League Bible — 1950 Edition
(Compiled for The Continental Sports Association Archive)
The Metropolitan Basketball Association, established October 12, 1950 in Chicago, was created to give the postwar American city a new expression of motion and identity — the City Game.
Played in armories, auditoriums, and civic halls beneath rafters thick with smoke, the MBA is a league of bright lights and concrete echoes, a mirror of its time.
Commissioner’s Office: Marquette Building, Chicago, Illinois
League Motto: “The City Game.”
Official Record: The Metropolitan Ledger
Teams: 12 (6 per division)
Season Length: 72 games (Nov – Apr)
Playoffs: Top 3 per division → Best-of-3 Semifinals → Best-of-5 Division Final → Best-of-5 Metropolitan Cup Finals
Game Format: Four 12-minute quarters; 2 points per FG, 1 per FT, no 3-point line
Roster: 12 active + 2 reserves
Awards: MVP, Rookie, Coach, Defensive Shield, Sixth Man, All-MBA Teams, Sportsmanship Medal, Finals MOP