The National Basketball League (NBL) was a professional basketball league in the United States. Established in 1935 as the Midwest Basketball Conference, it changed its name to the NBL in 1937. After the 1948–49 season, its twelfth, it merged with the Basketball Association of America (BAA) to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). Five current NBA teams trace their history back to the NBL: the Atlanta Hawks, the Detroit Pistons, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Sacramento Kings.
The Sheboygan Red Skins were a professional basketball team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which was an original National Basketball Association franchise during the 1949–50 season.
Robert Frederick McDermott was an American professional basketball player in the 1930s and 1940s. He was known as an outstanding shooter and has been called "the greatest long-distance shooter in the history of the game" by contemporaries. His grandson is businessman Bill McDermott. McDermott was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.
The Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball was an award presented annually by the Chicago Tribune to the men's and women's college basketball most valuable players of the Big Ten Conference each season, as voted upon by the league's coaches and officials. The Chicago Tribune awarded the Silver Basketball for men's basketball beginning in 1946 while the women's award was first presented in 1988. It was considered the pre-eminent Big Ten basketball individual award, eventually being superseded by the present-day men's and women's players of the awards as voted upon by the league's coaches and media. The Silver Basketball was discontinued after the 2006–07 season.
The World Professional Basketball Tournament was an annual invitational tournament held in Chicago from 1939 to 1948 and sponsored by the Chicago Herald American. Many teams came from the National Basketball League, but it also included the best teams from other leagues and the best independent barnstorming teams such as the New York Rens and Harlem Globetrotters. Games were played at various sites including Chicago Coliseum, International Amphitheater and Chicago Stadium.
The Oshkosh All-Stars were an American professional basketball team based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Founded in 1929 by Lonnie Darling, the team was a member of the National Basketball League, a forerunner to the NBA, from 1937 until 1949.
Glendon Laverne "Glen" Selbo was an American professional basketball and baseball player. He was a college athlete at the University of Wisconsin, Western Michigan University, and the University of Michigan, and won the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball as the most valuable player in the Big Nine Conference during his senior year at Wisconsin. Selbo played four years of professional basketball in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Professional Basketball League (NPBL) while he also played ten years of minor league baseball.
Gene Eniar Englund was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for one season, 1949–50, and split the season playing for the Boston Celtics and Tri-Cities Blackhawks. Although he played professionally, Englund is best remembered for being a star college basketball player for Wisconsin, where as a senior in 1940–41 he led the Badgers to win the NCAA national championship.
The 1947–48 Minneapolis Lakers season was the inaugural season for the Lakers in Minneapolis following its relocation from Detroit where it played as the Detroit Gems the previous season. The Lakers won the National Basketball League championship against the Rochester Royals. George Mikan led the team with 21.3 points per game and was the league's MVP. After the season, both the Lakers and Royals would leave the NBL to join the Basketball Association of America (BAA) along with two other NBL clubs, the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons and the Indianapolis Kautskys. The Lakers would also participate in the final World Professional Basketball Tournament, winning the final championship over the independent New York Renaissance that year, behind George Mikan's tournament record 40 points.
James Bernard "Buzz" Knoblauch was an American professional basketball player. He played in the United States' National Basketball League (NBL) for the Oshkosh All-Stars in three games during the 1939–40 season. He scored two career points in the NBL.
The 1940–41 Oshkosh All-Stars season was the All-Stars' fourth year in the United States' National Basketball League (NBL), which was also the fourth year the league existed. Seven teams competed in the NBL in 1940–41, and for the first time the league did not use divisions.
The 1941–42 Oshkosh All-Stars season was the All-Stars' fourth year in the United States' National Basketball League (NBL), which was also the fourth year the league existed. Seven teams competed in the NBL in 1941–42 and the league did not use divisions.
The 1942–43 Sheboygan Red Skins season was the Red Skins' fifth year in the United States' National Basketball League (NBL), which was also the fifth year the league existed. Five teams competed in the NBL in 1942–43, the league's lowest number to that point, and the league did not use divisions.
The 1946–47 Chicago American Gears season was the Gears' third year in the United States' National Basketball League (NBL), which was also the tenth year the league existed. Twelve teams competed in the NBL in 1946–47, comprising six teams in both the Eastern and Western Divisions.
The 1948–49 Anderson Duffey Packers season was the Packers' third year in the United States' National Basketball League (NBL), which was also the twelfth and final year the league existed. Ten teams competed in the NBL in 1948–49, comprising five teams in both the Eastern and Western Divisions.
The 1939 World Professional Basketball Tournament was the first edition of the World Professional Basketball Tournament. It was held in Chicago, Illinois, during the days of 26–28 March 1939 and featured 11 teams competing for a prize money of $10,000. It was won by the New York Rens who defeated the Oshkosh All-Stars 34–25 in the title game. The Harlem Globetrotters came in third after beating the Sheboygan Redskins 36–33 in the third-place game. Puggy Bell of the New York Rens was named the tournaments Most Valuable Player.
The 1946 World Professional Basketball Tournament was the 8th edition of the World Professional Basketball Tournament. It was held in Chicago, Illinois, during the days of 25 March - 8 April 1946 and featured 14 teams. It was won by the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons who defeated the Oshkosh All-Stars 2–1 in the championship series. The Chicago American Gears came in third after beating the Baltimore Bullets 2–0 in the third-place best-of-three series. George Mikan of the American Gears was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after finishing as its top scorer with 100 points in five games.
The 1945 World Professional Basketball Tournament was the 7th edition of the World Professional Basketball Tournament. It was held in Chicago, Illinois, during the days of 19–24 March 1945 and featured 14 teams. It was won by the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons who defeated the Dayton Acmes 78–52 in the championship game. The Chicago American Gears came in third after beating the New York Rens 64–55 in the third-place game. Buddy Jeannette of Fort Wayne was named the tournaments Most Valuable Player.
The 1944 World Professional Basketball Tournament was the 6th edition of the World Professional Basketball Tournament. It was held in Chicago, Illinois, during the days of 20–24 March 1944 and featured 14 teams. It was won by the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons who defeated the Brooklyn Eagles 50–33 in the championship game. The Harlem Globetrotters came in third after beating the New York Rens 37–29 in the third-place game. Bobby McDermott of Fort Wayne was named the tournaments Most Valuable Player.
The 1943 World Professional Basketball Tournament was the 5th edition of the World Professional Basketball Tournament. It was held in Chicago, Illinois, during the days of 15–18 March 1943 and featured 14 teams. It was won by the Washington Bears, which consisted of may former New York Rens players, who defeated the Oshkosh All-Stars 43–31 in the championship game. The Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons came in third after beating the Dayton Dive Bombers 58–52 in the third-place game. Curly Armstrong of Fort Wayne was named the tournaments Most Valuable Player.
