Saint Paul Lights
St. Paul Lights | |
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Leagues | St. Paul, Minnesota |
The St. Paul Lights were a franchise for the one season (1950) of the
History
The
The National Professional Basketball League was formed around the former NBA/NBL teams, with teams added in new larger markets. The charter teams were the
The St. Paul Lights of the National Professional Basketball League ended the 1950–51 season with a record of 4 wins and 19 losses, finishing third in the NPBL's West Division, behind the leading Waterloo Hawks (at 32-24, .667). Howie Schultz coached the team.[3][2]
The St. Paul franchise folded before the season ended, a fate shared by the Louisville Alumnites, Kansas City Hi-Spots and Grand Rapids Hornets, playing their last game on December 19, 1950, a 76-70 win over the Waterloo Hawks.[3]
After the Lights folded, professional basketball did not return to St. Paul. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves are a current NBA franchise in Minneapolis.[4]
The NPBL folded after the 1950–1951 Season.
The arena
The Lights played at the St. Paul Auditorium, known today as Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Today, the arena in use as part of the RiverCentre complex, down the corridor from the Xcel Energy Center, home of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild. Roy Wilkins Auditorium is located at 175 W. Kellogg Boulevard, St. Paul, Minnesota.[5][6]
Notable alumni
External links
- Extinct Sports Leagues site on the National Professional Basketball League
- Association for Professional Basketball Research site on the National Professional Basketball League
References
- ^ "1949-50 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.com.
- ^ a b "1950 National Professional Basketball League (NPBL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ a b "1950 St. Paul Lights Game-by-Game Results on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "St. Paul, Minnesota sports teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "RiverCentre, Xcel Energy Center Score Sustainability Hat Trick". Minnesota Wild. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- ^ "NPBL St Paul vs Louisville, November 1, 1950". The Courier-Journal. 2 November 1950. p. 31 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "1950 St. Paul Lights basketball Roster on StatsCrew.com".