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 five, we recognize Bob Davies, a member of the TBCB Hall of Fame's class of 1950. 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.
In 1945, he
began his full-time professional career with the National Basketball
League's (NBL) Rochester Royals. In 1948, the Royals joined the
Basketball Association of America (BAA), and the following year the NBL
and BAA merged to form the NBA. Winners of the 1951 NBA championship,
Davies' Royals were the only team other than the Minneapolis Lakers to
win a BAA or NBA championship during the George Mikan era. Davies also
had a short coaching career, leading Seton Hall to a 24-3 record during
the 1946-47 season while also playing for the Royals.
Between 1947 and 1955, Davies won TBCB player of the game honors 22 times. He was the 1948-49 TBCB Player of the Year and finished third in the TBCB Player standings the following season. Bob Davies' other accomplishments include being named to the All BAA
or NBA Team each season from 1949 to 1953 and being named to the first
four All-Star teams (1951-54). He was also named to the NBA's 25th
Anniversary Team in 1971.
Stay tuned for more as we continue explore the early 1950s and count
down the top NBA players between 1947 and 1955. Coming soon, we'll
reveal number four on the list and review the 1952-53 NBA season.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
The NBA Integrates: Big Money, Good Hearts, and New Soul
TBCB periodically spotlights
newsworthy people, teams, and issues from the NBA's past. Today's
spotlight on integration in the NBA covers the story of the New York
Renaissance and the Harlem Globetrotters as they fought for (and
against) an integrated NBA. Part one provided a brief overview of these
two teams. Part two explores their role in achieving an integrated
NBA.
The Rens faced tremendous adversity both on and off the hardwood. On the court, fans sitting courtside would sometimes burn players with cigars or trip them with umbrellas as they ran down the court. Off the court, they often faced difficulties (to put it mildly) finding hotel rooms and places to eat. All of this was in addition to the physical challenges that came along with playing one or two games almost every day while cross-crossing the country via bus.
The Rens didn't like the white-owned Globetrotters for taking an approach to the game that played off white stereotypes of African Americans. To some, the Globetrotters' act was too reminiscent of the old minstrel shows that often portrayed black people as dim-witted buffoons. But beyond their approach to the game, another key difference between the two teams was the different level of support each team had for integrating the NBA.
Big Money
After discovering the successful mix of skilled basketball players with a vaudevillian show, Saperstein realized that he was in control of a significant money-making enterprise. And once he realized that the Trotters' show could make his fortune, it was difficult to let it go.
Although the point is debatable, the NBA officially traces its history to the beginning of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946. When the BAA began in America's big East coast cities, the Globetrotters were often featured in double-headers with BAA clubs like the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks. The Trotters were typically the opening act, but they were the team that the crowds came to see. By bringing in fans, the Globetrotters contributed to the ticket sales that helped keep the BAA teams afloat. While the college ranks were already integrated, teams in the BAA were afraid that Saperstein would try to sabotage the league if they diluted his talent pool by integrating. Regardless of whether the fears of the BAA owners were confirmed by outright threats from Saperstein, he did little to correct the record. Perception became reality, and the fear of retaliation from the Globetrotters was enough to keep the unstable BAA from integrating.
Good Hearts
The creation of the New York Renaissance was inspired by the idea of establishing an all-black team that could compete with the New York Original Celtics, who were considered by most to be the best basketball team in the country during the 1920s. After Bob Douglas formed the Rens, they played many games against the Celtics all across the nation. Over time, the men on these teams developed a deep respect and affection for one another.
The loss of two of its best teams, the Lakers and the Royals, weakened the NBL tremendously. It began the 1948-49 season in deep financial trouble, and its worst team, the Detroit Vagabond Kings, was unable to continue operating after beginning the season with only 2 wins and 17 losses. In an attempt to bolster the floundering league, the NBL moved the franchise to Dayton, invited the New York Renaissance to join the league, and rechristened the team as the Dayton Rens. While the NBL had a history of employing a limited number of black players, inviting an all-black team to join the league was unprecedented. The invitation was made to help bring attention to the league, but Dayton wasn't receptive to the Rens and the league still couldn't compete with the BAA. As a result, the NBL was forced to join the BAA, forming the NBA during the summer of 1949. The Dayton Rens did not survive the transition.
Later, in 1950, the NBA owners voted on whether to integrate the league. Perhaps encouraged by his head coach, Knicks owner Ned Irish made it clear to other NBA owners that he needed a center and he wanted the Harlem Globetrotters' Sweetwater Clifton. Clifton had played for a number of teams, including the Rens, before joining the Globetrotters. During Clifton's time with the Trotters, he realized how poorly the Trotters were treated in comparison to the College All-Stars, another team that traveled under Saperstein's umbrella. The All-Stars were paid more and given better accommodations while on the road, even though the Globetrotters were the main attraction. Because of this, Sweetwater wanted out. Irish wanted Clifton to join the Knicks, and he threatened to leave the NBA if the vote on integration failed. The Knicks were already a strong team, and Clifton might help them defeat George Mikan's powerhouse Lakers.
The proposal to integrate the league passed by one vote. Knicks owner Ned Irish was free to pursue Clifton, and the Knicks' coach Joe Lapchick would soon see his wish fulfilled.
Both black and white players were available to be drafted when the NBA draft began on April 25, 1950. The very top of the draft featured future stars Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy, Larry Foust, and George Yardley, but it wasn't long before the Boston Celtics took a chance by drafting Duquesne's Chuck Cooper twelfth overall. In addition to Cooper, the Washington Capitols chose another black man, Earl Lloyd, as the last pick in the draft. This did not make Abe Saperstein happy.
New Soul
Led by Carl Braun, Harry Gallatin, and Connie Simmons, the Knicks had a strong team before the addition of Nat Clifton. But adding Sweetwater to their roster made them even better. With Clifton on board, the Knicks played in three consecutive NBA Finals from 1951-53, losing twice to George Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers and once to the Rochester Royals. While qualifying for three straight NBA finals is certainly an impressive achievement, some have argued that the Knicks could have used Clifton more effectively, which might have helped them win at least one of these three lost NBA Championships.
The game also opened up considerably as the more wide-open style of play perfected by the Rens and the Globetrotters was integrated into the slower and more plodding approach of the BAA and NBL. Changes that would come soon after integration, such as expanding the lane and adding a 24 second shot clock also contributed to the demise of the older-school style of basketball. What emerged from this mix was an exciting fast-paced game that fans loved to watch.
In Cages to Jump Shots, Carl Bennett recalls being told by another member of the NBA board of governors after the 1949 vote to integrate the league: "In five years, we'll be 75 percent black -- if we survive. We won't draw any people, and we've just ruined the game of basketball." In 2011, 78 percent of NBA players were African American. But in contrast to the prediction made over sixty years ago, the game and league are thriving.
The Commissioner was right: America is awesome.
Sources
Books
-Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld's On the Shoulders of Giants:My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance. 2007.
-Bennett, Carl. Cages to Jump Shots. 2002.
-Green, Ben. Spinning the Globe: The Rise, Fall, and Return to Greatness of the Harlem Globetrotters. 2006.
-Salzberg, Charles. From Set Shot to Slam Dunk: The Glory Days of Basketball in the Words of Those Who Played It. 1998.
-Simmons, Bill.
-Thomas, Ron. They Cleared the Lanes: The NBA's Black Pioneers. 2004.
Websites
-Eskin, Blake. Harlem Renaissance (via the Washington Post). Last Accessed 11/17/12
-Slam Magazine. Study: 2011 NBA Racial and Gender Report Card. Last Accessed 11/17/12
-Wikipedia
"Back in the '70s, early '80s, we were going to be in a league that was going to be too black and America would never support. And we always felt that America was much better than that. And they are." - David Stern (via TrueHoop)In the pre-NBA days, the New York Renaissance featured an all-black squad that toured the country defeating almost all challengers. As discussed previously, Bob Douglas' effort to build an all-black powerhouse was wildly successful, as the Rens won over 80 percent of the 3,000 games they played between 1923 and 1949.
The Rens faced tremendous adversity both on and off the hardwood. On the court, fans sitting courtside would sometimes burn players with cigars or trip them with umbrellas as they ran down the court. Off the court, they often faced difficulties (to put it mildly) finding hotel rooms and places to eat. All of this was in addition to the physical challenges that came along with playing one or two games almost every day while cross-crossing the country via bus.
"Bruiser" Saitch recalled how the Rens sometimes "slept in jails because they wouldn't put us up in hotels... We sometimes had over a thousand damn dollars in our pockets and we couldn't get a good goddamn meal." (Abdul-Jabbar and Obstfeld)The Harlem Globetrotters, also a stellar all-black team, faced similar difficulties, but their brand of basketball combined entertaining showmanship that didn't upset the local white audiences as much as the Rens. Founded in the late 1920s by white businessman Abe Saperstein, the Trotters played tough basketball when the game was close, but their goofy antics entertained their mostly white audiences when the Trotters found themselves way ahead.
The Rens didn't like the white-owned Globetrotters for taking an approach to the game that played off white stereotypes of African Americans. To some, the Globetrotters' act was too reminiscent of the old minstrel shows that often portrayed black people as dim-witted buffoons. But beyond their approach to the game, another key difference between the two teams was the different level of support each team had for integrating the NBA.
Big Money
After discovering the successful mix of skilled basketball players with a vaudevillian show, Saperstein realized that he was in control of a significant money-making enterprise. And once he realized that the Trotters' show could make his fortune, it was difficult to let it go.
The Globetrotters weren’t the first to marry comedy and sports, nor did they start off as a comedy act. Players today tell a handed-down story about a cold night in Iowa during the Depression, when one Globetrotter stood too close to a potbellied stove and his uniform caught fire. As he ran screaming around the court, the audience roared, and Saperstein saw the future. (Eskin)Saperstein's opposition to an integrated NBA essentially boiled down to money. By maintaining a near stranglehold on the best black talent in the country, he could help ensure that the Globetrotters would continue to be superior to white professional clubs, whose talent was spread across many teams. And in the earlier part of the 20th century, with racism and segregation still rampant and the economy dominated by white men, the unfairness of Saperstein's opposition to integration might not have seemed so apparent to him. After all, both the Globetrotters and Rens players were paid relatively well, even though Saperstein's opposition to integrating the big leagues limited the opportunities available to black players.
Although the point is debatable, the NBA officially traces its history to the beginning of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946. When the BAA began in America's big East coast cities, the Globetrotters were often featured in double-headers with BAA clubs like the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks. The Trotters were typically the opening act, but they were the team that the crowds came to see. By bringing in fans, the Globetrotters contributed to the ticket sales that helped keep the BAA teams afloat. While the college ranks were already integrated, teams in the BAA were afraid that Saperstein would try to sabotage the league if they diluted his talent pool by integrating. Regardless of whether the fears of the BAA owners were confirmed by outright threats from Saperstein, he did little to correct the record. Perception became reality, and the fear of retaliation from the Globetrotters was enough to keep the unstable BAA from integrating.
"They were afraid that Abe Saperstein, if they took one of his players, he would tell them to jump in the lake, which would cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars." - Carl Bennett, Ft. Wayne Pistons General Manager and member of the NBA Board of Governors (Thomas)Without an integrated top-tier professional league, the best black players only had two options for playing big-time professional basketball: The Rens and the Globetrotters. While the Rens actively campaigned to join the BAA, the Harlem Globetrotters was against integration and had the power to become a major roadblock if any team resisted their wishes.
Joe Lapchick in 1933
[public domain]
via Wikimedia Commons
[public domain]
via Wikimedia Commons
Good Hearts
The creation of the New York Renaissance was inspired by the idea of establishing an all-black team that could compete with the New York Original Celtics, who were considered by most to be the best basketball team in the country during the 1920s. After Bob Douglas formed the Rens, they played many games against the Celtics all across the nation. Over time, the men on these teams developed a deep respect and affection for one another.
Before each game against the Celtics, popular Celtics center Joe Lapchick would hug Tarzan Cooper in front of the crowd, letting them know how the Celtics felt about the Rens and racism. Given the time, this demonstration of affection was more than a casual gesture, and it resulted in years of vitriolic epithets and death threats for Lapchick. Bob Douglas described his relationship with the Celtics as one of mutual respect.... "When we played against most white teams, we were colored. Against the Celtics, we were men." (Abdul-Jabbar and Obstfeld)In 1947, the Harlem Rens applied for membership in the BAA but were denied. Former Original Celtic Lapchick, at the time the head coach of the Knicks, supported the Rens and he threatened to resign when the Rens weren't allowed to join the league. But he was talked out of resigning by his old friend Bob Douglas, who told him that "someday you may get the chance to do something about this." Douglas was essentially asking Lapchick to work on changing the system from the inside, instead of resigning and losing whatever power he might have as the coach of the Knicks. While the BAA didn't invite the Rens to join in 1947, the league expanded the following year by raiding the National Basketball League (NBL) and adding the Minneapolis Lakers, Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons, Indianapolis Kautskys, and Rochester Royals.
Arnie Johnson in 1948
[public domain]
The loss of two of its best teams, the Lakers and the Royals, weakened the NBL tremendously. It began the 1948-49 season in deep financial trouble, and its worst team, the Detroit Vagabond Kings, was unable to continue operating after beginning the season with only 2 wins and 17 losses. In an attempt to bolster the floundering league, the NBL moved the franchise to Dayton, invited the New York Renaissance to join the league, and rechristened the team as the Dayton Rens. While the NBL had a history of employing a limited number of black players, inviting an all-black team to join the league was unprecedented. The invitation was made to help bring attention to the league, but Dayton wasn't receptive to the Rens and the league still couldn't compete with the BAA. As a result, the NBL was forced to join the BAA, forming the NBA during the summer of 1949. The Dayton Rens did not survive the transition.
Later, in 1950, the NBA owners voted on whether to integrate the league. Perhaps encouraged by his head coach, Knicks owner Ned Irish made it clear to other NBA owners that he needed a center and he wanted the Harlem Globetrotters' Sweetwater Clifton. Clifton had played for a number of teams, including the Rens, before joining the Globetrotters. During Clifton's time with the Trotters, he realized how poorly the Trotters were treated in comparison to the College All-Stars, another team that traveled under Saperstein's umbrella. The All-Stars were paid more and given better accommodations while on the road, even though the Globetrotters were the main attraction. Because of this, Sweetwater wanted out. Irish wanted Clifton to join the Knicks, and he threatened to leave the NBA if the vote on integration failed. The Knicks were already a strong team, and Clifton might help them defeat George Mikan's powerhouse Lakers.
The proposal to integrate the league passed by one vote. Knicks owner Ned Irish was free to pursue Clifton, and the Knicks' coach Joe Lapchick would soon see his wish fulfilled.
Both black and white players were available to be drafted when the NBA draft began on April 25, 1950. The very top of the draft featured future stars Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy, Larry Foust, and George Yardley, but it wasn't long before the Boston Celtics took a chance by drafting Duquesne's Chuck Cooper twelfth overall. In addition to Cooper, the Washington Capitols chose another black man, Earl Lloyd, as the last pick in the draft. This did not make Abe Saperstein happy.
Two days after the draft, Saperstein reportedly threatened the NBA owners, saying that the Globetrotters would never play in Boston or Washington again. Celtic Owner Walter Brown, whose team was drowning in debt, nonetheless refused to back down. (Green)Oddly enough, Saperstein never followed through on his threat to boycott Boston and Washington. Perhaps because he could knew that times were finally changing, or maybe because he simply wanted to get rid of an unhappy player, shortly after the draft Saperstein became an active party in integrating the NBA when he sold Sweetwater Clifton's contract to the Knicks.
New Soul
Led by Carl Braun, Harry Gallatin, and Connie Simmons, the Knicks had a strong team before the addition of Nat Clifton. But adding Sweetwater to their roster made them even better. With Clifton on board, the Knicks played in three consecutive NBA Finals from 1951-53, losing twice to George Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers and once to the Rochester Royals. While qualifying for three straight NBA finals is certainly an impressive achievement, some have argued that the Knicks could have used Clifton more effectively, which might have helped them win at least one of these three lost NBA Championships.
"... all the time I played [in New York] they never did get another good black ballplayer to play with me, somebody who knew what I was doing, you understand. And that kinda held me back, 'cause you can't do something with the other guys because they played the straight way." - Nat Clifton (Salzberg)Even with the slow trickle of integration that began in 1950, it took many years for the first black star to appear. Bill Russell, who joined the Celtics in 1956 and won 11 NBA championships, wasn't a star in the same mold of today's Kobe Bryant or LeBron James. Russell was a low-key superstar who shared the stage with his white teammates, helping them become better players behind the scenes and doing the dirty work needed to help them succeed. Bill Simmons, who ranks Russell as the number two player of all-time, said this about him:
Code words like "sacrifice" and "teammate" and "unselfish" pop up every time he's remembered. He's the only player who realized every component of basketball as a team game--not just playing, but coming together as a group, respecting one another, and embracing common goals--from the first game of his career through the last.By being a beloved guy who did the dirty work, Russell helped ease the path for white fans to cheer for black players, which opened the door for even more black stars to shine.
The game also opened up considerably as the more wide-open style of play perfected by the Rens and the Globetrotters was integrated into the slower and more plodding approach of the BAA and NBL. Changes that would come soon after integration, such as expanding the lane and adding a 24 second shot clock also contributed to the demise of the older-school style of basketball. What emerged from this mix was an exciting fast-paced game that fans loved to watch.
In Cages to Jump Shots, Carl Bennett recalls being told by another member of the NBA board of governors after the 1949 vote to integrate the league: "In five years, we'll be 75 percent black -- if we survive. We won't draw any people, and we've just ruined the game of basketball." In 2011, 78 percent of NBA players were African American. But in contrast to the prediction made over sixty years ago, the game and league are thriving.
The Commissioner was right: America is awesome.
*****
Sources
Books
-Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld's On the Shoulders of Giants:My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance. 2007.
-Bennett, Carl. Cages to Jump Shots. 2002.
-Green, Ben. Spinning the Globe: The Rise, Fall, and Return to Greatness of the Harlem Globetrotters. 2006.
-Salzberg, Charles. From Set Shot to Slam Dunk: The Glory Days of Basketball in the Words of Those Who Played It. 1998.
-Simmons, Bill.
-Thomas, Ron. They Cleared the Lanes: The NBA's Black Pioneers. 2004.
Websites
-Eskin, Blake. Harlem Renaissance (via the Washington Post). Last Accessed 11/17/12
-Slam Magazine. Study: 2011 NBA Racial and Gender Report Card. Last Accessed 11/17/12
-Wikipedia
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Integration Preview: WWII and the NBL
Part two of TBCB's Spotlight on integration will be published here in about one week. Part one introduced several teams that played important roles in integrating the NBA, and part two will discuss how these teams contributed to integration in 1950. In the meantime, in remembrance of Veterans Day weekend, we're taking a moment to remember the role of World War II in integrating professional basketball.
While the National Basketball Association didn't integrate until 1950, the National Basketball League, which formed in 1937 and later merged with the Basketball Association of America to form the NBA, began its first attempt at integration in 1942. The NBL was primarily a midwestern league and began with teams sponsored by local businesses, like the Akron Goodyear Wingfoots, that often employed the team's players in the offseason. Before the 1942 season began, the NBL found itself with a shortage of players, as many of its men left to help the United States prepare for its entry into the war against fascism and Adolf Hitler.
Two teams, the Toledo Jim White Chevrolets and Chicago Studebakers took daring moves to fill the gaps by adding a total of ten black players to their rosters. However, the experiment quickly faded as both teams folded during the season, leaving the war-ravaged NBL with only four teams. Toledo folded after only four games, but the Chicago club lasted somewhat longer, compiling a record of 8-15 before closing its doors. Neft and Cohen's sports encyclopedia blames the demise of the Chicago club on its split into white and black camps, with each group trading charges of discrimination.
The NBA would finally admit black players to its ranks in 1950 despite opposition from the powerful Harlem Globetrotters. Part two of TBCB's spotlight on integration will cover this story in much more detail. While you're waiting for part two, take a few minutes to enjoy the speech Pop Gates made when he entered the basketball Hall of Fame in 1989. As I write this, the speech has been viewed only about 100 times. It's not incredibly exciting, but it's an important piece of basketball history. Note that Gates refers to John Isaacs, who in a terrible oversight, still is not a member of the Hall of Fame.
Selected Sources:
New York Times: 1999 Pop Gates Obituary and 1989 article about Pop Gates
Wikipedia entries on the History of Basketball and the Chicago Studebaker Flyers
Hoopepedia entry on the Toledo Jim White Chevrolets
Neft and Choen's Pro Basketball Sports Encyclopedia, 5th Edition
While the National Basketball Association didn't integrate until 1950, the National Basketball League, which formed in 1937 and later merged with the Basketball Association of America to form the NBA, began its first attempt at integration in 1942. The NBL was primarily a midwestern league and began with teams sponsored by local businesses, like the Akron Goodyear Wingfoots, that often employed the team's players in the offseason. Before the 1942 season began, the NBL found itself with a shortage of players, as many of its men left to help the United States prepare for its entry into the war against fascism and Adolf Hitler.
Two teams, the Toledo Jim White Chevrolets and Chicago Studebakers took daring moves to fill the gaps by adding a total of ten black players to their rosters. However, the experiment quickly faded as both teams folded during the season, leaving the war-ravaged NBL with only four teams. Toledo folded after only four games, but the Chicago club lasted somewhat longer, compiling a record of 8-15 before closing its doors. Neft and Cohen's sports encyclopedia blames the demise of the Chicago club on its split into white and black camps, with each group trading charges of discrimination.
1939 Studebaker
By Berthold Werner (Own work)
[GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0],
Later, during the 1946-47 season, Pop Gates of the New York Renaissance was one of four black players in the NBL. Gates played for the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (who began the season as the Buffalo Bison) and finished second on the team in scoring behind seven-footer Don Otten. During the season, Gates engaged in an in-game fight with the Syracuse Nationals' Chick Meehan, who Gates said began the battle by throwing him him down twice during the game. Basketball in the 1930s and 40s was a much rougher game than it is today, but none of the four black players returned the following season.
The NBA would finally admit black players to its ranks in 1950 despite opposition from the powerful Harlem Globetrotters. Part two of TBCB's spotlight on integration will cover this story in much more detail. While you're waiting for part two, take a few minutes to enjoy the speech Pop Gates made when he entered the basketball Hall of Fame in 1989. As I write this, the speech has been viewed only about 100 times. It's not incredibly exciting, but it's an important piece of basketball history. Note that Gates refers to John Isaacs, who in a terrible oversight, still is not a member of the Hall of Fame.
Selected Sources:
New York Times: 1999 Pop Gates Obituary and 1989 article about Pop Gates
Wikipedia entries on the History of Basketball and the Chicago Studebaker Flyers
Hoopepedia entry on the Toledo Jim White Chevrolets
Neft and Choen's Pro Basketball Sports Encyclopedia, 5th Edition
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