The Denver Refiners were a professional

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 (appro ...

team who played in

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, in 1950–1951 and were a member of the Western Division of the National Professional Basketball League, which lasted one season.

History

The

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

contracted after the 1949–1950 season, losing six teams: The Anderson Packers,

Sheboygan Red Skins The Sheboygan Red Skins (or Redskins) were a professional basketball team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which was an original National Basketball Association franchise during the 1949–50 NBA season, 1949–50 season. History Overview The Re ...

and

Waterloo Hawks The Waterloo Hawks were a National Basketball League and National Basketball Association team based in Waterloo, Iowa. The Hawks remain the only sports franchise ever based in Iowa from any of the current Big Four Leagues. They are not affili ...

jumped to the NPBL, while the

Chicago Stags The Chicago Stags were a National Basketball Association team based in Chicago from 1946 to 1950. History 1946–47 season In the BAA's inaugural year, the Chicago Stags were originally meant to start out as the ''Chicago Atomics'', to the point ...

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

and St. Louis Bombers folded. The league went from 17 teams to 11 before the 1950–1951 season started. Midway through the 1950–1951 season, the

Washington Capitols The Washington Capitols were a former Basketball Association of America (forerunner of the National Basketball Association) team based in Washington, D.C. from 1946 to 1951. The team was coached from 1946 to 1949 by NBA Hall of Famer Red Auerb ...

folded as well, bringing the number of teams in the league down to ten. The National Professional Basketball League was formed around the former NBA teams, with teams added in new larger markets. The charter teams were the East Division:

Sheboygan Redskins The Sheboygan Red Skins (or Redskins) were a professional basketball team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which was an original National Basketball Association franchise during the 1949–50 season. History Overview The Redskins played in thre ...

(Former NBA), Anderson Packers (Former NBA), Louisville Alumnites and Grand Rapids Hornets. West Division: Denver Refiners/

Evansville Agogans :''Also see: Sports in Evansville''. The Evansville Agogans were a professional basketball team who played in Evansville, Indiana, in 1951 and were a member of the Western Division of the National Professional Basketball League. History The Na ...

Saint Paul Lights The St. Paul Lights were a franchise for the one season (1950) of the National Professional Basketball League, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. History The National Basketball Association contracted after the 1949–1950 season, losing six teams: ...

Kansas City Hi-Spots The Kansas City Hi-Spots were a franchise for one season (1950-1951) in the National Professional Basketball League, based in Kansas City, Missouri. History The National Basketball Association contracted after the 1949-1950 season, losing six te ...

and

(Former NBA). The next season those franchises helped form the NPBL. The Denver Refiners were the Denver franchise and were coached by Jimmy Darden and had a 18–16 record through January 28, 1951. The team began the season 8–0. The franchise had difficulty financing the team's long trips to all its eastern and midwestern counterparts. Financial pressures forced the organization to fold. A business man from

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is Indiana's List of cities in Indiana, third-most populous city after India ...

, Bill Butterfield, bought the franchise after the January 28 game and moved it to Indiana. Butterfield named the new team the Agogans, which meant "those with intense interest and excitement." The

played the last six games of the season (0-6).

The arena

The Refiners played on the stage of the Denver Arena Auditorium. In 1990 the building was remodeled into the Temple Hoyne Buell Theater. The site is at 14th and Arapahoe Streets, Denver, Colorado, 80204. On November 14 and November 18, 1950, the Refiners played against Grand Rapids and Sheboygan at Thunderbird Gym in

Casper, Wyoming Casper is a city in and the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States. Casper is the List of municipalities in Wyoming, second-most populous city in the state after Cheyenne, Wyoming, Cheyenne, with the population at 59,038 as of th ...

. After the November 14, 1950, game against Grand Rapids, Future Hall of Famer

Bobby McDermott Robert Frederick McDermott (January 7, 1914 – October 3, 1963) was an American professional basketball player in the 1930s and 1940s. He was known as an outstanding shooter and has been called "the greatest long-distance shooter in the history ...

was dismissed as coach of Grand Rapids due to his behavior during the game, in which he cursed loudly and said his team had been "robbed."1950–51 Denver Refiners Game-by-Game Results
Retrieved August 28, 2021.

Notable alumni

* Ed Dahler * Jimmy Darden *

Hoot Gibson Edmund Richard "Hoot" Gibson (August 6, 1892 – August 23, 1962) was an American rodeo champion, film actor, film director, and producer. While acting and stunt work began as a sideline to Gibson's focus on rodeo, he successfully transitioned ...

* Leo Kubiak * Milt Schoon * Glen Selbo

References

Basketball teams established in 1950 Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1951 National Professional Basketball League (1950–51) Sports clubs and teams in Denver 1950 establishments in Colorado 1951 disestablishments in Colorado Defunct sports clubs and teams in Colorado {{Denver-stub