[1] After six seasons, Kerry-born Killarney player Paudie O'Connor felt that Irish basketball was short of quality.
[2][3][4][5] O'Connor wanted to add glamour to the game and make it more appealing, believing showmanship and skills such as slam dunking would bring basketball to a new level in Ireland.
Despite objections from the governing body and other clubs across the country, the first American players, Greg Huguley and Cornel Benford, arrived in Killarney in September 1979.
Two months later, Brian Ulmer replaced Benford and St. Vincent's Killarney went on to clinch the national league title in the 1979–80 season.
Terry Strickland of Neptune and Jasper McElroy of Blue Demons led their sides to success, but had fierce competition coming up against the likes of Kelvin Troy and Mario Elie (Killester), Dave Hopla (St. Gall's), and Deora Marsh (Ballina).
The IBA promoted a scheme whereby investors put money into clubs, and in return, the players will be walking billboards for their brand.
They had a very successful campaign in Division 2 in 1983–84, finishing a close second behind Liam McHale's Ballina, and earned promotion back to the top flight.
The two main arguments made for the change was to give local Irish players more opportunities and to cut costs, with it becoming too expensive to pay two imports for some clubs.
Belfast's Star of the Sea began to challenge them in the late 1990s as they collected three National Championships between 1996 and 1998,[10] and won two league titles in 1998 and 1999.
Past National Champions include St. Vincent's (1995, 1999 and 2003),[14][15] Star of the Sea (1996–98),[16] Notre Dame (2000)[17] and Tralee Tigers (2002).