The World Professional Basketball Tournament was an annual invitational

tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

held in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

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 The Harlem Globetrotters are an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, and comedy in their style of play. Created in 1926 by Tommy Brookins in Chicago, Illinois, the team adopted the name ''Harlem'' because of ...

. Games were played at various sites including

Chicago Coliseum Chicago Coliseum was the name applied to three large indoor arenas in Chicago, Illinois, which stood successively from the 1860s to 1982; they served as venues for sports events, large (national-class) conventions and as exhibition halls. The ...

, International Amphitheater and

Chicago Stadium Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago, Illinois, that opened in 1929, closed in 1994 and was demolished in 1995. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls. ...

. The NBL champion usually won this tournament, with three exceptions: the New York Rens won the first WPBT in 1939, while the

—a strongly competitive squad in those days—won the following year. In 1943, the Washington Bears (with many New York Rens players on their roster) won the tournament. The NBL's

Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Central Division (NBA), ...

won the most titles (three, from 1944–46), while the NBL's

Oshkosh All-Stars 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. History ...

made the most finals appearances with five, winning only once (in 1942). The last tournament was held in 1948, with the

Minneapolis Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history, predating the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Founded in 1947, the Lakers are one of the NBA's most famous and successful franchises. As of summer 2012, th ...

defeating the New York Rens 75–71 in the tournament final. The following year,

The Indianapolis News The ''Indianapolis News'' was an evening newspaper published for 130 years, beginning December 7, 1869, and ending on October 1, 1999. The "Great Hoosier Daily," as it was known, at one time held the largest circulation in the state of Indiana ...

attempted to hold a similar tournament, inviting the

Wilkes-Barre Barons The Wilkes-Barre Barons were a basketball team from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The Barons played between 1933 and 1980 in different American leagues. The team won 11 titles during this time, including while playing in the American Basketbal ...

from the American Basketball League, three teams each from the

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 ...

and the National Basketball League, and one team that would remain unidentified until shortly before the seeded draw. Although the National Basketball League agreed to attend, the tournament did not come to fruition after the BAA declined the invitation. __NOTOC__

Tournament finals results

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

- New York Rens 34–25

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * Januar ...

31–29

Chicago Bruins The Chicago Bruins were an American basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by Chicago Bears football team owner George Halas, the Bruins were a member of the American Basketball League, a league that also featured other National Football ...

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar E ...

Detroit Eagles The Detroit Eagles were a professional basketball team based in Detroit, Michigan. Managed by Dutch Dehnert, they played in the National Basketball League from 1939 to 1941, then became a barnstorming team. The team folded during the 1942– ...

39–37

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in w ...

43–41

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 ...

- Washington Bears 43–31

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in ...

50–33 Brooklyn Eagles *

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which Nuclear weapon, nuclear weapons Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have been used in combat. Events Below, ...

78–52

Dayton Acmes Dayton () is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County, Ohio, Greene County. The 2020 United S ...

1946 Events January * January 6 - The first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into four occupation zones. * January 10 ** The ...

73–57

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...

Indianapolis Kautskys Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of U.S. state and territorial capitals, state capital and List of U.S. states' largest cities by population, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat, seat of ...

62–47

Toledo Jeeps The Toledo Jeeps were a professional basketball team that played in the National Basketball League from 1946 to 1948. As with many other NBL teams, they owed their name to an industry of their hometown, in this case the Willys Jeep Plant. They ...

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

75–71 New York Rens

Tournament MVPs

- Puggy Bell, New York Rens *

Sonny Boswell Wyatt "Sonny" Boswell (May 19, 1919 – October 19, 1964) was an early African American professional basketball player. He was born in Greenville, Mississippi and grew up in Toledo, Ohio, where he attended Scott High School. He played for the Ha ...

, Harlem Globetrotters *

Buddy Jeannette Harry Edward "Buddy" Jeannette (September 15, 1917 – March 11, 1998) was an American professional basketball player and coach. Jeannette was widely regarded as the premier backcourt player between 1938 and 1948. He was named to the First T ...

, Detroit Eagles *

- Ed Riska, Oshkosh All-Stars *

Curly Armstrong Paul Carlyle "Curly" Armstrong (November 1, 1918 – June 6, 1983) was an American professional basketball player and coach. A 5'11" guard/ forward, Armstrong starred at Central High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he reached two state cha ...

, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons *

- Bobby McDermott, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons *

, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons *

George Mikan George Lawrence Mikan Jr. (; June 18, 1924 – June 1, 2005), 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 ...

, Chicago American Gears *

Jule Rivlin Julius Leon "Jule" Rivlin (February 2, 1917 – September 23, 2002) was a college men's basketball coach and professional basketball player. He was the head coach of Marshall from 1955 to 1963. He coached Marshall to a 100-88 record, winning one ...

, Toledo Jeeps *

, Minneapolis Lakers

All-time championship game scoring records

All-time World Tournament team records

* Twenty-seven teams entered the tournament in various years but did not win a game; eight teams had one win. * The

New York Celtics The Original Celtics were a barnstorming professional American basketball team. At various times in their existence, the team played in the American Basketball League, the Eastern Basketball League and the Metropolitan Basketball League. The tea ...

played in the initial tournament in 1939, but lost their only game. Another well-known team, the

Philadelphia Sphas The Philadelphia Sphas, also stylized SPHAs or SPHAS, were an American basketball franchise that existed in professional, semi-professional, and exhibition forms. They played their home games in the ballroom of Philadelphia's Broadwood Hotel. The ...

, had a win and a loss in their only appearance, in 1941 .

Recap by year

1939

* 1st Place: New York Rens 34-

25 * MVP- Puggy Bell (New York Rens) * Leading Championship Game Scorers: * Pop Gates (New York Rens) 12 * Leroy Edwards (Oshkosh All-Stars) 12 * 3rd Place:

36- Sheboygan Redskins 33 * 5th Place:

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

, Chicago Harmons,

* 8th Place: Fort Wayne Harvesters, Brenton Harbor House of David, Illinois Grads, Clarksburg Oilers

1940

* 1st Place:

31-

29 * MVP-

(Harlem Globetrotters) * Leading Championship Game Scorers: *

(Harlem Globetrotters) 12 *

Mike Novak Michael Donald Novak (April 23, 1915 – August 15, 1978) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the NBL, BAA, and NBA from 1939 to 1954. A 6'9" center from Loyola University Chicago, he was one of the first prominent "big m ...

(Chicago Bruins) 7 * 3rd Place: Washington Heurich Brewers 41- Syracuse Reds 30 * 5th Place: Sheboygan Redskins, Waterloo Wonders, Oshkosh All-Stars, New York Rens * 9th Place: Fort Wayne Harvesters, Rochester Seagrams, Kenosha Royals, Canton Bulldogs, Benton Harbor House of David, Clarksburg Oilers

1941

* 1st Place:

39-

37 * MVP-

(Detroit Eagles) * Leading Championship Game Scorers: * Ed Sadowski (Detroit Eagles) 11 * Bob Carpenter (Oshkosh All-Stars) 8 * 3rd Place: New York Rens 57- Toledo White Huts 42 * 5th Place:

, Kenosha Royals,

* 9th Place: Davenport Central Turner Rockets, Indianapolis Kautskys, Newark Elks, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, Dayton Sucher Wonders, Rochester Seagrams, Sheboygan Redskins, Bismark Phantoms

1942

* 1st Place: Oshkosh All-Stars 43- Detroit Eagles 41 * MVP- Ed Riska (Oshkosh All-Stars) * Leading Championship Game Scorers: * Gene Englund (Oshkosh All-Stars) 17 * Buddy Jeanette (Detroit Eagles ) 14 * 3rd Place: Long Island Grumman Flyers 43- Harlem Globetrotters 41 * 5th Place: Aberdeen Army Ordinance Training Center, Sheboygan Redskins, Chicago Bruins, New York Rens * 9th Place: Detroit A.A.A., Columbus Bobb Chevrolets, Northern Indiana Steelers, Davenport Central Turner Rockets, Toledo White Huts, Hagerstown Conoco Oilers, Indianapolis Kautskys, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons

1943

* 1st Place: Washington, D.C. Bears 43- Oshkosh All-Stars 31 * MVP- Curly Armstrong (Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons) * Leading Championship Game Scorers: * Johnny Isaacs (Washington, D.C. Bears) 11 * Leroy Edwards (Oshkosh All-Stars) 7 * 3rd Place: Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 58- Dayton Dive Bombers 52 * 5th Place: Detroit Eagles, Sheboygan Redskins, Harlem Globetrotters, Minneapolis Sparklers * 9th Place: Akron Collegians, Indianapolis Pure Oils, Chicago Ramblers, South Bend Studebaker Champions

1944

* 1st Place: Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 50- Brooklyn Eagles 33 * MVP- Bobby McDermott (Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons) * Leading Championship Game Scorers: * Jake Pellington (Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons) 19 * Bob Tough & Bernie Opper (Brooklyn Eagles) 11 * 3rd Place: Harlem Globetrotters 37- New York Rens 29 * 5th Place: Dayton Aviators, Cleveland Chase Brassmen, Sheboygan Redskins, Oshkosh All-Stars * 9th Place: Akron Collegians, Camp Campbell Tankmen, Detroit Suffrins, Indianapolis Pure Oils, Rochester Wings, Pittsburgh Corbetts

1945

* 1st Place: Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 78- Dayton Acmes 52 * MVP- Buddy Jeanette (Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons) * Leading Championship Game Scorers: * Buddy Jeanette (Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons) 18 * John Mahnken (Dayton Acmes) 16 * 3rd Place: Chicago American Gears 64- New York Rens 55 * 5th Place: Oshkosh All-Stars, Pittsburgh Raiders, Midland Dow Chemicals, Harlem Globetrotters * 9th Place: Hartford Nutmegs, Detroit Mansfields, Indianapolis Oilers, Cleveland Allmen Transfers, Newark C-O Twos, Long Island Grumman Hellcats

1946

* 1st Place: Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 73- Oshkosh All-Stars 57 * Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 56- Oshkosh All-Stars 47 * Oshkosh All-Stars 61- Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons 59 * (Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons wins series 2 games to 1) * MVP-

(Chicago American Gears) * All-First team: Bobby McDermott,

Bob Feerick Robert Joseph Feerick (January 2, 1920 – June 8, 1976) was an American professional basketball player, coach and general manager. He was born in San Francisco, California. Playing career A 6'3" guard from Santa Clara University, Feerick played ...

, Jerry Bush, Leroy Edwards,

* All-Second team:

Paul Cloyd Paul V. Cloyd (June 13, 1920 – December 28, 2005) was an American basketball player. Born in Madison, Wisconsin, he played college basketball for the University of Wisconsin. He was selected by the Washington Capitols in the 1947 BAA draft, b ...

, Bob Calihan, Mike Bloom,

Stanley Stutz Stanley Stutz (born Stanley John Modzelewski; April 14, 1920 – October 28, 1975) was an American professional basketball player. Stutz, a 5'10" guard-forward from Worcester, Massachusetts, attended the University of Rhode Island where he led ...

, Bob Carpenter * Leading Championship Game Scorers: * Bobby McDermott (Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons) 20 * Leroy Edwards (Oshkosh All-Stars) 24 * 3rd Place: Chicago American Gears 65- Baltimore Bullets 50 * Chicago American Gears 59- Baltimore Bullets 54 * (Chicago American Gears wins series 2 games to none) * 5th Place: New York Rens, Sheboygan Redskins, Midland Dows, Anderson Chiefs * 9th Place: Pittsburgh Raiders, Cleveland Allmen Transfers, Indianapolis Kautskys, Detroit Mansfields, Toledo Whites, Dayton Mickeys

1947

* 1st Place:

62-

47 * MVP-

(Toledo Jeeps) * Leading Championship Game Scorers: * Leo Klier (Indianapolis Kautskys) 12 * George Sobek (Toledo Jeeps) 20 * 3rd Place:

86-

67 * 5th Place: Sheboygan Redskins, Tri-Cities Blackhawks,

Anderson Duffey Packers The Anderson Packers, also known as the Anderson Duffey Packers and the Chief Anderson Meat Packers, were a professional basketball team based in Anderson, Indiana, in the 1940s and 1950s. The team was founded and owned by brothers Ike W. and Jo ...

, Midland Dows * 9th Place: Herkimer Mohawk Redskins,

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

Syracuse Nationals The Philadelphia 76ers are an American basketball team currently playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 76ers are third in NBA history in wins and playoff appearances. 1946– ...

Portland Indians The Portland Indians were a professional basketball team in Portland, Oregon. They were a member of the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League for the duration of the league, which only lasted two seasons: 1946–47 and 1947–48. They playe ...

, New York Rens, Baltimore Bullets

1948

* 1st Place:

75- New York Rens 71 * MVP-

(Minneapolis Lakers) * Leading Championship Game Scorers: *

(Minneapolis Lakers) 40 * Sweetwater Clifton (New York Rens) 24 * 3rd Place:

66- Tri-Cities Blackhawks 44 * 5th Place: Bridgeport Newfield Steelers,

References

External links

* * * * {{cite book, author=Schleppi, John. , title=Chicago's Showcase of Basketball: The World Tournament of Professional Basketball and the College All-Star Game , place=Haworth, New Jersey , publisher=St. Johann Press , year=2008 , isbn=978-1878282491 World Professional Basketball Tournament Recurring sporting events established in 1939 1948 disestablishments in the United States Basketball competitions in the United States National Basketball League (United States)