 pts. Other leading scorers: Ron Matthias scored 2,293 points and he is 6th of all-time, Ken Bannister with 2,052 points is ninth (in 99 games) and Michael Lloyd is 10th with 2,031 points)
• By June 21, 2005, Don Collins had the highest scoring average (31.4 pg), of any player scored over 1,000 pts in USBL's history.
• By June 21, 2005, John Strickland was the All-Time leader in playoff points with 213. Michael Lloyd is second on the list as he has recorded 206 career playoff points.

All-time scorers

Rank	Player	Points	Years Active
1	Kwan Johnson	3,453	1999–2005
2	Norris Coleman	3,104	1988–1993
3	Herman Alston	2,639

• Norris Coleman became the all-time scorrecordman in total games played with the conclusion of the 1994 USBL season with 111 points.
• On June 6, 2001, Kwan Johnson became the All -time leader in games played with 145 breaking Norris Coleman record of 144.
• By June 21, 2005, Kwan Johnson was the overall recordman in games played with 177 (in 8 seasons). Herman Alston had 144 games (in 7 seasons)
• Roy Tarpley who played 16 games for the Miami Tropics in 1992, holds the record for the longest time span between seasons played (13) as he played for the Dodge City Legends in 2005.

• By June 6, 2001, Kwan Johnson was also the All-time leader in steals with 279.
• By June 21, 2005, Johnson was overall the USBL's All-Time recordman with 316 steals. Darrell Armstrong was all-time third in steals with 259.

• By June 21, 2005, Charles Smith had 549 assists (in 46 games). Darrell Armstrong was 10th in assists with 491.

• By June 21, 2005, Johnny Jackson was the all-time leader in rebounds with 1,311. Andre Perry was third with 1,179.
• Norris Coleman became the top rebounder with the conclusion of the 1994 USBL season with 891 rebounds.
• Manute Bol (in 1985) and Anthony Mason (in 1991) hold the record for the most rebounds in a game with 28.

All-time rebounders

Rank	Player	Rebounds	RPG	Years Active
1	Johnny Jackson	1,311	11.2	2001–2005
2	Andre Perry	1,179	11.0	1998–2002

• By June 6, 2001, Kwan Johnson was also the All -Time Leader in free throws scoring 803 (out of 1,132).
• By June 21, 2005, Johnson remained on top with 905 (out of 1,286).

Byron Strickland holds the record for most points scored in a single game.⁵⁶

• 65 pts. Byron Strickland, Jersey Jammers vs Springfield Fame, 8/18/1986
• 63 pts. Don Collins, Tampa Bay Flash vs Jersey Jammers, 8/9/1986
• 55 pts. Norris Coleman, Jacksonville Hooters vs Philadelphia Aces, 6/13/1988
• 54 pts. Martin Clark, Rhode Island Gulls vs Long Island Knights, 7/10/1985
• 54 pts. Steve Gilbert, Jacksonville Shooters vs Memphis Fire, 6/28/1995
• 53 pts. Lenny Cooke, Brooklyn Kings vs Adirondack Wildcats, 6/22/2003
• 51 pts. Stewart Granger, Wildwood Aces vs Jersey Jammers, 7/16/1986
• 51 pts. Lewis Lloyd, Philadelphia Spirit vs Palm Beach Stingrays, 7/22/1988
• 51 pts. Adrian Griffin, Atlantic City Seagulls vs Pennsylvania Valleydawgs, 5/22/1999
• 50 pts. Martin Clark, Rhode Island Gulls vs Long Island Knights, 7/10/1985
• 49 pts. Cedric Henderson, Jacksonville Hooters 155-127 at Long Island Knights, at SUNY-Stony Brook, 6/20/1988
• 49 pts. Dennis Edwards, Florida Sharks vs Jacksonville Barracudas, 6/8/1997
• 49 pts. Mike Lloyd, Atlantic City Seagulls vs Washington Congressionals, 5/20/1999
• 49 pts. Devin Brown, Kansas Cagerz vs Adirondack Wildcats, 6/28/2002 USBL Tournament Semi-Finals at Enid, Okla.
• 49 pts. Bingo Merriex, Texas Rim Rockers vs Oklahoma Storm, 5/16/2003
• 48 pts. Mark Davis, Long Island Knights vs Staten Island Stallions, 7/17/1987
• 48 pts. Ken Bannister, Miami Tropics vs Long Island Surf, 6/12/1993
• 47 pts. Roy Tarpley, Miami Tropics vs Jacksonville Hooters, 7/21/1992 (24 reb.)
• 47 pts. Mark Brisker, Daytona Beach Hooters vs Connecticut Skyhawks, 6/29/1993
• 47 pts. Duane Simpkins, Kansas Cagerz vs Adirondack Wildcats, 6/28/2002 USBL Tournament Semi-Finals at Mark Price Arena, Enid, Oklahoma
• 47 pts. Lenny Cooke, Brooklyn Kings vs Brevard Blue Ducks, 6/17/2003 at L.I.U. Schwartz Center

The first edition was held in 1985 at Springfield Civic Center in front of 5,093 fans. Springfield Fame beat the USBL All-Stars, 87-75, in league's inaugural all-star game in 1985.⁵⁷ Michael Adams with 18 points and 7 steals was the MVP. The 1985 All-Star team featured Manute Bol, Spud Webb, and John "Hot Rod" Williams among others.

The 1986 All-Star Game also took place at the Springfield Civic Center on July 25, 1986.⁵⁸⁵⁹ In the 1987 edition Rhode Island Gulls hosted the event and defeated the USBL All-Stars by 119-112. Muggsy Bogues who had just been selected 12th in the 1987 NBA Draft was the MVP. The 4th edition was hosted at Philadelphia Civic Center on June 25, 1988 and it was broadcast live at 2 pm by FNN.⁶⁰

The 6th All Star Game was played on June 29, in 1991 at Glens Falls, New York. Paul Graham led the All-Stars to a 132-126 victory over the Empire State Stallions and was named the MVP. Also future NBA players like Greg Sutton and Keith "Mister" Jennings played in the 1991 edition. In total five members of the 1991 All Star Game had NBA experience: Earl Cureton, Antony Mason, Norris Coleman, Wes Matthews and Michael Anderson.⁶¹ The 2000 All-Star Game was held on 2 July 2000.⁶²

The league also had a USBL All-Star Travel Team. In 1991 they won the silver medal in the Winston world basketball cup (July 26–28, San Juan, Puerto Rico) under coach Rex Morgan,⁶³ competeding against 6 national teams (Soviet Union, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Cuba) and KK POP 84. The USBL All-Stars lost to Puerto Rico in the final in front of 12,000 fans.

The USBL All-Stars also played at the 1992 Puerto Rico invitational tournament (June 17–22).⁶⁴

In 2001 the USBL asked its fans to vote online for a USBL "All-15 Team", to celebrate the league's 15th anniversary.⁶⁵ The USBL finally presented 19 players.

An alphabetical listing of 19 voted players is as follows:

• Michael Adams - guard
• Herman Alston - guard
• Michael Anderson - guard
• Darrell Armstrong - guard
• Tyrone Bogues - guard
• Manute Bol - center
• Lloyd Daniels - forward
• Richard Dumas - forward
• Dennis Edwards - forward
• Adrian Griffin - guard
• Avery Johnson - guard
• Fred Lewis - forward
• Michael Lloyd - guard
• Anthony Mason - forward
• Charles Smith - guard
• John Strickland - forward
• Roy Tarpley - center
• Jermaine Walker - center
• John "Hot Rod" Williams - center

On 21 July 2005, the league announced the players of its "Top 20 and Beyond Anniversary Team" were chosen by a vote of executives, coaches, and administrators that had served over the years in the USBL.⁶⁶

An alphabetical listing of 20 voted players is as follows:

• Michael Adams - guard
• Herman Alston - guard
• Darrell Armstrong - guard
• Ken Bannister - forward
• Tyrone Bogues - guard
• Manute Bol - center
• Don Collins - forward
• Adrian Griffin - guard
• Johnny Jackson - forward
• Avery Johnson - guard
• Kwan Johnson - guard
• Jason Lampa - guard
• Michael Lloyd - guard
• Anthony Mason - forward
• Andre Perry - forward
• Brent Scott - forward
• Charles Smith - guard
• John Strickland - forward
• Roy Tarpley - center
• John "Hot Rod" Williams - center

Honorable mention by USBL (2005):

• Chris Childs - Spent two years with the Miami Tropics and then a long NBA career.
• Norris Coleman - Second All-Time leading scorer in the USBL.
• Lloyd Daniels - "Sweet Pea" first showed the world his talents in the USBL.
• Richard Dumas - Proved that his troubles were behind him with the 1992 Miami Tropics.
• Dennis Edwards - The 1998 Player of the Year.
• Mario Elie - A short stint in 1987 was parlayed into a 12 year NBA career.
• Darrin Hancock - Is one of only two players with 3 USBL Championship Rings.
• Damon Jones - The Miami Heat guard played on a talented 1998 Jacksonville squad.
• Tim Legler - The ESPN analyst played 4 great seasons with the Philadelphia franchise.
• Sam Mitchell - Toronto Raptors Head Coach played two season in Westchester in 1985-85.
• Kareem Reid - Known as "The Best Kept Secret".
• Lazarus Sims - Known as "Z".
• Curt Smith - The 1998 Player of the Year.
• Jermaine Walker - A scoring force for 5 seasons for Rex Morgan's coached teams.
• Spud Webb - Set the stage for Arkansas Little men becoming a force in the NBA.

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
• Ken Charles
• Darryl Dawkins
• Francis Flax
• Gordon Gibbons
• Ray Hodge
• Cliff Levingston
• John Lucas
• Rex Morgan
• Eric Musselman
• Gerald Oliver

Source⁶⁷

USA

National team	Player	Period	Appearances	Notes
USA	Michael Brooks	1979	9
USA	Thomas Hill	1991	6
USA	Carl Thomas	1995-99	12
USA	Jimmy King	1998	9	World Cup 1998
USA	Gerard King	1998	9
USA	Muggsy Bogues	1986	10
USA	Mitchell Wiggins	1982	9	World Cup 1982
USA	Mikki Moore	1999	5
USA	Travis Williams	1997-99	14
USA	Kermit Holmes	1997-99	14
USA	James Martin	1999	4
USA	Todd Lindeman	1999	5
USA	Larry Lewis	1995	6
USA	A.J. Wynder	1995	6
USA	Kelsey Weems	1993-95
USA	Craig Neal	1993		AmeriCup 1993
USA	Eldridge Recasner	1993		AmeriCup 1993
USA	Harold Ellis	1993		AmeriCup 1993
USA	Jerry Holman	2001		AmeriCup 2001
USA	Charles Smith	1988	8
USA	Chris Jent	1993		AmeriCup 1993
USA	Adrian Griffin	1997	6
USA	Rusty LaRue	1997	9
USA	Kenny Brown	2001		AmeriCup 2001

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oklahoma Storm coach
• Nate Archibald, New Jersey Jammers coach, Jersey Shore Bucs player
• Walt Frazier, Staten Island Stallions owner
• Earl Monroe, USBL commissioner 1985

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oklahoma Storm coach
• Nate Archibald, New Jersey Jammers coach, Jersey Shore Bucs player
• Earl Monroe, USBL commissioner 1985
• Robert Parish, Maryland Mustangs coach

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oklahoma Storm coach
• World B. Free, Miami Tropics player

See also

See also

• All-USBL Team
• List of developmental and minor sports leagues

References

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Sources

Sources

• USBL 1985-1991

External links

External links

• History of the United States Basketball League on apbr.org
• USBL logos Archived February 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Official website on Wayback machine
• Press releases from USBasket
• United States Basketball League, Inc. registration
• USBL History at usbasket.com