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 create 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.
George Lawrence Mikan Jr., nicknamed "Mr. Basketball", was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Invariably playing with thick, round spectacles, the 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), 245 lb (111 kg) Mikan was one of the pioneers of professional basketball. Through his size and play, he redefined basketball as a game dominated in his day by "big men". His prolific rebounding, shot blocking, and ability to shoot over smaller defenders with his ambidextrous hook shot all helped to change the game. He also utilized the underhanded free-throw shooting technique long before Rick Barry made it his signature shot.
James Clifford Pollard was an American professional basketball player and coach. As a player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Pollard was considered one of the best forwards in the 1950s and was known for his leaping ability, earning him the nickname "The Kangaroo Kid". A five-time NBA champion and four-time NBA All-Star, Pollard spent his entire eight-year professional career with the Minneapolis Lakers.
Harry Edward "Buddy" Jeannette was an American professional basketball player and coach.
The NBA high school draftees are players who have been drafted to the National Basketball Association (NBA) straight out of high school. The process of jumping directly from high school basketball to the professional level is also known as going prep-to-pro. Since 2006, drafting high school players has been prohibited by the NBA collective bargaining agreement, which requires that players who enter the draft be 19 years of age or older and at least one year removed from high school.
Oak Hill Academy is a co-educational, private, Christian secondary school in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, United States. Oak Hill enrolls approximately 140 students in grades 8–12, and is 100% boarding. It is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and is authorized to enroll international students.
Sean Michael-Eli Singletary is an American retired professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and other professional leagues. He played college basketball at the University of Virginia, where his jersey is retired.
John Joseph McMahon was an American professional basketball player and coach. A 6'1" guard from St. John's University, McMahon was selected by the Rochester Royals in the 1952 NBA draft. He played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), for Rochester and the St. Louis Hawks.
Bryant Lamonica Stith is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently a men's assistant basketball coach at University of North Carolina Greensboro.
The 1964 NBA draft was the 18th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 4, 1964, before the 1964–65 season. In this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. In each round, the teams select in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Before the draft, a team could forfeit its first-round draft pick and then select any player from within a 50-mile (80 km) radius of its home arena as their territorial pick. The draft consisted of 15 rounds comprising 101 players selected.
Harold Sherill Jamison is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, he is 6'8" and played at power forward.
The 2001–02 NBA season was the 32nd season of the National Basketball Association in Cleveland, Ohio. For the third consecutive year, the Cavaliers had the eighth overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft, and selected high school center DeSagana Diop. During the off-season, the team re-acquired former Cavs forward Tyrone Hill and Jumaine Jones from the Philadelphia 76ers, acquired Ricky Davis from the Miami Heat, and signed free agent Bryant Stith. Under new head coach John Lucas, the Cavaliers got off to a horrible start losing nine of their first eleven games, then suffered a 12-game losing streak in January. Hill only played just 26 games due to sore back spasms, and Diop failed to live up to expectations only playing just 18 games due to knee, ankle and foot injuries. The Cavs lost 50 games for the third straight season, finishing 7th in the Central Division with a 29–53 record.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the 55th season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Celtics acquired Bryant Stith from the Denver Nuggets, and signed free agents Randy Brown, Chris Carr, and rookie center Mark Blount. Prior to the start of the season, the Celtics were nearly hit with tragedy when Paul Pierce was stabbed 11 times in the face, neck and back, and had a bottle smashed over his head, and was attacked by three men at the Buzz Club, a late night dance club in the Boston Theater District on September 25, 2000; Tony Battie, Pierce's Celtic teammate, along with Battie's brother, saved him by rushing him to a nearby hospital, where Pierce had to undergo lung surgery to repair the damage. Nevertheless, Pierce was the only Celtic to start all 82 games during the 2000–01 season.
The 1992–93 NBA season was the Nuggets' 17th season in the National Basketball Association and 26th season as a franchise. In the 1992 NBA draft, the Nuggets selected LaPhonso Ellis out of Notre Dame University with the fifth overall pick, and selected Bryant Stith from the University of Virginia with the thirteenth overall pick. During the off-season, the team acquired second-year guard Robert Pack from the Portland Trail Blazers, and brought back Dan Issel as their new head coach; Issel starred for the Nuggets for ten seasons as a player. Under Issel, the Nuggets got off to a 7–7 start, but then suffered a 14-game losing streak from December 5, 1992 to January 5, 1993. At midseason, the team signed free agent Tom Hammonds, who was previously released by the Charlotte Hornets. Despite the losing streak, the Nuggets showed significant improvement holding a 20–30 record at the All-Star break, and missed the playoffs by three games with a record of 36–46, fourth in the Midwest Division.
Thomas Alvin Stith, born in Greensville County, Virginia, was an American professional basketball player, formerly of the NBA's New York Knicks. A 6' 5" forward, Stith was an All-American at St. Bonaventure University in 1960 and 1961.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Nuggets' 24th season in the National Basketball Association, and 33rd season as a franchise. It was also their first season playing at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets had the 18th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, and selected James Posey out of Xavier University. During the off-season, the team acquired Ron Mercer and Popeye Jones from the Boston Celtics, and signed free agent George McCloud. With Dan Issel back as head coach, the Nuggets had a solid nucleus of second-year star Raef LaFrentz, Antonio McDyess and Nick Van Exel with a 17–15 record to start the season. However, the Nuggets would struggle and slip below .500, holding a 21–27 record at the All-Star break.
Broderick Jamal Stith is an American former professional basketball player, who lastly played for ZZ Leiden of the Dutch Basketball League. He played college basketball for the Old Dominion Monarchs.
Ahmed Hill is an American professional basketball player for Montreal Alliance of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies.
Dillon Stith is an American-Australian professional basketball player for the Cairns Taipans of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Saint Vincent College before moving to Australia in 2015 to play in the Big V. After one season with the Melbourne Tigers, he played four seasons for the McKinnon Cougars between 2016 and 2019, winning Big V MVPs in 2017 and 2019 and leading the Cougars to the championship in 2019. He played two seasons with Melbourne United of the NBL between 2019 and 2021.
