Sunday, April 21, 2013
Taking a Break -- Enjoy the Playoffs!
TBCB is taking a break from the basketball blogosphere to focus more attention on work and family matters. In the meantime, feel free to explore the blog's archive of articles covering the early days of the NBA and the history of the Belt.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Mikan Rules: The League's First Dominate Big Man Changes the Game
By Fred Cervantez
It was 1949 in Indiana, but the scene was more akin to a gladiator battle in the Roman Empire. Unruly spectators gathered along the smoke-filled balcony. Leaning over, the rowdy crowd screamed at the Minneapolis Lakers as they took the court. Basketball was in a transition phase. For most of the 30’s and early 40’s many players joined traveling barnstorming teams to make a few quick dollars as mercenaries. Owners and players longed for physical, sometimes violent, games. In the cramped arenas, fans would do everything they could to intimidate their opponent. Simply taking the ball out of bounds was a daunting task as fans attempted to slap, hit, or punch the opposing players. The roughness held basketball out of the mainstream, but with the increase of college graduates and war veterans joining the professional ranks, the public perception started to shift. But a change so drastic couldn’t happen overnight.
Scenes reminiscent of the 30’s and early 40’s still existed. Mainly from teams that operated in small cities like Fort Wayne, Indiana. With no means to build large, spacious arenas, teams in Fort Wayne would play their games in crowded high schools where raucous fans could wreak havoc as they sat mere feet from the action.
The atmosphere didn’t deter George Mikan, center for the Minneapolis Lakers, from his goal. His innate desire to win couldn’t be shaken. The more he was booed, the more he was cursed at, the tougher the challenge, the more he was driven. According to teammate Vern Mikkelsen, the more hostile the environment, the more Mikan said “Give me that ball. Let’s get this game going.”
Mikan leads DePaul
Mikan enrolled at DePaul University in 1942, and helped the team position itself to win a bid to the NCAA Tournament near the end of his sophomore year. DePaul was 17-3 and were getting ready to face the Big Ten champions, Ohio State. Unfortunately, earlier in the week Mikan had injured his ankle. The x-rays were inconclusive, but the speculation was bone chips. Ohio State, led by hall of famer Arnie Risen, controlled the game until the final two minutes. Ray Meyer, coach for the Catholic DePaul University, called a timeout. In a fit of nervousness, Meyer started to pray.
According to a former teammate Gene Stump, Mikan responded to the prayers by saying “Look here, prayers aren’t going to get us to New York. Get me the goddamn ball.” Mikan immediately turned around and walked back on the court. Gene Stump recounts what happens next. “We threw George the ball, and he went out there and fouled out Arnie Risen. Inside of two minutes, George scored six or eight points all by himself - physically, one-on-one beating these guys.”
The game went into overtime and Risen fouled out. Mikan scored 37 points total with 12 in OT to lead DePaul to a 61 to 49 victory. After the game, James S. Kearns of the Chicago Sun wrote: “Even the last of the doubters must believe now that DePaul’s Blue Demons have definitely arrived in basketball’s biggest time... Mikan, I thought, was superb. Never doubt that large boy had a bad ankle. He did, and it bespoke a helluva competitive spirit when he played all the way until the decision had been reached in overtime. A lot of good athletes would have wilted before that. Far from wilting, under pressure, under the discouragement of a bad slump in his marksmanship early in the second half, or under the pain of his injury, Mikan came through in the biggest clutch and broke up the ballgame with three baskets on three shots at the start of the overtime.”
Going Professional
After Mikan left college, he joined the NBL’s Chicago American Gears for the 1946 season. Mikan quickly figured out that playing at the professional level was going to be physically and mentally draining. One of his first games was against Leroy Edwards of the Oshkosh All-Stars. Mikan was warned to give Edwards space in the post, but after coming off a dominating college career he figured he could easily take Edwards. Edwards welcomed Mikan to the professional ranks by continuously elbowing him and squeezing him right above the knee cap while the referee wasn’t looking. It took time to adjust, but once he did, Mikan won the NBL scoring title with 16.5 points per game and went the extra mile in the playoffs with 19.7 per game. The Gears went on to win the NBL Championship over the Rochester Royals.
Mikan was quickly becoming the biggest star in basketball. Wherever the Gears went, the fans did to. Home teams would gather their largest crowds when the Gears came. This success prompted Gears management to form their own league, the Professional Basketball League of America. The vision was that the PBLA would be centered around Mikan and the Gears, and the Gears would travel around the country playing various teams. The Gears left the NBL and owner Maurice White invested $600,000 into this new league. Unfortunately for White, Mikan, and the Gears, the league folded after less than a month.
Joining the BAA
After their debacle with the PBLA, the Chicago American Gears attempted to re-enter the NBL, but were met by resistance, especially from Ben Berger and Maurice Chalfen, two businessmen from Minnesota. Berger and Chalfen had recently purchased the Detroit Gems. The Gems were coming off a horrendous 4-40 record, which would guarantee them the first pick in a PBLA dispersal draft. With their eyes on Mikan, the Gems, who were rebranded as the Minneapolis Lakers, lobbied hard to keep the Gears from re-entering the league. Mikan, however, wasn’t as impressed with the Lakers as the Lakers were with him. Mikan had been to Minneapolis once as a player for DePaul and considered it a frozen wasteland. Yet the lure of a $12,500 paycheck helped entice Mikan to report to Minneapolis after he was drafted. After jumping from the NCAA to the NBL to the PBLA and then back the NBL, Mikan was about to change leagues yet again.
During the late 1940’s, the National Basketball League was superior to the Basketball Association of America. The NBL had star players such as Mikan, Arnie Risen, and Bob Davies. But the BAA, which was created by hockey owners attempting to fill empty dates on their schedule, had more money and was led by forceful commissioner Maurice Podoloff. Podoloff helped to convince four teams to move from the NBL to the BAA for the 1949 season: the Rochester Royals, Fort Wayne Pistons, the Indianapolis Jets, and the Minneapolis Lakers. Originally, the BAA only wanted two of these teams, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. They figured by taking those two teams, the NBL and the Lakers would fold. This would allow a big market team such as the New York Knicks to pick up George Mikan, which would which would be a huge boost to the new league. However, due to a plea by the owner of the Lakers, Max Winter, the Lakers and the Royals were also accepted into the BAA.
The Lakers’ move to the BAA brought an opportunity for George to play against his brother, Ed Mikan of the Chicago Stags. In one of their early meetings, no love was shown between the brothers as George and the Lakers beat the Stags 85 to 81. During the game, George broke Ed’s nose while outscoring also him 20-0. According Lakers teammate Slater Martin, after the game George’s mother asked, “Georgie, why’d you beat up on your brother Eddie?” George replied, “Momma, if you had been out there playing I would’ve beat up on you too.”
On April 4th, 1949, Mikan and the Lakers met the Washington Capitals and legendary coach Red Auerbach in the BAA championship. A 42 point outing by Mikan in game one led to an 88-84 victory. In game two, the Capitals focused their efforts on shutting down Mikan. Every time the ball was passed to Mikan, he would instantly be double-teamed. He only scored 10 points, which was a season low, but his passing out of the post led to shooters like Herm Schaefer and Don Carlson scoring in double digits, leading the Lakers to a 76-62 victory. With their inside-out strategy, the Lakers next won game 3 by 20 points to take a commanding 3-0 lead. In game four, things looked bright as the Lakers got off to a 16-7 lead behind 12 points by Mikan. However, a collision with Capitals’ center Kleggie Hermsen sent Mikan flying into the first row of seats. His arm smashed into the back of a chair, breaking a bone near his wrist. Despite his broken arm, Mikan returned to the game and scored 15 points utilizing his left handed hook shot. But his efforts weren't enough as the Lakers lost game four, 83-71, and then game five, 73-65. Still leading the series 3-2, the Lakers finished game 6 with a dominating 77-56 victory. Even with his broken arm, Mikan poured in 29 points and helped the Lakers win their second consecutive title, which was Mikan’s third in a row.
The National Basketball Association
Switching leagues was nothing new for Mikan. In just six years he had gone from the NCAA, to the NBL, to the PBLA, back to the NBL, and then to the BAA. In the summer of 1949, he found himself preparing for more changes when the NBL and the BAA agreed to merge completely to create the National Basketball Association. In his first year in the NBA, Mikan led the Lakers to the finals to face the Syracuse Nationals after defeating the Chicago Stags, Fort Wayne Pistons, and the Anderson Packers in the playoffs.
Mikan described his 37 point performance in game one of the series like this: “The Nats’ fans did plenty of yelling to get me off my game. But I loved the attention and scored 36 points in the opener to give it back to them in the only way I could”
Led by Mikan’s 40 points, the Lakers finished the series in game six by a score of 110-95. During the 1949-50 season, Mikan was selected to the All-NBA First team and won the scoring title by averaging 27.4 points per game. On top of all that, Mikan was named by the Associated Press as Mr. Basketball of the first half of the twentieth century. The honor put him alongside other winners for their respective sports, such as Bobby Jones, Jack Dempsey, Bill Tilden, Jim Thorpe, Man O’ War, and Mikan’s childhood idol Babe Ruth.
In the early days of the NBA there were no financial guarantees. Players got paid substantially less than what they get today and there was no pension plan. Playing through pain was a necessity in order to guarantee your financial future. Teams had trainers, but they didn’t travel. The coach didn’t want you to miss any games as any slipping in the standings could put their job and finances in jeopardy. It wasn’t unusual for a player to get stitched up and then sent back out immediately no matter how bad the pain was. Throughout his playing career, Mikan broke his leg twice, broke bones in both feet and fractured bones in both of his elbows. He also broke his arm, nose, thumb, and three fingers and collected innumerable sprains and strains. In later years, the bones in his elbows grew spurs. The bones no longer went back into the socket and he was limited to only half of the normal rotation in each arm. He also had his right knee cap removed. While Mikan took a great amount of damage, he also learned how to deal it back out.
While at DePaul, coach Ray Meyer taught Mikan how to use his elbow to his advantage. “I would lead my hook shot with the elbow of my non-shooting arm,” Mikan explained. “I used my elbow like the business end of a tire iron and cleared out the path for an open shot... I got away with a lot of fouls that could have been called. I made sure to keep two hands on the ball when going up toward the basket, thereby avoiding the offensive foul. If I would’ve taken a hand off the ball when muscling through my opponents, the whistle would have blown for a foul.”
Opponent Ed Macauley jokingly remarked “His elbows should be in the Hall of Fame”.
The beatings that Mikan sustained finally caught up to him during the 1950-51 season. He averaged 28.4 points for his fifth straight scoring title, but during the second-to-last game of the season he suffered a hairline fracture in his ankle. During the first playoff game, he taped the ankle and went out to score 41 points against the Indianapolis Olympians. But during the second game of the series, he scored only two points before asking to get taken out. After two days of rest, Mikan scored 30 points to help the Lakers move on to the next round.
During the second round, the Lakers were matched up with the Rochester Royals. Coach Kundla of the Lakers made the decision to have Mikan come off the bench, and he responded by scoring 22 points in game one and 18 points in game two. However, Mikan wasn’t the same. His defense suffered and his rebounding was nearly useless. The Lakers lost the series in game three despite Mikan’s 32 points. “I guess a broken ankle stopped me from winning in 1950-51, but it didn’t stop me from playing” remarked Mikan about the ‘51 playoff loss. “I missed only two games during my entire Lakers career, mostly because I loved playing. I never wanted to sit out. And when I played, I played to win and tried not to let a little pain stop me.”
Changing the Game
Before the 1951-52 season, the NBA widened the lane. Known as the “Mikan Rule,” the change forced Mikan farther away from the basketball and caused his scoring to drop from 28.4 points per game in the previous season to 23.8 in 1951-52. However, the rule change didn’t limit his effectiveness. Following the rule change, Joe Lapchick, coach of the New York Knicks, remarked “Cover him normally and he murders you with his scoring. Cover him abnormally and he murders you with his passes...It’s my opinion that it’s made Mikan an even better basketball player.” The widening of the lane opened up the lane for quicker teammates like Slater Martin to cut to the basket. Mikan was a great passer and the rule change allowed him to exploit his passing from the post. As a result, 1951-52 was the first season that Vern Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard averaged more than 15 points per game. Though the rule change lowered his scoring average, Mikan scored his highest point total in a single game with 61 points against the Rochester Royals on January 20th, 1952.
The rule change caused Mikan to work on other parts of his game. If he couldn’t score as much, he felt the need to find other ways to help his team. He focused and worked on rebounding throughout the season. On March 4th, 1952, he grabbed 36 rebounds and led the league with 14.4 in the 1953 season.
Even with the rule changes, the Lakers still managed to reach the 1952 finals where they beat the New York Knicks in seven games. Two of Mikan’s baskets came as he took the ball coast to coast, showing that if they changed the rules, he would find different ways to score.
The 1952-53 Laker squad remained unchanged from the previous season other than the addition of rookie Jim Holstein. The Lakers had changed from relying on Mikan’s scoring to focusing on moving the ball around and having a balanced attack. The Lakers once again made it to the finals to face the New York Knicks. With the series was tied 1-1 and headed to game three, Mikan decided to experiment during the first half. Hoping not to be left behind while the jumpshot started becoming more popular than the set shot, he decided to take a few jumpers during the first half. Mikan misfired on several jump shots while a back and forth game was being played. Ray Meyer, his coach from DePaul, was watching from the bench. During halftime Meyer told Mikan “Stick that jump shot up your ass, George.” Mikan who valued the words of his former coach came out to lead the Lakers to a 90-75 victory. The Lakers went on to win the series in five games, which marked their fifth title in six years.
For his final championship, Mikan and the Lakers met the Syracuse Nationals for the 1954 NBA Championship. The series went seven games, and included two miraculous buzzer beaters by the Nationals. One by Paul Seymour, who hit a 43 foot shot in game two, and one by Jim Neal in game six, who made his only basket of the game from 27 feet out. The Lakers then took game seven with an 87-80 victory.
Mikan retired from the NBA after the 1954 championship. He wanted to spend more time with his family, but was convinced by the team to come back two seasons later. He played himself back into shape and ended up averaging 10.5 points and 8.3 rebounds in 20 minutes per game. When asked if he regrets coming back, he says he came back for one reason, the Lakers asked him and he loved the team and the game of basketball. “I never looked back in regret; never have I felt that it tarnished my career - I believe my record is too strong for that,” Mikan said “When I think about how much I’ve loved the game of basketball, from the time I was a kid in my backyard to the final game on March 21, 1956, in Minneapolis, I know I made the right decision.”
George Mikan won seven championships in eight years in three different leagues. He led the league in scoring five times. He was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history and was named Mr. Basketball. Mikan's desire to win was unquenchable. He fought through pain and rose to meet every challenge set before him. He not only set the stage for the modern big man, but he set the standard for every great player that would come after him. When you talk about the greatest winners, the greatest competitors in NBA history, don’t forget the man that started it all, George Mikan.
Key Sources:
Oberle, Joseph. Mikan, George. Unstoppable. The Story of George Mikan. 1997.
Egan, John. The Vern Mikkelsen Story. 2006.
basketball-reference.com
It was 1949 in Indiana, but the scene was more akin to a gladiator battle in the Roman Empire. Unruly spectators gathered along the smoke-filled balcony. Leaning over, the rowdy crowd screamed at the Minneapolis Lakers as they took the court. Basketball was in a transition phase. For most of the 30’s and early 40’s many players joined traveling barnstorming teams to make a few quick dollars as mercenaries. Owners and players longed for physical, sometimes violent, games. In the cramped arenas, fans would do everything they could to intimidate their opponent. Simply taking the ball out of bounds was a daunting task as fans attempted to slap, hit, or punch the opposing players. The roughness held basketball out of the mainstream, but with the increase of college graduates and war veterans joining the professional ranks, the public perception started to shift. But a change so drastic couldn’t happen overnight.
Scenes reminiscent of the 30’s and early 40’s still existed. Mainly from teams that operated in small cities like Fort Wayne, Indiana. With no means to build large, spacious arenas, teams in Fort Wayne would play their games in crowded high schools where raucous fans could wreak havoc as they sat mere feet from the action.
Fort Wayne, Indiana
The atmosphere didn’t deter George Mikan, center for the Minneapolis Lakers, from his goal. His innate desire to win couldn’t be shaken. The more he was booed, the more he was cursed at, the tougher the challenge, the more he was driven. According to teammate Vern Mikkelsen, the more hostile the environment, the more Mikan said “Give me that ball. Let’s get this game going.”
Mikan leads DePaul
Mikan enrolled at DePaul University in 1942, and helped the team position itself to win a bid to the NCAA Tournament near the end of his sophomore year. DePaul was 17-3 and were getting ready to face the Big Ten champions, Ohio State. Unfortunately, earlier in the week Mikan had injured his ankle. The x-rays were inconclusive, but the speculation was bone chips. Ohio State, led by hall of famer Arnie Risen, controlled the game until the final two minutes. Ray Meyer, coach for the Catholic DePaul University, called a timeout. In a fit of nervousness, Meyer started to pray.
According to a former teammate Gene Stump, Mikan responded to the prayers by saying “Look here, prayers aren’t going to get us to New York. Get me the goddamn ball.” Mikan immediately turned around and walked back on the court. Gene Stump recounts what happens next. “We threw George the ball, and he went out there and fouled out Arnie Risen. Inside of two minutes, George scored six or eight points all by himself - physically, one-on-one beating these guys.”
The game went into overtime and Risen fouled out. Mikan scored 37 points total with 12 in OT to lead DePaul to a 61 to 49 victory. After the game, James S. Kearns of the Chicago Sun wrote: “Even the last of the doubters must believe now that DePaul’s Blue Demons have definitely arrived in basketball’s biggest time... Mikan, I thought, was superb. Never doubt that large boy had a bad ankle. He did, and it bespoke a helluva competitive spirit when he played all the way until the decision had been reached in overtime. A lot of good athletes would have wilted before that. Far from wilting, under pressure, under the discouragement of a bad slump in his marksmanship early in the second half, or under the pain of his injury, Mikan came through in the biggest clutch and broke up the ballgame with three baskets on three shots at the start of the overtime.”
Going Professional
After Mikan left college, he joined the NBL’s Chicago American Gears for the 1946 season. Mikan quickly figured out that playing at the professional level was going to be physically and mentally draining. One of his first games was against Leroy Edwards of the Oshkosh All-Stars. Mikan was warned to give Edwards space in the post, but after coming off a dominating college career he figured he could easily take Edwards. Edwards welcomed Mikan to the professional ranks by continuously elbowing him and squeezing him right above the knee cap while the referee wasn’t looking. It took time to adjust, but once he did, Mikan won the NBL scoring title with 16.5 points per game and went the extra mile in the playoffs with 19.7 per game. The Gears went on to win the NBL Championship over the Rochester Royals.
Mikan was quickly becoming the biggest star in basketball. Wherever the Gears went, the fans did to. Home teams would gather their largest crowds when the Gears came. This success prompted Gears management to form their own league, the Professional Basketball League of America. The vision was that the PBLA would be centered around Mikan and the Gears, and the Gears would travel around the country playing various teams. The Gears left the NBL and owner Maurice White invested $600,000 into this new league. Unfortunately for White, Mikan, and the Gears, the league folded after less than a month.
Joining the BAA
After their debacle with the PBLA, the Chicago American Gears attempted to re-enter the NBL, but were met by resistance, especially from Ben Berger and Maurice Chalfen, two businessmen from Minnesota. Berger and Chalfen had recently purchased the Detroit Gems. The Gems were coming off a horrendous 4-40 record, which would guarantee them the first pick in a PBLA dispersal draft. With their eyes on Mikan, the Gems, who were rebranded as the Minneapolis Lakers, lobbied hard to keep the Gears from re-entering the league. Mikan, however, wasn’t as impressed with the Lakers as the Lakers were with him. Mikan had been to Minneapolis once as a player for DePaul and considered it a frozen wasteland. Yet the lure of a $12,500 paycheck helped entice Mikan to report to Minneapolis after he was drafted. After jumping from the NCAA to the NBL to the PBLA and then back the NBL, Mikan was about to change leagues yet again.
Ben Berger
Public domain
During the late 1940’s, the National Basketball League was superior to the Basketball Association of America. The NBL had star players such as Mikan, Arnie Risen, and Bob Davies. But the BAA, which was created by hockey owners attempting to fill empty dates on their schedule, had more money and was led by forceful commissioner Maurice Podoloff. Podoloff helped to convince four teams to move from the NBL to the BAA for the 1949 season: the Rochester Royals, Fort Wayne Pistons, the Indianapolis Jets, and the Minneapolis Lakers. Originally, the BAA only wanted two of these teams, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. They figured by taking those two teams, the NBL and the Lakers would fold. This would allow a big market team such as the New York Knicks to pick up George Mikan, which would which would be a huge boost to the new league. However, due to a plea by the owner of the Lakers, Max Winter, the Lakers and the Royals were also accepted into the BAA.
The Lakers’ move to the BAA brought an opportunity for George to play against his brother, Ed Mikan of the Chicago Stags. In one of their early meetings, no love was shown between the brothers as George and the Lakers beat the Stags 85 to 81. During the game, George broke Ed’s nose while outscoring also him 20-0. According Lakers teammate Slater Martin, after the game George’s mother asked, “Georgie, why’d you beat up on your brother Eddie?” George replied, “Momma, if you had been out there playing I would’ve beat up on you too.”
On April 4th, 1949, Mikan and the Lakers met the Washington Capitals and legendary coach Red Auerbach in the BAA championship. A 42 point outing by Mikan in game one led to an 88-84 victory. In game two, the Capitals focused their efforts on shutting down Mikan. Every time the ball was passed to Mikan, he would instantly be double-teamed. He only scored 10 points, which was a season low, but his passing out of the post led to shooters like Herm Schaefer and Don Carlson scoring in double digits, leading the Lakers to a 76-62 victory. With their inside-out strategy, the Lakers next won game 3 by 20 points to take a commanding 3-0 lead. In game four, things looked bright as the Lakers got off to a 16-7 lead behind 12 points by Mikan. However, a collision with Capitals’ center Kleggie Hermsen sent Mikan flying into the first row of seats. His arm smashed into the back of a chair, breaking a bone near his wrist. Despite his broken arm, Mikan returned to the game and scored 15 points utilizing his left handed hook shot. But his efforts weren't enough as the Lakers lost game four, 83-71, and then game five, 73-65. Still leading the series 3-2, the Lakers finished game 6 with a dominating 77-56 victory. Even with his broken arm, Mikan poured in 29 points and helped the Lakers win their second consecutive title, which was Mikan’s third in a row.
Red Auerbach
Copyright Steve Lipofsky, Basketballphoto.com
The National Basketball Association
Switching leagues was nothing new for Mikan. In just six years he had gone from the NCAA, to the NBL, to the PBLA, back to the NBL, and then to the BAA. In the summer of 1949, he found himself preparing for more changes when the NBL and the BAA agreed to merge completely to create the National Basketball Association. In his first year in the NBA, Mikan led the Lakers to the finals to face the Syracuse Nationals after defeating the Chicago Stags, Fort Wayne Pistons, and the Anderson Packers in the playoffs.
Mikan described his 37 point performance in game one of the series like this: “The Nats’ fans did plenty of yelling to get me off my game. But I loved the attention and scored 36 points in the opener to give it back to them in the only way I could”
Led by Mikan’s 40 points, the Lakers finished the series in game six by a score of 110-95. During the 1949-50 season, Mikan was selected to the All-NBA First team and won the scoring title by averaging 27.4 points per game. On top of all that, Mikan was named by the Associated Press as Mr. Basketball of the first half of the twentieth century. The honor put him alongside other winners for their respective sports, such as Bobby Jones, Jack Dempsey, Bill Tilden, Jim Thorpe, Man O’ War, and Mikan’s childhood idol Babe Ruth.
In the early days of the NBA there were no financial guarantees. Players got paid substantially less than what they get today and there was no pension plan. Playing through pain was a necessity in order to guarantee your financial future. Teams had trainers, but they didn’t travel. The coach didn’t want you to miss any games as any slipping in the standings could put their job and finances in jeopardy. It wasn’t unusual for a player to get stitched up and then sent back out immediately no matter how bad the pain was. Throughout his playing career, Mikan broke his leg twice, broke bones in both feet and fractured bones in both of his elbows. He also broke his arm, nose, thumb, and three fingers and collected innumerable sprains and strains. In later years, the bones in his elbows grew spurs. The bones no longer went back into the socket and he was limited to only half of the normal rotation in each arm. He also had his right knee cap removed. While Mikan took a great amount of damage, he also learned how to deal it back out.
While at DePaul, coach Ray Meyer taught Mikan how to use his elbow to his advantage. “I would lead my hook shot with the elbow of my non-shooting arm,” Mikan explained. “I used my elbow like the business end of a tire iron and cleared out the path for an open shot... I got away with a lot of fouls that could have been called. I made sure to keep two hands on the ball when going up toward the basket, thereby avoiding the offensive foul. If I would’ve taken a hand off the ball when muscling through my opponents, the whistle would have blown for a foul.”
Opponent Ed Macauley jokingly remarked “His elbows should be in the Hall of Fame”.
The beatings that Mikan sustained finally caught up to him during the 1950-51 season. He averaged 28.4 points for his fifth straight scoring title, but during the second-to-last game of the season he suffered a hairline fracture in his ankle. During the first playoff game, he taped the ankle and went out to score 41 points against the Indianapolis Olympians. But during the second game of the series, he scored only two points before asking to get taken out. After two days of rest, Mikan scored 30 points to help the Lakers move on to the next round.
During the second round, the Lakers were matched up with the Rochester Royals. Coach Kundla of the Lakers made the decision to have Mikan come off the bench, and he responded by scoring 22 points in game one and 18 points in game two. However, Mikan wasn’t the same. His defense suffered and his rebounding was nearly useless. The Lakers lost the series in game three despite Mikan’s 32 points. “I guess a broken ankle stopped me from winning in 1950-51, but it didn’t stop me from playing” remarked Mikan about the ‘51 playoff loss. “I missed only two games during my entire Lakers career, mostly because I loved playing. I never wanted to sit out. And when I played, I played to win and tried not to let a little pain stop me.”
Changing the Game
Before the 1951-52 season, the NBA widened the lane. Known as the “Mikan Rule,” the change forced Mikan farther away from the basketball and caused his scoring to drop from 28.4 points per game in the previous season to 23.8 in 1951-52. However, the rule change didn’t limit his effectiveness. Following the rule change, Joe Lapchick, coach of the New York Knicks, remarked “Cover him normally and he murders you with his scoring. Cover him abnormally and he murders you with his passes...It’s my opinion that it’s made Mikan an even better basketball player.” The widening of the lane opened up the lane for quicker teammates like Slater Martin to cut to the basket. Mikan was a great passer and the rule change allowed him to exploit his passing from the post. As a result, 1951-52 was the first season that Vern Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard averaged more than 15 points per game. Though the rule change lowered his scoring average, Mikan scored his highest point total in a single game with 61 points against the Rochester Royals on January 20th, 1952.
The rule change caused Mikan to work on other parts of his game. If he couldn’t score as much, he felt the need to find other ways to help his team. He focused and worked on rebounding throughout the season. On March 4th, 1952, he grabbed 36 rebounds and led the league with 14.4 in the 1953 season.
Even with the rule changes, the Lakers still managed to reach the 1952 finals where they beat the New York Knicks in seven games. Two of Mikan’s baskets came as he took the ball coast to coast, showing that if they changed the rules, he would find different ways to score.
The 1952-53 Laker squad remained unchanged from the previous season other than the addition of rookie Jim Holstein. The Lakers had changed from relying on Mikan’s scoring to focusing on moving the ball around and having a balanced attack. The Lakers once again made it to the finals to face the New York Knicks. With the series was tied 1-1 and headed to game three, Mikan decided to experiment during the first half. Hoping not to be left behind while the jumpshot started becoming more popular than the set shot, he decided to take a few jumpers during the first half. Mikan misfired on several jump shots while a back and forth game was being played. Ray Meyer, his coach from DePaul, was watching from the bench. During halftime Meyer told Mikan “Stick that jump shot up your ass, George.” Mikan who valued the words of his former coach came out to lead the Lakers to a 90-75 victory. The Lakers went on to win the series in five games, which marked their fifth title in six years.
For his final championship, Mikan and the Lakers met the Syracuse Nationals for the 1954 NBA Championship. The series went seven games, and included two miraculous buzzer beaters by the Nationals. One by Paul Seymour, who hit a 43 foot shot in game two, and one by Jim Neal in game six, who made his only basket of the game from 27 feet out. The Lakers then took game seven with an 87-80 victory.
Mikan retired from the NBA after the 1954 championship. He wanted to spend more time with his family, but was convinced by the team to come back two seasons later. He played himself back into shape and ended up averaging 10.5 points and 8.3 rebounds in 20 minutes per game. When asked if he regrets coming back, he says he came back for one reason, the Lakers asked him and he loved the team and the game of basketball. “I never looked back in regret; never have I felt that it tarnished my career - I believe my record is too strong for that,” Mikan said “When I think about how much I’ve loved the game of basketball, from the time I was a kid in my backyard to the final game on March 21, 1956, in Minneapolis, I know I made the right decision.”
George Mikan won seven championships in eight years in three different leagues. He led the league in scoring five times. He was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history and was named Mr. Basketball. Mikan's desire to win was unquenchable. He fought through pain and rose to meet every challenge set before him. He not only set the stage for the modern big man, but he set the standard for every great player that would come after him. When you talk about the greatest winners, the greatest competitors in NBA history, don’t forget the man that started it all, George Mikan.
Key Sources:
Oberle, Joseph. Mikan, George. Unstoppable. The Story of George Mikan. 1997.
Egan, John. The Vern Mikkelsen Story. 2006.
basketball-reference.com
Saturday, April 6, 2013
1947-55 Top 10: #1, George Mikan
TBCB continues to celebrate the early fifties by counting down
the best NBA players who played between 1947 and 1955. As we work
through the countdown of the ten men who won the most TBCB player of the
game awards, the top five
men
on this list who are not already members of the TBCB Hall of Fame will be inducted. Hall of Fame eligibility rules and requirements are described here.
At number one, we recognize George Mikan. A six foot ten center from DePaul, Mikan began his pro career with the Chicago American Gears in 1946 and then joined the Minneapolis Lakers in 1947. He played until his career was cut short due to injuries in 1954, and then briefly resumed his career in 1956. Mikan also coached the Lakers during the 1957-58 season.
Among his many accomplishments, George Mikan was a four-time All-Star (the game didn't begin until 1951), six-time member of the All-BAA or NBA First Team, and seven-time NBL, BAA, or NBA champion. He was also a member of the NBA's 25th Anniversary Team and 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and named one of the NBA's 50 greatest players in 1996.
Between 1947 and 1955, George Mikan won TBCB player of the game honors 42 times. He was also the TBCB player of the year for the 1949-50, 1950-51, and 1951-52 seasons. Mikan was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959.
Stay tuned for a detailed profile on George Mikan by Fred Cervantez coming very soon.
At number one, we recognize George Mikan. A six foot ten center from DePaul, Mikan began his pro career with the Chicago American Gears in 1946 and then joined the Minneapolis Lakers in 1947. He played until his career was cut short due to injuries in 1954, and then briefly resumed his career in 1956. Mikan also coached the Lakers during the 1957-58 season.
Public Domain
Among his many accomplishments, George Mikan was a four-time All-Star (the game didn't begin until 1951), six-time member of the All-BAA or NBA First Team, and seven-time NBL, BAA, or NBA champion. He was also a member of the NBA's 25th Anniversary Team and 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and named one of the NBA's 50 greatest players in 1996.
Between 1947 and 1955, George Mikan won TBCB player of the game honors 42 times. He was also the TBCB player of the year for the 1949-50, 1950-51, and 1951-52 seasons. Mikan was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959.
Stay tuned for a detailed profile on George Mikan by Fred Cervantez coming very soon.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Recap: Top Players of the Early NBA
By Michael Hogan
Since September 1, 2012, this blog has been counting down the top players of the early NBA. These players represent the men who had the most success in leading their teams to victory and the Belt. It's an impressive lineup that includes many who were among the best of their time. On Sunday, April 7, I'll announce the top player of the 1947-55 era.* Until then, here's a recap of the other nine men who excelled during the NBA's earliest days.
10. Harry Gallatin: A 6 foot six inch center from Truman State University, Gallatin played for both the Knicks and the Pistons during his decorated career.
9. Arnie Risen: A six foot nine center/forward , Ohio State's Arnie Risen began his career with the National Basketball League's Indianapolis Kautskys in 1945. In 1948 he became a member of the Rochester Royals, where he played until joining the Boston Celtics in 1955. His career concluded as a member of the Celtics in 1958.
8. Larry Foust: A six foot nine forward/center, La Salle's Larry Foust was initially drafted by the Chicago Stags in 1950, but played his rookie season with the Fort Wayne Pistons after the Stags folded before the 1950-51 season began. Foust remained with the Pistons until joining the Minneapolis Lakers in 1957. He finished his career with the St. Louis Hawks, where he played from 1960 until he retired in 1962.
7. Joe Fulks: A six foot five forward, Murray State's Joe Fulks was signed by the Philadelphia Warriors in 1946 and immediately led them to the first Basketball Association of America championship. He remained with the Warriors until retiring in 1954.
6. Bob Cousy: A six foot one point guard, Holy Cross' Bob Cousy was drafted third overall in 1950 by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. Then, after a series of intriguing maneuvers, Cousy began play his rookie season as a member of the Boston Celtics. He retired from the Celtics in 1963, and then returned to play seven games with the Cincinnati Royals as a player/coach during the 1969-70 season.
5. Bob Davies: A six foot one guard/forward, Seton Hall's Bob Davies, called The Harrisburg Houdini, joined the Navy after college and was one of many players who played in military leagues during World War II. Davies played his entire NBA career with the Rochester Royals.
4. Max Zaslofsky: A six foot two guard, St. Johns' Max Zaslofsky played for various teams during his NBA career. His longest tenure came with his first team, the Chicago Stags (1946-1950), which he followed by playing for the New York Knicks (1950-1953), Baltimore Bullets (1953), Milwaukee Hawks (1953), and Fort Wayne Pistons (1953-1956).
3. Ed Macauley: A six foot eight center and power forward from St. Louis University, Macauley played one season with the St. Louis Bombers (1949-50) before joining the Boston Celtics in 1950. In 1956, he was traded to the St. Louis Hawks for Bill Russell, and he played with the Hawks until he retired in 1959.
2. Dolph Schayes: A dominate six foot seven forward/center from New York University, Schayes joined the Syracuse Nationals in 1948 and played for the team until retiring in 1964. By the time Schayes retired, the Nationals had moved to Philadelphia to become the Philadelphia 76ers.
1. Coming Soon.
*While the BAA/NBA began in 1946, this effort begins with when the Belt was first awarded to the BAA Champion Philadelphia Warriors at the conclusion of the 1946-47 season.
Since September 1, 2012, this blog has been counting down the top players of the early NBA. These players represent the men who had the most success in leading their teams to victory and the Belt. It's an impressive lineup that includes many who were among the best of their time. On Sunday, April 7, I'll announce the top player of the 1947-55 era.* Until then, here's a recap of the other nine men who excelled during the NBA's earliest days.
Sunrise in California by Jessie Eastland
[CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-SA-3.0],
10. Harry Gallatin: A 6 foot six inch center from Truman State University, Gallatin played for both the Knicks and the Pistons during his decorated career.
9. Arnie Risen: A six foot nine center/forward , Ohio State's Arnie Risen began his career with the National Basketball League's Indianapolis Kautskys in 1945. In 1948 he became a member of the Rochester Royals, where he played until joining the Boston Celtics in 1955. His career concluded as a member of the Celtics in 1958.
8. Larry Foust: A six foot nine forward/center, La Salle's Larry Foust was initially drafted by the Chicago Stags in 1950, but played his rookie season with the Fort Wayne Pistons after the Stags folded before the 1950-51 season began. Foust remained with the Pistons until joining the Minneapolis Lakers in 1957. He finished his career with the St. Louis Hawks, where he played from 1960 until he retired in 1962.
7. Joe Fulks: A six foot five forward, Murray State's Joe Fulks was signed by the Philadelphia Warriors in 1946 and immediately led them to the first Basketball Association of America championship. He remained with the Warriors until retiring in 1954.
6. Bob Cousy: A six foot one point guard, Holy Cross' Bob Cousy was drafted third overall in 1950 by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. Then, after a series of intriguing maneuvers, Cousy began play his rookie season as a member of the Boston Celtics. He retired from the Celtics in 1963, and then returned to play seven games with the Cincinnati Royals as a player/coach during the 1969-70 season.
5. Bob Davies: A six foot one guard/forward, Seton Hall's Bob Davies, called The Harrisburg Houdini, joined the Navy after college and was one of many players who played in military leagues during World War II. Davies played his entire NBA career with the Rochester Royals.
4. Max Zaslofsky: A six foot two guard, St. Johns' Max Zaslofsky played for various teams during his NBA career. His longest tenure came with his first team, the Chicago Stags (1946-1950), which he followed by playing for the New York Knicks (1950-1953), Baltimore Bullets (1953), Milwaukee Hawks (1953), and Fort Wayne Pistons (1953-1956).
3. Ed Macauley: A six foot eight center and power forward from St. Louis University, Macauley played one season with the St. Louis Bombers (1949-50) before joining the Boston Celtics in 1950. In 1956, he was traded to the St. Louis Hawks for Bill Russell, and he played with the Hawks until he retired in 1959.
2. Dolph Schayes: A dominate six foot seven forward/center from New York University, Schayes joined the Syracuse Nationals in 1948 and played for the team until retiring in 1964. By the time Schayes retired, the Nationals had moved to Philadelphia to become the Philadelphia 76ers.
1. Coming Soon.
*While the BAA/NBA began in 1946, this effort begins with when the Belt was first awarded to the BAA Champion Philadelphia Warriors at the conclusion of the 1946-47 season.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Kobe Passes Wilt and Takes the Belt
By Michael Hogan
On Saturday, March 30, Kobe Bryant passed Kansas Jayhawk Wilt Chamberlain for the fourth spot on the all-time NBA scoring list. Bryant scored 19 points, dished out 14 assists, and added nine rebounds in his historic performance, in which the Lakers also took the Belt from the Kings. While I haven't been providing game-by-game recaps of games involving the Belt recently due to ongoing family and work time commitments, this is certainly an accomplishment worth noting.
As ESPN's Dave McMenamin proclaimed, "Move over Big Dipper. Make way for the Black Mamba."
The Lakers will try to defend the Belt against the Mavericks on Tuesday, April 2, in Los Angeles. If the Mavs win, the game will mark the end of hipster Dirk, as the Mavs will finally achieve the .500 mark.
As for this blog, stay tuned for something special from Fred Cervantez coming very soon.
On Saturday, March 30, Kobe Bryant passed Kansas Jayhawk Wilt Chamberlain for the fourth spot on the all-time NBA scoring list. Bryant scored 19 points, dished out 14 assists, and added nine rebounds in his historic performance, in which the Lakers also took the Belt from the Kings. While I haven't been providing game-by-game recaps of games involving the Belt recently due to ongoing family and work time commitments, this is certainly an accomplishment worth noting.
As ESPN's Dave McMenamin proclaimed, "Move over Big Dipper. Make way for the Black Mamba."
The Lakers will try to defend the Belt against the Mavericks on Tuesday, April 2, in Los Angeles. If the Mavs win, the game will mark the end of hipster Dirk, as the Mavs will finally achieve the .500 mark.
As for this blog, stay tuned for something special from Fred Cervantez coming very soon.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Revisting the Lakers' 33 Game Win Streak
First posted at the U.S. Pro Basketball Hall of Fame
By Michael Hogan
With the Miami Heat in the midst of an historic streak, let's take a moment to look back at the Los Angeles Lakers 33 game win streak from 1971-72. First, ESPN explores the streak, reminding us that the season began with major changes to the Lakers lineup.
Next, NBA TV gives us more on the streak and reminds us that the Lakers were still working to match the success of the Celtics, who had dominated the sixties. The video also includes interviews with some of the Laker players involved in the streak.
Finally, enjoy this recap of the Lakers' 1971-72 season, including more on the streak, the Lakers' record-breaking final win total, and the season's final outcome.
By Michael Hogan
With the Miami Heat in the midst of an historic streak, let's take a moment to look back at the Los Angeles Lakers 33 game win streak from 1971-72. First, ESPN explores the streak, reminding us that the season began with major changes to the Lakers lineup.
Next, NBA TV gives us more on the streak and reminds us that the Lakers were still working to match the success of the Celtics, who had dominated the sixties. The video also includes interviews with some of the Laker players involved in the streak.
Finally, enjoy this recap of the Lakers' 1971-72 season, including more on the streak, the Lakers' record-breaking final win total, and the season's final outcome.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Good Read: To Love the Game
By Michael Hogan
Long time followers of this blog will recall that last season I highlighted a piece of basketball writing each week as part of a series called "Good Reads." This series often featured work from Hardwood Paroxysm, which tops the list of my favorite basketball blogs. With that in mind, I'm honored that earlier this week Hardwood Paroxysm published an article that I wrote about why I (and possibly you) love the game. The article begins with this classic observation from Woody Allen
Long time followers of this blog will recall that last season I highlighted a piece of basketball writing each week as part of a series called "Good Reads." This series often featured work from Hardwood Paroxysm, which tops the list of my favorite basketball blogs. With that in mind, I'm honored that earlier this week Hardwood Paroxysm published an article that I wrote about why I (and possibly you) love the game. The article begins with this classic observation from Woody Allen
When asked why it is so important that the Knicks win, since at the end of the game or even the season nothing in life is affected one way or the other, I can only answer that basketball or baseball or any sport is as dearly important as life itself. After all, why is it such a big deal to work and love and strive and have children and then die and decompose into eternal nothingness? .... In short, putting the ball into the hoop is of immense significance to me by personal choice and my life is more fun because of it. - Woody Allen (via The New York Observer)If you want to learn a little more about why I think the game of basketball brings us together, head over to Hardwood Paroxysm and check it out.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The Early Days of the NCAA Tournament
By Michael Hogan
Yahoo!'s Jeff Eisenberg recenty wrote an excellent article describing how the NCAA tournament began. Eisenberg explains
As Eisenberg explains, the development of the NCAA tournament was a reaction to the NIT's perceived East Coast bias and was led in part by Kansas coach Phog Allen, who had also used his forceful personality to help basketball become an Olympic sport. (Read more about Allen and the history of Jayhawk basketball in this recent TBCB article.) Although the NCAA tournament wasn't initially as popular as the NIT, Eisenberg explains that the 1951 college point shaving scandal and its impact on New York basketball powerhouses and the NIT's reputation helped the NCAA tourney begin to grow in popularity. As discussed previously on TBCB, the scandal also opened the door for professional basketball and NBA to become more prominent in the minds (and wallets) of many Americans. If players were going to be paid, it seemed better to let them earn a living playing the game they loved instead of earning a few extra dollars by intentionally altering the scores to help sports bookies and shady gamblers pad their bottom lines.
Six years after the 1951 scandals, NCAA tournament witnessed what remains one of the tournament's greatest games when North Carolina defeated Kansas in triple overtime, a game that must have continued the process of attracting new fans to the tournament.
Stay tuned for more as TBCB continues to cover the history of the NBA and college hoops. In the meantime, for more on the history of college basketball and Kansas Jayhawk hoops, check out my recent article on Kansas point guard Dallas Dobbs, who helped recruit Wilt Chamberlain to KU and went on to play for his hometown Phillips 66 Oliers in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. For more on the college point shaving scandals, check out my September 2012 article on the scandals and their impact on the college and professional ranks.
Yahoo!'s Jeff Eisenberg recenty wrote an excellent article describing how the NCAA tournament began. Eisenberg explains
Hastily planned and poorly promoted, the inaugural NCAA tournament in 1939 was such an afterthought that many teams that received invitations passed to avoid missing class time or to compete in the more prestigious NIT. Empty seats outnumbered paying customers during the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, and even the title game between Oregon and Ohio State drew 5,500 fans to Northwestern's Patten Gym only because organizers let most of them in for free.It's easy to view this agreement as a monumental mistake by the NABC, but at the time no one knew that the tournament would become such a significant part of our cultural landscape. At the time, the NIT was college basketball's featured tournament, but the fact that it was held in New York City and prominently featured New York teams didn't sit well with at least a few Midwestern college hoops coaches.
Unwilling to raise membership dues to cover the costs of running the tournament they founded, the National Association of Basketball Coaches instead accepted an offer from the NCAA to become financially responsible for future tournaments. In return, the NCAA only had to cover the $2,531 the initial tournament lost and grant free tickets to NABC coaches at future title games, a staggeringly low price for an event that has since become the centerpiece of American sports in March.
As Eisenberg explains, the development of the NCAA tournament was a reaction to the NIT's perceived East Coast bias and was led in part by Kansas coach Phog Allen, who had also used his forceful personality to help basketball become an Olympic sport. (Read more about Allen and the history of Jayhawk basketball in this recent TBCB article.) Although the NCAA tournament wasn't initially as popular as the NIT, Eisenberg explains that the 1951 college point shaving scandal and its impact on New York basketball powerhouses and the NIT's reputation helped the NCAA tourney begin to grow in popularity. As discussed previously on TBCB, the scandal also opened the door for professional basketball and NBA to become more prominent in the minds (and wallets) of many Americans. If players were going to be paid, it seemed better to let them earn a living playing the game they loved instead of earning a few extra dollars by intentionally altering the scores to help sports bookies and shady gamblers pad their bottom lines.
Six years after the 1951 scandals, NCAA tournament witnessed what remains one of the tournament's greatest games when North Carolina defeated Kansas in triple overtime, a game that must have continued the process of attracting new fans to the tournament.
Stay tuned for more as TBCB continues to cover the history of the NBA and college hoops. In the meantime, for more on the history of college basketball and Kansas Jayhawk hoops, check out my recent article on Kansas point guard Dallas Dobbs, who helped recruit Wilt Chamberlain to KU and went on to play for his hometown Phillips 66 Oliers in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. For more on the college point shaving scandals, check out my September 2012 article on the scandals and their impact on the college and professional ranks.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
1947-55 Top 10: #2, Dolph Schayes Joins the TBCB HOF
At number two, we recognize Dolph Schayes. A dominate six foot seven forward/center from New York University, Schayes joined the Syracuse Nationals in 1948 and played for the team until retiring in 1964. By the time Schayes retired, the Nationals had moved to Philadelphia to become the Philadelphia 76ers. In addition to his playing career, Dolph Schayes coached the 76ers from 1963-1966 and coached the Bufalo Braves (currently the Los Angeles Clippers) from 1970-1972. Due to his performances in games involving the Championship Belt of Basketball, Schayes becomes the newest member of the TBCB Hall of Fame.
Among his many other accomplishments, Dolph Schayes was a 12-time All-Star, six-time member of the All-NBA First Team, and six-time member of the All-NBA Second Team. He was also a member of the NBA's 25th Anniversary Team and 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and the 1966 NBA Coach of the Year.
Between 1947 and 1955, Dolph Schayes won TBCB player of the game honors 29 times. He tied with Ed Macauley for first place in TBCB's 1952-53 player of the year standings, and finished first in the 1953-54 and 1954-55 player standings. Schayes was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1972.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Early Basketball Pioneers Remembered in Brooklyn
By Michael Hogan
A commonly held view is that the NBA owes a significant debt to black Americans, dating back to the integration of the league in 1950. While it's true that the integration of the NBA helped the league adopt a more entertaining style of play, a lesser-known perspective focuses on the influence of black Americans well before the 1950s. In fact, their influence goes back at least as far as black West Indian immigrants in the early 1900s, who played an important role in popularizing the game among black Americans.
Claude Johnson has been working to advance the general public's awareness of the very early black basketball pioneers for over a decade through efforts such as BlackFives.com and the Black Fives Foundation. These efforts have recently resulted in two significant accomplishments, the book Black Fives: The Alpha Physical Culture Club's Pioneering African American Basketball Team, 1904-1923 and a new display at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. During a recent visit to New York, I had opportunities to better appreciate both of Mr. Johnson's more recent successes.
On my plane ride from Dallas to New York, I finally finished reading about the Alpha Physical Culture Club. This entertaining work discusses the early amateur black basketball clubs of New York, who sought to use basketball as a way to maintain physical health and educate people about hygiene and morality. One of these clubs eventually led to the establishment of the New York Renaissance, which won the first ever World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1939 and had an important influence on the NBA's integration. (Read more about the Rens and their influence on integrating the NBA here.) Mr. Johnson plans to continue his work by writing subsequent books about other pioneering teams from the early 1900s. His work is badly needed and helps to fill an important void in out understanding of the game's origins.
In a recent New York Daily News article about his work, Mr. Johnson said:
As part of my visit, I also had the opportunity to watch my hometown Dallas Mavericks take on the Brooklyn Nets at the Brooklyn's Barclays Center. The game itself was exciting, as what appeared to be a good number of Dallas fans watched the Mavs build a large lead before settling in for an eight point victory. As a side note, Brooklyn seems to be a relatively safe location for cheering on the opposing team, although anyone who loudly cheers for their favorite team in another arena should never be surprised to be the be the subject of minor heckling by home team fans. In this case, my cheers were quieted by the loudest heckler, who looked like quite a tough guy, but we shook hands and laughed about the experience after the game ended.
Before the game, I took time to view several large portraits honoring the game's past that have recently been installed in the concourse at Barclays. These photos, which were also part of Mr. Johnson's efforts to educate fans about the early days of black basketball, include multiple images of the Smart Set Athletic club, which played in Brooklyn in the early 1900s, and the 1910 New York Girls team. Brooklyn has an lengthy and impressive basketball resume, which not only includes more recent successes such as Stephon Marbury, Jamaal Tinsley, and the great Michael Jordan, but also includes historical figures like the members of the Smart Set Athletic Club. With this new installation, Barclays now officially remembers Brooklyn's black basketball pioneers.
Given all of the contributions that Brooklyn has made to the game of basketball, it's good to see the game being played at it's highest level in this exciting and eclectic borough. I'm also happy to see that Claude Johnson is getting high praise for his work. Not only are his efforts badly needed, he seems to genuinely care about the game and its history. On a personal note, Claude was also quick to return my messages and send words of encouragement when I first began this blog about one year ago, which helped keep me inspired to continue blogging until this blog's readership grew to a more respectable level.
Claude Johnson deserves our thanks for his work to document untold stories from the history of the game. I hope he continues his work for many years, and I'm looking forward to reading his next books and reading about his many other future accomplishments in the coming years.
A commonly held view is that the NBA owes a significant debt to black Americans, dating back to the integration of the league in 1950. While it's true that the integration of the NBA helped the league adopt a more entertaining style of play, a lesser-known perspective focuses on the influence of black Americans well before the 1950s. In fact, their influence goes back at least as far as black West Indian immigrants in the early 1900s, who played an important role in popularizing the game among black Americans.
Claude Johnson has been working to advance the general public's awareness of the very early black basketball pioneers for over a decade through efforts such as BlackFives.com and the Black Fives Foundation. These efforts have recently resulted in two significant accomplishments, the book Black Fives: The Alpha Physical Culture Club's Pioneering African American Basketball Team, 1904-1923 and a new display at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. During a recent visit to New York, I had opportunities to better appreciate both of Mr. Johnson's more recent successes.
Barclays Center
Photo by the author
On my plane ride from Dallas to New York, I finally finished reading about the Alpha Physical Culture Club. This entertaining work discusses the early amateur black basketball clubs of New York, who sought to use basketball as a way to maintain physical health and educate people about hygiene and morality. One of these clubs eventually led to the establishment of the New York Renaissance, which won the first ever World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1939 and had an important influence on the NBA's integration. (Read more about the Rens and their influence on integrating the NBA here.) Mr. Johnson plans to continue his work by writing subsequent books about other pioneering teams from the early 1900s. His work is badly needed and helps to fill an important void in out understanding of the game's origins.
In a recent New York Daily News article about his work, Mr. Johnson said:
When you see black history in America, often it has to do with drinking fountains, fire hoses and images of sharecroppers. You see the assassination of Martin Luther King and lynchings and then you go all the way back to slavery. Often it doesn’t have any positive associations, but here you see something different, an essence and a strength. You see an established black middle and upper class, and you can tell by (what you read) and by the looks on their faces that it is about something bigger, so much bigger, which was the advancement of the race.
###
As part of my visit, I also had the opportunity to watch my hometown Dallas Mavericks take on the Brooklyn Nets at the Brooklyn's Barclays Center. The game itself was exciting, as what appeared to be a good number of Dallas fans watched the Mavs build a large lead before settling in for an eight point victory. As a side note, Brooklyn seems to be a relatively safe location for cheering on the opposing team, although anyone who loudly cheers for their favorite team in another arena should never be surprised to be the be the subject of minor heckling by home team fans. In this case, my cheers were quieted by the loudest heckler, who looked like quite a tough guy, but we shook hands and laughed about the experience after the game ended.
Photo by the author
Before the game, I took time to view several large portraits honoring the game's past that have recently been installed in the concourse at Barclays. These photos, which were also part of Mr. Johnson's efforts to educate fans about the early days of black basketball, include multiple images of the Smart Set Athletic club, which played in Brooklyn in the early 1900s, and the 1910 New York Girls team. Brooklyn has an lengthy and impressive basketball resume, which not only includes more recent successes such as Stephon Marbury, Jamaal Tinsley, and the great Michael Jordan, but also includes historical figures like the members of the Smart Set Athletic Club. With this new installation, Barclays now officially remembers Brooklyn's black basketball pioneers.
One of the new photos installed at Barclays Center
Photo by the author
Photo by the author
Given all of the contributions that Brooklyn has made to the game of basketball, it's good to see the game being played at it's highest level in this exciting and eclectic borough. I'm also happy to see that Claude Johnson is getting high praise for his work. Not only are his efforts badly needed, he seems to genuinely care about the game and its history. On a personal note, Claude was also quick to return my messages and send words of encouragement when I first began this blog about one year ago, which helped keep me inspired to continue blogging until this blog's readership grew to a more respectable level.
Claude Johnson deserves our thanks for his work to document untold stories from the history of the game. I hope he continues his work for many years, and I'm looking forward to reading his next books and reading about his many other future accomplishments in the coming years.
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