ABO League (Basketball)

The Apollian Basketball Organization First League or just ABO League is the highest basketball division in the Apollo Union. Cleveland Cavaliers are the current holders of the league and strong favourites to win the league.
The league was founded by the ABO after the last competition, the Basketball Premier Division, was abolished after doping scandals. The National Union of Apollian Basketball was also abolished and the ABO took it's place only 2 months later. The division was set up on the 6th of January 2008 and the first matches could be played around the 20th of January after the teams joined the league.
== History ==
=== National Basketball Division (NBD) (1956-1980) ===
The NBD was the first incarnation of a professional basketball league in the Apollo Union. The Toronto Huskies were the favourites every season and winning 20 out of the 24 seasons.
In 1980, due to financial issues, the league was abolished. A new competition would be set up by the Canadian-Apollian Basketball Leagues or the CABL.
=== Canadian-Apollian Basketball League (CABL) (1982-1984) ===
The CABL was a short lived basketball competition consisting out of teams from Canada and the Apollo Union. Teams from Canada and the northern parts of the Apollo Union made up the northern conference and the rest of the Apollo Union would make up the southern conference. Because of long distances between teams from the northern conference to teams like the Vancouver Electrics, Victoria Snowdunkers, etc. the league was abolished.
=== The Division of Basketball (1984-2000) ===
The Division of Basketball was the highest basketball league from 1984-2000.
In 2000 it was abolished to make a new basketball league that would increase the size from 20 teams to 32.
=== Basketball Premier Division (BPD) (2000-2008) ===
The BPD was the fourth incarnation of the Apollian Basketball League, initially set-up to have 32 teams playing in an interesting play-off system. The expansion from 20 to 32 teams was a grave mistake for the BPD, most of the franchises could only outlive 1 to 2 seasons before being abolished, and a lot of teams didn't have the financial capacity to keep playing in the league. In the 2000 season 32 teams played, 2001 season 26 teams, 2002 season 21 teams and in 2004 only 18 teams. After the Jacksonville Jokers and Island Storm joined in 2005 the league size would become 20 and that would stay like that until it demise.
In 2007 the "Dunkers Doping Scandal" hit the fan, players from the Delaware Dunkers, a new franchise that joined in 2002, revealed to the press that they got forcefully put on performance enhancing drugs by the Dunkers and the NUAB (National Union of Apollian Basketball). This wroke havoc on the basketball association and the decision came to abolish the league and the NUAB.
=== Apollian Basketball Organization First League (ABO League) (2008-present) ===
This is the current league of Apollian Basketball.
The 2019 season is the first year a new play-off system is introduced since the creation of the ABO League. Teams will play eachother as much untill a team has 3 wins, that means a max of 5 matches. From 2008-2018 the teams played 2 matches against each other and they used the points scored as indicator if you can progress. The final was played in 1 match, that would now be 3 matches.
== Championship ==
Every team plays the other teams 2 times, 46 games in total.
4 teams of every conference automatically go to play-off rounds. The winner of each division, if not already qualified via the conference, will be wildcards and play in a seperate group system each consisting of 3 times from each division which will play eachother 2 times. The 4th places of the conference will play against the wildcard winner of their conference. The teams from the same conference will face eachother until a team won. The conference champion will face the other conference champion to become national champion.
== Winners ==
Year	North 	Result	South 		Year	North 	Result	South
2008	Chicago Bulls 	4-3 	Orlando Magic 		2014	Toronto Raptors	4-2 	Miami Heat
2009	Toronto Raptors 	2-4 	Jacksonville Jokers		2015	Detroit Pistons	1-4 	Cleveland Cavaliers
2010	Chicago Bulls 	1-4 	Miami Heat 		2016	Boston Celtics 	3-4 	Cleveland Cavaliers
2011	Chicago Bulls 	3-4 	Washington Wizards 		2017	Boston Celtics 	4-3 	Indiana Pacers
2012	Philadelphia 76ers	2-4 	Miami Heat 		2018	Boston Celtics 	1-4 	Cleveland Cavaliers
2013	Island Storm 	0-4 	Miami Heat 		2019	 	 	
== Sponsors ==
Year	Sponsor 		Year	Sponsor		Year	Sponsor		Year	Sponsor
2008	none 		2011	Google 		2014	Hancook		2017	Hancook
2009	Ford Motor		2012	Google 		2015	Hancook		2018	Exxon Mobil
2010	Ford Motor		2013	Hancook		2016	Hancook		2019	Exxon Mobil
== Teams ==
Logo 	Team 	City 	Stadium
Northern Conference	Northern Conference 	Northern Conference 	Northern Conference
Northern Division 	Northern Division 	Northern Division 	Northern Division
 	Halifax Hurricanes 	Halifax, New England 	Halifax Metro Centre (11.093)
 	Island Storm 	Charlottetown, New England	Charlottetown Civic Centre (4.100)
 	Maine Red Claws 	Portland, New England 	Portland Exposition Building (3.750)
 	Sudbury Five 	Sudbury, Ottawa 	Sudbury Community Arena (5.250)
Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division
 	Boston Celtics 	Boston, New York 	TD Garden (20.100)
 	Brooklyn Nets 	New York, New York 	Barclays Center (18.203)
 	New York Knicks 	New York, New York 	Madison Square Garden (20.789)
 	Toronto Raptors 	Toronto, Huron 	Air Canada Centre (19.800)
Southern Division 	Southern Division 	Southern Division 	Southern Division
 	Chicago Bulls 	Chicago, Illinois, USA 	United Center (23.500)
 	Detroit Pistons 	Detroit, Michigan 	Little Caesars Arena (20.491)
 	Erie BayHawks 	Erie, Senevia 	Erie Insurance Arena (7.100)
 	Philadelphia 76ers 	Philadelphia, Philadelphia	Wells Fargo Center (20.450)
Southern Conference	Southern Conference 	Southern Conference 	Southern Conference
Northern Division 	Northern Division 	Northern Division 	Northern Division
 	Cleveland Cavaliers 	Cleveland, Columbus 	Quicken Loans Arena (20.670)
 	Fort Wayne Mad Ants 	Fort Wayne, Indiana 	Allen County War Memorial Coliseum (13.000)
 	Indiana Pacers 	Indianapolis, Indiana 	Bankers Life Fieldhouse (20.000)
 	Washington Wizards 	Washington DC, Virginia 	Capital One Arena (20.450)
Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division
 	Atlanta Hawks 	Atlanta, Georgia 	Philips Arena (21.200)
 	Charlotte Hornets 	Charlotte, Normandy 	Spectrum Center (19.735)
 	Memphis Grizzlies 	Memphis, Tennessee 	FedEx Forum (18.190)
 	New Orleans Pelicans 	New Orleans, Southwest 	Smoothie King Center (18.000)
Southern Division 	Southern Division 	Southern Division 	Southern Division
 	Jacksonville Jokers 	Jacksonville, Florida 	Legends Center (15.680)
 	Miami Heat 	Miami, Florida 	Apollian Airlines Arena (19.600)
 	Orlando Magic 	Orlando, Florida 	Amway Center (20.000)
 	Tallahassee W-Dunkers	Tallahassee, West Florida 	Tallahassee Sports Arena (16.500)
== Standings ==
=== Conferences (North) ===
# 	Team 	MP	W 	L 	% 	GD
1 	Boston Celtics 	44	30	14	0.682	
2 	Toronto Raptors 	44	30	14	0.682	
3 	Philadelphia 76ers	44	28	16	0.636	
4 	Detroit Pistons 	44	27	17	0.614	
5 	Island Storm 	44	23	21	0.523	
6 	Chicago Bulls 	44	22	22	0.500	
7 	Brooklyn Nets 	44	22	22	0.500	
8 	Halifax Hurricanes	44	22	22	0.500	
9 	Maine Red Claws 	44	18	26	0.409	
10	New York Knicks 	44	15	29	0.341	
11	Erie BayHawks 	44	7 	37	0.159	
12	Sudbury Five 	44	6 	38	0.136	
=== Conferences (South) ===
# 	Team 	MP	W 	L 	% 	GD
1 	Cleveland Cavaliers 	44	35	9 	0.795	
2 	Jacksonville Jokers 	44	34	10	0.773	
3 	Indiana Pacers 	44	32	12	0.727	
4 	Miami Heat 	44	28	16	0.636	
5 	Memphis Grizzlies 	44	24	20	0.545	
6 	New Orleans Pelicans 	44	20	24	0.455	
7 	Tallahassee W-Dunkers	44	20	24	0.455	
8 	Washington Wizards 	44	19	25	0.432	
9 	Fort Wayne Mad Ants 	44	18	26	0.409	
10	Charlotte Hornets 	44	17	27	0.386	
11	Orlando Magic 	44	16	28	0.364	
12	Atlanta Hawks 	44	15	29	0.341	
=== Divisions (North) ===
==== Northern Division ====
#	Team 	MP	W 	L 	% 	GD
1	Island Storm 	44	23	21	0.523	
2	Halifax Hurricanes	44	22	22	0.500	
3	Maine Red Claws 	44	18	26	0.409	
4	Sudbury Five 	44	6 	38	0.136	
==== Central Division ====
#	Team 	MP	W 	L 	% 	GD
1	Boston Celtics 	44	30	14	0.682	
2	Toronto Raptors	44	30	14	0.682	
3	Brooklyn Nets 	44	22	22	0.500	
4	New York Knicks	44	15	29	0.341	
==== Southern Division ====
#	Team 	MP	W 	L 	% 	GD
1	Philadelphia 76ers	44	28	16	0.636	
2	Detroit Pistons 	44	27	17	0.614	
3	Chicago Bulls 	44	22	22	0.500	
4	Erie BayHawks 	44	7 	37	0.159	
=== Divisions (South) ===
==== Northern Division ====
#	Team 	MP	W 	L 	% 	GD
1	Cleveland Cavaliers	44	35	9 	0.795	
2	Indiana Pacers 	44	32	12	0.727	
3	Washington Wizards 	44	19	25	0.432	
4	Fort Wayne Mad Ants	44	18	26	0.409	
==== Central Division ====
#	Team 	MP	W 	L 	% 	GD
1	Memphis Grizzlies 	44	24	20	0.545	
2	New Orleans Pelicans	44	20	24	0.455	
3	Charlotte Hornets 	44	17	27	0.386	
4	Atlanta Hawks 	44	15	29	0.341	
==== Southern Division ====
#	Team 	MP	W 	L 	% 	GD
1	Jacksonville Jokers 	44	34	10	0.773	
2	Miami Heat 	44	28	16	0.636	
3	Tallahassee W-Dunkers	44	20	24	0.455	
4	Orlando Magic 	44	16	28	0.364	
Category:Sport Related
Category:Mapperdonian International Basketball Federation
Category:Basketball
Category:Apollo Union
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