The Providence Steamrollers were a
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. Following its third season, 1948–49, the BAA absorbed most of National Basketball League (NBL) and rebranded as the National Ba ...
team based in
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
. As of 2022, the Steamrollers were the last professional sports franchise from one of the
Big Four leagues to be based in
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
.
Franchise history
The Steamrollers were one of the original eleven NBA franchises (when the league was called the Basketball Association of America). The franchise posted an all-time record of 46–122 (.274) before folding after three seasons.
The Steamrollers still hold the dubious NBA record for the fewest games won in a season with six, in the
1947–48 season. However, the
2011–2012 Charlotte Bobcats hold the record for the lowest winning percentage in NBA history, with .106. During that 1947–48 season, the Steamrollers' coach
Nat Hickey
Nicholas J. "Nat" Hickey (born Nicola Zarnecich; January 30, 1902 – September 16, 1979) was a Croatian-American professional basketball coach/player and baseball player. He turned to coaching basketball after his retirement from playing full-tim ...
activated himself as a player for two games, the second of which was two days before his 46th birthday, setting a still-standing record as the oldest player in NBA history.
Players of note
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Ernie Calverley
Ernest A. Calverley (January 30, 1924 – October 20, 2003) was an American professional basketball player. He was an All-American while playing for the University of Rhode Island. He played professionally with the Providence Steamrollers of the ...
– Second-team All-NBA and led league in assists during NBA's first season
*
George Nostrand – Tallest player in the NBA's first year
*
Howie Shannon
Howard Shannon (June 10, 1923 – August 16, 1995) was an American basketball player and coach. He played professionally in the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the early years of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He later coa ...
–
Leading NBA rookie in 1949
*
Nat Hickey
Nicholas J. "Nat" Hickey (born Nicola Zarnecich; January 30, 1902 – September 16, 1979) was a Croatian-American professional basketball coach/player and baseball player. He turned to coaching basketball after his retirement from playing full-tim ...
– Oldest player in NBA history
*
Kenny Sailors
Kenneth Lloyd Sailors (January 14, 1921 – January 30, 2016) was an American professional basketball player active in the 1940s and early 1950s. A guard, he is notable for inventing the jump shot as an alternative to the two-handed, flat-footed ...
– Led team in scoring in 1948 and 1949
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and prese ...
Draft
Coaches and others
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Robert Morris (1946–47)
*
Hank Soar
Albert Henry Soar (August 17, 1914 – December 24, 2001) was an American football running back and defensive back in the National Football League who went on to have a long career as an umpire in Major League Baseball. Soar played nine seasons f ...
(1947–48)
*
Nat Hickey
Nicholas J. "Nat" Hickey (born Nicola Zarnecich; January 30, 1902 – September 16, 1979) was a Croatian-American professional basketball coach/player and baseball player. He turned to coaching basketball after his retirement from playing full-tim ...
(1948)
*
Ken Loeffler (1948–49)
Season-by-season records
References
External links
Providence Steam Rollers history
Defunct National Basketball Association teams
Basketball Association of America teams
Basketball teams in Rhode Island
Sports in Providence, Rhode Island
Basketball teams established in 1946
Basketball teams disestablished in 1949
1946 establishments in Rhode Island
1949 disestablishments in Rhode Island
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