A national senior championship was launched in 1923-24 as a result of the creation of the Canadian Amateur Basketball Association. To the victor went the Montreal Cup, which was donated to CABA by the Sportsmen of Montreal in 1926. Cecil Race of Edmonton was appointed the association’s first president and he insisted on all provinces being eligible for national championships. Saskatchewan was late in joining, as basketball developed slowly with the province. Manitoba was the last province to form a provincial association, in 1927.
Prior to the formation of CABA, there was a measure of interprovincial competition, starting in 1907 when the Canadian Amateur Athletic Union held its first championship between the Ontario and Quebec affiliates which were members of the union. In that series the Hamilton YMCA defeated the Montreal YMCA 49-3 and 41-16 (Total: 90-19). CAAU championships were sporadic and hardly national in scope. They were essentially a playoff between the Montreal and Toronto-area Y league champs. CABA initially had a $5 entry fee for each provincial association, while requiring that associations provide a financial guarantee to visitors from other provinces. “In all ‘home and home’ games, each team shall retain its own gate money but shall guarantee the visiting team an amount equal to 8 return railway fares and necessary sleepers. In all two-game series, the home team shall retain its own gate money but shall guarantee to the visitors 8 return railway fares and necessary sleepers, and hotel expenses for 8 people for 3 days, accommodation to be arranged by the home team.”
| YEAR | CHAMPION | COACH | FINAL | RUNNER-UP |
| 23-24 | Raymond Union Jacks | Jim Walker | forfeit | Toronto West End Y |
| 24-25 | Ottawa Rideaus | Orrie Hodgkin | T: 38-36 | University of British Columbia |
| 25-26 | Winnipeg Toilers | Archie Ferguson | T: 57-42 | Montreal A.A.A. |
| 26-27 | Winnipeg Toilers | Archie Ferguson | T: 38-36 | Windsor Collegiate Alumni |
| 27-28 | Windsor Collegiate Alumni | Gordon Fuller | T: 64-46 | University of British Columbia |
| 28-29 | New Westminster Adanacs | Hugh Gifford | T: 36-35 | Windsor Collegiate Alumni |
| 29-30 | New Westminster Adanacs | Hugh Gifford | T: 60-42 | Acadia University |
| 30-31 | University of British Columbia | Garnet Montgomery | T: 45-38 | St. Catharines Grads |
| 31-32 | Winnipeg Toilers | Lynn Sinclair | 2g-0 | Saint John Trojans |
| 32-33 | Victoria Blue Ribbon Tea & Coffee | J.A. Barnwell | 3g-1 | Windsor-Walkerville Alumni |
| 33-34 | Vancouver Daily Provinces | Chuck Jones | 3g-1 | Montreal Nationales |
| 34-35 | Victoria Blue Ribbon Tea & Coffee | J. A. Barnwell | 2g-1 | Windsor Assumption Purple Raiders |
| 35-36 | Windsor Ford V-8s | Gordon Fuller | 3g-0 | Victoria Dominoes |
| 36-37 | University of British Columbia | Maury Van Vliet | 3g-1 | Windsor Alumni |
| 37-38 | Vancouver Westerns | Ted Milton | 3g-0 | Ottawa Glebe Grads |
| 38-39 | Victoria Dominoes | Eric Cox | 3g-2 | Windsor Alumni |
| 39-40 | Vancouver Maple Leafs | Wally Mayers | 3g-0 | Montreal YMHA |
| 40-41 | University of British Columbia | Maury Van Vliet | 3g-0 | Toronto Simpson Grads |
| 41-42 | Victoria Dominoes | Art Chapman | 3g-1 | Montreal Oilers |
| 42-43 | Patricia Bay R.C.A.F. Gremlins | Charles McLachlan | 3g-0 | Windsor Patricks |
| 43-44 | Merritton Hayes-Steel Hellcats | Ben Newman | 3g-1 | Edmonton Engineers |
| 44-45 | Merritton Hayes-Steel Hellcats | Ben Newman | 3g-1 | Vancouver Laurie Pies |
| 45-46 | Victoria Dominoes | Art Chapman | 3g-0 | Windsor Assumption Alumni |
| 46-47 | Vancouver Meralomas | Ralph Henderson | 3g-2 | Windsor Assumption Alumni |
| 47-48 | Vancouver Cloverleafs | Ralph Henderson | 3g-2 | Montreal YMHA Blues |
| 48-49 | Vancouver Cloverleafs | Ralph Henderson | 3g-0 | Windsor Assumption Alumni |
| 49-50 | Montreal YMHA Blues | Joey Richman | 3g-1 | University of Manitoba |
| 50-51 | Vancouver Cloverleafs | Ralph Henderson | 3g-0 | Toronto Nortown Tri-Bells |
| 51-52 | Tillsonburg Livingstons | Paul Thomas | 3g-1 | U. of Manitoba Varsity Grads |
| 52-53 | Toronto Nortown Tri-Bells | Paul Thomas | 3g-2 | University of Alberta |
| 53-54 | Winnipeg Paulins | Jim Bulloch | 3g-2 | Toronto Nortown Tri-Bells |
| 54-55 | Port Alberni Athletics | Elmer Speidel | 3g-0 | Sault Ste. Marie 49th Regiment |
| 55-56 | British Columbia Totems | Lance Hudson | 62-42 | Edmonton Towne Hallers |
| 56-57 | Montreal Snowden YMHA Blues | Joey Richman | 3g-0 | Winnipeg St. Vital Bulldogs |
| 57-58 | Vancouver Eilers | Fred Collen | 3g-1 | Tillsonburg Livingstons |
| 58-59 | Southern Alberta Chinooks | Dean Bennett | 3g-2 | Ottawa Joe Fellers |
| 59-60 | Tillsonburg Livingstons | Elmer Ripley | 64-59 | Port Alberni Athletics |
| 60-61 | Lethbridge Broders | Bob Hamilton | 3g-0 | Tillsonburg Livingstons |
| 61-62 | Lethbridge Broders | Bob Hamilton | 3g-2 | London Fredericks |
| 62-63 | Lethbridge Nationals | Bob Hamilton | (3-0) | Montreal Yvon Coutu Huskies |
| 63-64 | Toronto Dow Kings | Ruby Richman | 3g-0 | Winnipeg IPAC Buffaloes |
| 64-65 | Port Alberni Athletics | Elmer Speidel | 90-76 | Winnipeg St. Andrews Super Saints |
| 65-66 | Vancouver IGA Grocers | Mel Brown | 63-48 | Winnipeg St. Andrews Super Saints |
| 66-67 | Vancouver IGA Grocers | Mel Brown | 56-52 | Winnipeg Madisons |
| 67-68 | Vancouver IGA Grocers | Mel Brown | 74-51 | Halifax Schooners |
| 68-69 | Windsor Alumni | Bob Hanson | 82-77 | Vancouver Whitespots |
| 69-70 | Simon Fraser University Clansmen | John Kootnekoff | 80-76 | Sarnia Drawbridge Knights |
| 70-71 | Vancouver Villas | John Kootnekoff | 70-61 | Winnipeg St. Andrews Super Saints |
| 71-72 | Winnipeg St. Andrews Super Saints | Fred Ingaldson | (4-0) | Wolfville Valley Lords |
| 72-73 | Halifax Wandlyn Motor Inns | Sandy Yonge | 93-78 | Surrey Broncos |
| 73-74 | Vancouver Capilanos | Ken Atkinson | 73-67 | Halifax Wandlyn Motor Inns |
| 74-75 | Winnipeg St. Andrews Super Saints | Bob Hazell | 93-72 | Halifax Raiders |
| 75-76 | Winnipeg St. Andrews Super Saints | Bob Hazell | (2-1) | Victoria Scorpions |
| 76-77 | Etobicoke Estonians | Harry Liiv | 93-72 | Halifax Budget Rent-a-Car Raiders |
| 77-78 | Halifax Budget Rent-a-Car Raiders | Bill Thow | 84-81 | Toronto Estonia |
| 78-79 | Winnipeg Nicolett Inn | Jim Bulloch | 67-63 | Fraser Valley Bullets |
| 79-80 | Winnipeg Nicolett Inn | John Loewen | 95-83 | Fraser Valley Bullets |
| 80-81 | Halifax Budget Rent-a-Car Raiders | Bill Thow | 98-84 | Winnipeg Nicolett Inn |
| 81-82 | Winnipeg Nicolett Inn | John Loewen | 99-94 | Fraser Valley Bullets |
| 82-83 | Etobicoke Estonian | Harry Liiv | 67-59 | Winnipeg Nicolett Inn |
| 83-84 | Etobicoke Estonian | Harry Liiv | 82-78 | Edmonton Express |
| 84-85 | Etobicoke Estonian | Harry Liiv | 138-87 | Nova Scotia Team Atlantic |
| 85-86 | Calgary 88s | 86-84 | Toronto Estonia | |
| 86-87 | ||||
| 87-88 | ||||
| 88-89 | Etobicoke Estonia | 109-104 | Halifax King’s Arm Pub | |
| 90-94 | DISCONTINUED | ————— | —– | ——————— |
| 94-95 | Toronto Ford Thunderbirds | 100-88 | Montreal Sun Youth | |
| 95-96 | Toronto Ford/Adidas Thunderbirds | 97-75 | Nova Scotia Hoopsters | |
| DISCONTINUED | ————— | —– | ——————— |