World Professional Basketball Tournament

Last updated
World Professional Basketball Tournament
Sport Basketball
Founded1939
Ceased1948
CountryUnited States
Most titles Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
(3 titles)

The World Professional Basketball Tournament was an annual invitational tournament held in Chicago from 1939 to 1948 and sponsored by the Chicago Herald American . [1] 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.

Contents

The NBL champion usually won this tournament, with three exceptions: the New York Rens won the first WPBT in 1939, [2] while the Harlem Globetrotters—a strongly competitive squad in those days—won the following year. [3] In 1943, the Washington Bears (with many New York Rens players on their roster) won the tournament. The NBL's Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons won the most titles (three, from 1944 to 1946), while the NBL's Oshkosh All-Stars made the most finals appearances with five, winning only once (in 1942).

The last tournament was held in 1948, with the Minneapolis Lakers defeating the New York Rens 75–71 in the tournament final. [1] [4] The following year, The Indianapolis News attempted to hold a similar tournament, [5] inviting the Wilkes-Barre Barons from the American Basketball League, three teams each from the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League, and one team that would remain unidentified until shortly before the seeded draw. [6] [7] Although the National Basketball League agreed to attend, the tournament did not come to fruition after the BAA declined the invitation. [8]

All-time championship game scoring records

*Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
PlayerTeamGamesPtsPPG
Leroy Edwards Oshkosh 55310.6
Bobby McDermott Ft. Wayne 34916.3
Jake Pelkington Det/Ft. W 44511.2
Buddy Jeannette Det/Ft. W 44210.5
George Mikan Minneapolis 14040
Pop Gates NY/Wash 33712.3
Ed Sadowski Det/Ft. W 33411.3
Jerry Bush Det/Ft. W 5306.0
Nat Clifton NY 12424.0
Gene Englund Oshkosh 3227.3
Chick Reiser Ft. Wayne 3227.3
Bob Tough Bkn/Ft. W 22110.5
Duke Cumberland Harlem/NY 22010.0
Jake Ahearn Detroit 22010.0
George Sobek Toledo 12020.0

All-time World Tournament team records

TeamApp.GmsWL1st2nd
Oshkosh All-Stars 930201014
New York Rens-Washington Bears 1028181021
Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 82115630
Harlem Globetrotters 72013710
Detroit Eagles 3108211
Chicago American Gears 297200
Chicago Bruins-Ramblers 495401
Toledo White Huts-Whites-Jeeps 4105501
Sheboygan Redskins 8145900
Anderson Chiefs-Duffey Packers 374300
Minneapolis Lakers 133010
Brooklyn Eagles 143101
L.I. Grumman Flyers/Hellcats 253200
Dayton Acmes-Mickeys 253201
Midland Dow Chemicals 363300
Indianapolis Kautskys 573410
Washington Heurich Brewers 132100
Tri-Cities Blackhawks 252300
Baltimore Bullets 262400

Recap by year

1939

1940

1941

1942

1943

1944

1945

1946

1947

1948

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bill Carlson (12 April 1948). "Lakers 'World Champions' now". The Minneapolis Star . p. 23. Retrieved 15 March 2022 via Newspapers.com. Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  2. "New York Rens win net title". The South Bend Tribune . Associated Press. 29 March 1939. p. 21. Retrieved 5 April 2022 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. 1 2 "Globe Trotters win world's pro tourney title". The Oshkosh Northwestern . 21 March 1940. p. 23. Retrieved 4 April 2022 via Newspapers.com. Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  4. John Schleppi (1989). "Chicago's World Tournament of Professional Basketball 1939—1948". LA84 Foundation . North American Society for Sport History. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  5. "News invites eight teams for World Pro Cage Tourney here". The Indianapolis News . 22 March 1949. p. 24. Retrieved 6 April 2022 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  6. "B.A.A. ponders bid to Pro Tourney". The Indianapolis News . 24 March 1949. p. 21. Retrieved 6 April 2022 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. Bill Kinney (26 March 1949). "Backward step". The Rock Island Argus . p. 14. Retrieved 6 April 2022 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  8. Jack Estell (31 March 1949). "News' Pro Peace Bid Seems Doomed to Fail". The Tipton Daily Tribune. International News Service. p. 4. Retrieved 6 April 2022 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  9. 1 2 3 "George Mikan placed on Pro All-Star team". The Birmingham News . 10 April 1946. p. 20. Retrieved 4 April 2022 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg