Wilkes Barre Barons

The Wilkes-Barre Barons were a long-time team in the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA), which was composed mostly of teams in PA, NY, and other mid-Atlantic state. The Barons started as all the way back in 1946 and played at the Kingston Armory, although their origins may be traced back as far as 1914 or 1933. They were always a threat to win the EBA title, as they won 11 titles, most in the 1940s and 50s, but also in 1973 and 1978. In the late 1970s, the EBA rebranded as the CBA and expanded it’s footprint around the continent, not sticking to it’s origins in the mid-Atlantic. This caused teams like the Barons to face a money crunch, as their expenses went up for having to fly to different places in a league that had historically been a bus league. The Barons would move to Scranton and become the Aces for the 1980-81 season, but would be forced to fold.