The Chicago Majors was a

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team based in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, that was a member of the American Basketball League from 1961 to 1963.

History

The American Basketball League played one full season,

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

–

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

, and part of the next season until the league folded on December 31, 1962. The ABL was the first basketball league to have a

three point shot A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or trey) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two poi ...

for baskets scored far away from the goal. Other rules that set the league apart were a 30-second shooting clock and a wider

free throw lane Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procur ...

, 18 feet instead of the standard 12. The American Basketball League was formed when

Abe Saperstein Abraham Michael Saperstein (; July 4, 1902 – March 15, 1966) was the founder, owner and earliest coach of the Harlem Globetrotters. Saperstein was a leading figure in black basketball and baseball from the 1920s through the 1950s, primarily be ...

did not get the Los Angeles National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise he sought. His Harlem Globetrotters had strong NBA ties. When Minneapolis Lakers owner

Bob Short Robert Earl Short (July 20, 1917 – November 20, 1982) was an American businessman, sport teams owner, and politician. Background Short graduated from the College of Saint Thomas (now the University of St. Thomas) in Saint Paul, Minnesota, be ...

was permitted to move the Lakers to Los Angeles, Saperstein reacted by convincing

National Alliance of Basketball Leagues The National Alliance of Basketball Leagues (NABL) (founded 1961) is the descendant of the industrial-based basketball clubs that formed into the National Basketball League (NBL) in the early 1930s. History Origins in the 1930s The league was ...

(NABL) team owner Paul Cohen (Tuck Tapers) and

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It has ...

(AAU) National Champion

Cleveland Pipers The Cleveland Pipers were an American industrial basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1950s and early 1960s. The Pipers are mostly known for having played in the short-lived American Basketball League from 1961–62. They were also a po ...

owner George Steinbrenner to take the top NABL and AAU teams and players and form a rival league. League franchises were: the Chicago Majors (1961–1963);

(1961–1962);

Kansas City Steers The Kansas City Steers were an American basketball team based in Kansas City, Missouri from 1961 to 1963. They were a member of the American Basketball League History The American Basketball League played one full season, 1961–1962, and ...

(1961–63);

Long Beach Chiefs The Long Beach Chiefs were an American basketball team based in Honolulu, Hawaii (1961–62) and Long Beach, California (1962–63) that was a member of the American Basketball League. History The American Basketball League played one full sea ...

(1961–1963), as

Hawaii Chiefs Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

in 1961–62;

Los Angeles Jets The Los Angeles Jets were an American basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, founded by Jack Blanck and Len Corbosiero, that was a member of the American Basketball League in the league's 1961–62 season. History The American Basketba ...

(1961–62, disbanded during season);

Oakland Oaks Oakland Oaks may refer to one of the following sport teams, listed chronologically: * Oakland Oaks (PCL), a minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 to 1955 *Oakland Oaks (ice hockey), a professional ice hockey t ...

(1961–1963, as

San Francisco Saints The San Francisco Saints were a traveling amateur basketball team composed of Chinese Americans that was formed in the 1950s and entered in the Amateur Athletic Union. The team was founded by Father Donal F. Forrester, who was serving as pastor a ...

in 1961–1962;

Philadelphia Tapers The Philadelphia Tapers were an American professional basketball team that played a partial 1962–1963 season in the American Basketball League (1961–62). It traces its history to the 1950s AAU New York Tapers. AAU New York Tapers Originall ...

1961–1963, as

Washington Tapers Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

in 1961–62; moved to New York during 1961–62 season; as

New York Tapers New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

in 1961–62 and the

Pittsburgh Rens The Pittsburgh Rens were an American basketball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that was a member of the American Basketball League from 1961–1963. History The American Basketball League played one full season, 1961–1962, and pa ...

(1961–1963). The Majors were owned by

. Former Globetrotter

Ermer Robinson Ermer Robinson was a native of San Diego. He graduated from high school in 1942. Robinson was a member of the Harlem Globetrotters. Robinson shot the game winning basket when the Globetrotters beat the Lakers. Robinson was Head Coach of the Oa ...

was the team's business manager for their two seasons. Chicago native

Ron Sobieszczyk Ronald Charles Sobieszczyk (September 21, 1934 – October 23, 2009), known as Ron Sobie, was an American professional basketball player. Sobieszczyk played for coach Ray Meyer at DePaul University from 1953 to 1956. He scored 1,222 points in his ...

came out of retirement to play for the Majors. In 1961 Chicago was coached by

Andy Phillip Andrew Michael "Handy Andy" Phillip (March 7, 1922 – April 29, 2001) was an American professional basketball player.

. The Majors finished 38–42 in 1960–1961 under Phillip, finishing third in the ABL Eastern Division. In 1962–1963 they finished 8–19 under Ron "Sobie" Sobieszczyk, folding along with the entire league on December 31, 1962.

The arena

The Majors played in Chicago Stadium., later became the home stadium of the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...

Notable players

* Bucky Bolyard * Jeff Cohen *

Kelly Coleman Kelly "King" Coleman (September 21, 1938 – June 16, 2019) was an American professional basketball player. Coleman was a record scorer at Kentucky Wesleyan College and Wayland High School (Kentucky). Coleman was the #11 overall pick of the New Y ...

Nat Clifton Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton (born Clifton Nathaniel; October 13, 1922 – August 31, 1990) was an American professional basketball and baseball player. He is best known as one of the first African Americans to play in the National Basketball ...

Mel Davis Melvyn Jerome Davis (born November 9, 1950) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'6" power forward from St. John's University, Davis played four seasons (1973–1977) in the National Basketball Association as a member of th ...

* Tony Jackson * John F. Sullivan * Roger Taylor * Herschell Turner * John Wessels

1962 ABL draft selections

;Territorial selections *

Chet Walker Chester Walker (born February 22, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Bethlehem, Mississippi, Walker played high school basketball for the Benton Harbor High School boys basketball team. He graduated from Bradle ...

(

Bradley University Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. The ...

) *

Dave DeBusschere David Albert DeBusschere (October 16, 1940 – May 14, 2003) was an American professional National Basketball Association (NBA) player and coach and Major League Baseball (MLB) player. He played for the Chicago White Sox of MLB in 1962 and 1963 a ...

(

University of Detroit The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catholic univ ...

) ;First round *

Don Nelson Donald Arvid Nelson (born May 15, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335 (he held the record for most wins for almost 12 ...

( University of Iowa) ;Additional selections *

Bud Olsen Enoch Eli "Bud" Olsen III (July 25, 1940 – March 12, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. A 6'8" center from the University of Louisville, Olsen was selected by the Cincinnati Royals in the second round of the 1962 NBA d ...

( University of Louisville) * Armand Reo ( University of Notre Dame) * Jim Hudock ( University of North Carolina) * Russ Marvel ( North Carolina State University) * Larry Pursiful ( University of Kentucky) * Mike Cingiser (

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Provide ...

) * Bob Bolton (

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the tr ...

) * Alfred Kaemmerling ( Princeton University) * Lindburg Moody ( South Carolina State College) *Frank Snyder (

Memphis State University } The University of Memphis (UofM) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 22,000 students. The university maintains the Herff College of Engineering ...

) * Ralph Wells ( Northwestern University) * Bucky Keller ( Virginia Polytechnic University)

Year-by-year

References

{{reflist American Basketball League (1961–62) teams Majors