1943 World Professional Basketball Tournament

August 2023 World Professional Basketball Tournament 1943 Chicago, Illinois 15 March 18 March International Amphitheater 12 Washington Bears Oshkosh All-Stars Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons Curly Armstrong 1942 1944 The 1943 World Professional Basketball Tournament was the fifth edition of the World Professional Basketball Tournament. It was held in Chicago, Illinois, during the days of 15–18 March 1943 and featured 12 teams, with the teams mostly being independently run teams that also competed alongside the four remaining teams that were from the National Basketball League at the time because of World War II. However, the Chicago Studebaker Flyers would move to South Bend, Indiana after they were eliminated from the 1943 NBL Playoffs and rebranded themselves to the South Bend Studebaker Champions, with them having the same roster there outside of the last minute addition of former Chicago Collegians and Harlem Globetrotters player Agis Bray.Team Standings by Year - Pro Basketball Encyclopedia en-US Pro Basketball Encyclopedia 2014-01-26 2026-07-02 https://probasketballencyclopedia.com/team-standings-by-year/?y=1942-1943&t=South%20Bend%20StudebakerCHICAGO STUDEBAKER FLYERS - Pro Basketball Encyclopedia en-US Pro Basketball Encyclopedia 2016-02-01 2026-07-02 https://probasketballencyclopedia.com/season/chicago-studebaker-flyers-2/) The Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons got their revenge on the NBL champion Sheboygan Red Skins by winning 48–40 over them in the quarterfinal match, but were upset by the Oshkosh All-Stars in the semifinals by a close 40–39 win by Oshkosh. Meanwhile, the other finalist team, the Washington Bears, were an all-black team that was composed of New York Renaissance players that lost only one time in the over 50 games they played in during the independent season they had under that name. One player that was originally on the Bears' roster earlier in the season, Wilmeth Sidat-Singh, had left the team to enlist in the all-black Tuskegee Airmen fighter squadron, but tragically died in a plane crash during World War II months after the tournament concluded on May 9, 1943 (though his body wasn't found until over a month passed on June 27), at the young age of 25.WILMETH SIDAT-SINGH - Pro Basketball Encyclopedia en-US Pro Basketball Encyclopedia 2014-10-17 2026-07-02 https://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/wilmeth-sidat-singh/ This year's event was won by the Washington Bears, which included many former New York Renaissance players and coincidentally was the final year that an independent team would win the WPBT,Al White Washington Bears are former Rens https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99186918/ 6 April 2022 The Detroit Tribune 13 March 1943 7 Newspapers.com Ex-Rens' stars now with Bears https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16006703/washington-bears-ex-rens-players/ 6 April 2022 The Pittsburgh Courier 13 March 1943 19 Newspapers.com who defeated the Oshkosh All-Stars 43–31 in the championship game. The Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons came in third after beating the Dayton Dive Bombers 58–52 in the third-place game.Wilfrid Smith Washington beats Oshkosh for Pro Title https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99187101/ 6 April 2022 Chicago Tribune 18 March 1943 26 Newspapers.com Despite his team not even making it to the championship match, Curly Armstrong of the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.Washington takes crown in pro meet https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99187651/ 6 April 2022 Vidette-Messenger of Porter County 18 March 1943 8 Newspapers.com Results Bracket y y no 1/1/1/1 Round 1Sparklers beat studebakers in pro meet, 45-44 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99187505/ 6 April 2022 Chicago Tribune 15 March 1943 22 Newspapers.com Quarterfinals Semifinals Final Third place 5 / 6 Minneapolis Sparklers 45 South Bend Studebaker Champions 44 Dayton Dive Bombers 46 Chicago Ramblers 41 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 57 Indianapolis Pure Oils 52 Detroit Eagles 33 Akron Collegians 31 Washington Bears 48 Minneapolis Sparklers 21 Dayton Dive Bombers 44 Harlem Globetrotters 34 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 48 Sheboygan Red Skins 40 Detroit Eagles 36 Oshkosh All-Stars 65 Washington Bears 38 Dayton Dive Bombers 30 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 39 Oshkosh All-Stars 40 Washington Bears 43 Oshkosh All-Stars 31 Dayton Dive Bombers 52 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 58 Third place game #e3e3e3 17 March 1943 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 58 Dayton Dive Bombers 52 Chicago Stadium 11,000 Championship game #e3e3e3 17 March 1943 9:30 p.m.Oshkosh faces Washington Five in meet final https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99187342/ 6 April 2022 Chicago Tribune 17 March 1943 30 Newspapers.com Boxscore Washington Bears 43 Oshkosh All-Stars 31 27–15 16–16 J. Isaacs – 11 R. Vaughn, L. Edwards – 6 Chicago Stadium 11,000 Pat Kennedy, Dutch Kriznicky Individual awards Bobby McDermott of the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons led this tournament in scoring with 50 points scored in four games played.Triptow Richard F. The Dynasty that Never Was: Chicago's First Professional Basketball Champions, The American Gears 1997 self-published Lake Bluff, Illinois 0-9659280-0-4, p. 217 All-Tournament First Team F - Pop Gates, Washington Bears F - Curly Armstrong, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (MVP) C - Dolly King, Washington Bears G - Charley Shipp, Oshkosh All-Stars G - Buddy Jeannette, Sheboygan Red Skins All-Tournament Second Team F - Ralph Vaughn, Oshkosh All-Stars F - Johnny Isaacs, Washington Bears C - Hal Tidrick, Dayton Dive Bombers G - Bobby McDermott, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons G - Zack Clayton, Washington Bears See also 1942–43 National Basketball League (United States) season, a professional basketball season featuring all four surviving teams there (though with one team rebranding itself for this event) References External links WPBT 1939-48 on apbr.org 1942-43 WPBT Tournament Overview on retroseasons.com WORLD BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: 1942-1943 on Pro Basketball Encyclopedia Category:World Professional Basketball Tournament