CWNO Historical Archive: October 4, 1978

The Organization of Professional Basketball Announces Expansion from 16 teams to 28

October 4, 1978; New York, NY- The Organization of Professional Basketball, the world’s premier professional basketball league, today announced its intention to expand from sixteen teams to twenty-eight teams before the start of the 1979-80 season. The league, about to tip off its twenty-first season, has been planning the expansion for three years and will begin announcing the locations of the twelve new teams over the next two months.

“This is a historic moment for the OPB,” said James Montgomery, the Organization’s long-time President. “We are excited to bring the world’s most exciting sport to more people across the United States and to provide more opportunities for talented players to join the ranks of our current line-up of teams.”

It is anticipated that new teams will be located in Oklahoma City, San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore, four cities that have been rallying support for OPB teams, but Montgomery made no promises at the press conference and gave no hints as to other cities that be awarded teams. “We are creating a committee that will evaluate each city that is being considered for expansion, and we will release the names and backgrounds of the committee members by the end of the month,” he said when questioned about the expansion process.

At the start of the presentation, the OPB unveiled its new logo, created by well-renowned visual artist Kai Van Buren. “It was an honor to have this opportunity to create a logo for the OPB that tells the story of the league and hints at its continued success. I hope the fans of the league appreciate the thought that went into this design and have an opportunity to enjoy it for decades to come.”

Montgomery also announced that the OPB will be expanding its executive management team and will be announcing the details of its new season and play-off format in the coming weeks.