1946–47 Chicago American Gears season

NBL professional basketball team season Chicago American Gears NBL 1947 yes 26 18 Western T–3rd (tied with Sheboygan Red Skins) Maurice WhiteAmerican Gear & Manufacturing Company Davey Banks (3–3)Harry Foote (interim) & Bruce Hale (interim player-coach; 4–7)Bobby McDermott (player-coach; 19–7) International Amphitheatre NBL champions (Won 3–1 over Rochester Royals) The 1946–47 Chicago American Gears season was the American Gears' third and final year in the United States' National Basketball League (NBL), which was also the tenth year the league existed.NBL Season Index basketball-reference.com Sports Reference LLC https://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/seasons/ October 27, 2019 However, if you include the (at least) one previous season where they competed in the Amateur Athletic Union before making the jump into the NBL, this would actually be their fourth and final full season of play instead.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, pp. 2–3JOHN STYLER https://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/john-styler/ Pro Basketball Encyclopedia 7 February 2026JOE STAMPF https://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/joe-stampf/ Pro Basketball Encyclopedia 7 February 2026HERB BALL https://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/herb-ball/ Pro Basketball Encyclopedia 7 February 2026SWEDE ROOS https://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/swede-roos/ Pro Basketball Encyclopedia 7 February 2026 This also was the NBL's first official season where they actually implemented a drafting system similar to what the future rivaling Basketball Association of America (and later merging partner to become the National Basketball Association) had for the eventual NBA draft system a year later following the conclusion of their inaugural league season for the purpose of controlled player salaries and limiting the idea of outbidding other players outside of their own 12-player teams at hand (with the NBL having a budget of $6,000 this season), as well as implementing key players to signing binding contracts as soon as they could and the NBL looking to have full-time referees on display.Nelson Murry R. The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949 2009 McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers 978-0-7864-4006-1, pp. 158–159 Twelve teams competed in the NBL in 1946–47, comprising six teams in both the Eastern and Western Divisions.1946–47 NBL Season Summary basketball-reference.com Sports Reference LLC https://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/seasons/1947.html October 27, 2019 Chicago played their home games at the International Amphitheatre, Chicago American Gears → 1946–1947 Pro Basketball Encyclopedia https://probasketballencyclopedia.com/team-standings-by-year/?y=1946-1947&t=Chicago October 27, 2019 which would have a significantly larger crowd capacity at hand than the venue they used for the previous season, the Cicero Stadium. Chicago American Gears → 1945–1946 Pro Basketball Encyclopedia https://probasketballencyclopedia.com/team-standings-by-year/?y=1945-1946&t=Chicago October 27, 2019Triptow 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. 40 Despite finishing tied for third place with the Sheboygan Red Skins in the Western Division, the American Gears made a surprise playoffs run by winning the first series three games to two (3–2) over the Indianapolis Kautskys, followed by a 2–0 sweep of Oshkosh All-Stars in the semifinals. They then went on to win their first and only NBL championship 3–1 over Eastern Division champion Rochester Royals. Weirdly enough, despite the American Gears being considered the champions of the 1947 NBL Playoffs, the NBL's commissioner of the time period, Ward Lambert, considered the American Gears to only be the champions of the NBL Playoffs that season instead of the overall champions of the league since he inexplicably considered the team with the best overall record that season (the Rochester Royals) to be the official league champions that season.Nelson Murry R. The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949 2009 McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers 978-0-7864-4006-1, pp. 174–175 That decision would help play into the team's final decision into leaving the NBL in order to create their own, short-lived rivaling professional league called the Professional Basketball League of America for their short, final following season of play. When combining their NBL scheduled regular season and playoff games with the exhibition games they had this season, the Chicago American Gears would have a 47–31 (or 47–32 if an NBL game against the Rochester Royals that Chicago had protested to later was considered a no contest match actually counted) record. Player-coach Bobby McDermott (First Team), George Mikan (First), and Bob Calihan (Second) all earned All-NBL honors for this season. Draft picks Entering this season, the National Basketball League would utilize their own draft system that would be considered similar to what the NFL has done for the NFL draft. As such, the 1946 NBL draft would be considered the first ever professional basketball draft ever done, even before the 1947 BAA draft that was done by the soon to be rivaling Basketball Association of America. Because of that fact, the Chicago American Gears would participate in the inaugural 1946 NBL draft, which had occurred sometime during the 1946–47 season's offseason period before that season officially began for the NBL. However, as of 2026, no records of what the American Gears' draft picks might have been for the NBL have properly come up, with any information on who those selections might have been for Chicago likely being lost to time in the process. Roster 1946–47 Chicago American Gears #c41e3a #FFFFFF #FFFFFF #c41e3a 12 Price Brookfield F/G 6 4 185 Iowa State 1920–05–11 14 Bob Calihan G/F 6 3 200 Detroit Mercy 1918–08–02 Bob Cotton basketball F/C 6 6 250 Texas Wesleyan 1920–12–29 4 Bruce Hale F/C 6 1 170 Santa Clara 1918–08–30 6 Bobby McDermott G 5 11 180 Flushing HS (NY) 1914–01–07 Bill McDonald basketball G/F 6 3 190 Marquette 1916–11–05 99 George Mikan C 6 10 245 DePaul 1924–06–18 7 Max Morris F/C 6 2 195 Northwestern 1925–03–13 Irv Noren F/C 6 0 180 Pasadena CC 1924–11–29 9 Stan Patrick F/G 6 2 185 Illinois 1922–05–05 5 George Ratkovicz F/C 6 6 220 Robert E. Lindblom Technical HS (IL) 1922–11–13 Les Rothman G/F 6 1 195 LIU Brooklyn 1926–08–12 10 Art Stoefen C/F 6 5 215 Stanford 1914–08–29 Bob Synnott F/C 6 3 190 Theodore Roosevelt HS (NY) 1912–09–27 11 Stan Szukala G 6 1 175 DePaul 1918–06–12 3 Dick Triptow F/G 6 0 170 DePaul 1922–11–03 Maurice White (owner-coach) Davey Banks (fired/resigned) Harry Foote (interim) Bruce Hale (interim) Bobby McDermott https://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/teams/CAG/1947.html Note: Bob Cotton, Bill McDonald, Irv Noren, Les Rothman, and Bob Synnott were not on the playoffs roster. In addition to them, Charlie Butler, Jim Cominsky, and George Mikan's older brother, Joe Mikan, would only play for the team during this season's preseason period, with Bill McDonald also being cut from the team after their preseason period of play concluded, though McDonald managed to return to the team at some point in 1946 for the regular season only.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. 65 Maurice A. White owner of the American Gear started the season as coach, on November 21 he stepped down when he signed Davey Banks as a coach.1946-11-21 Ex-Celtics Star Named Coach of American Gears https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-troy-record-ex-celtics-star-named-co/203673959/ 2026-08-12 The Troy Record 18 Regular season Season standings Exhibition Games Reference: Dick Triptow's The Dynasty That Never Was, pg. 94Triptow 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. 94 October 31, 1946: Rochester Royals 55, Chicago American Gears 50 (@ Schenectady, New York) November 1, 1946: Rochester Royals 69, Chicago American Gears 68 (@ Gloversville, New York) November 2, 1946: Chicago American Gears 65, Rochester Royals 61 (@ Rochester, New York) November 13, 1946: Chicago American Gears 73, Jersey City Atoms 70 (OT via American Basketball League rules) November 14, 1946: Baltimore Bullets 57, Chicago American Gears 53 (via ABL rules) November 15, 1946: Chicago American Gears 64, Baltimore Mets 42 November 16, 1946: Philadelphia Sphas 81, Chicago American Gears 79 (via ABL rules) November 17, 1946: Chicago American Gears 40, Newark Bobcats 34 (via ABL rules) November 22, 1946: Chicago American Gears 59, Los Angeles Red Devils 56 November 23, 1946: Los Angeles Red Devils 47, Chicago American Gears 46 December 8, 1946: Chicago American Gears 76, Dayton Metropolitans 33 December 21, 1946: Baltimore Bullets 62, Chicago American Gears 60 (via National Basketball League rules) January 1, 1947: Chicago American Gears 40, Chicago Monarchs 38 January 19, 1947: Chicago American Gears 48, Baltimore Bullets 41 (via NBL rules) January 20, 1947: Chicago American Gears 67, Gary Ingots 57 January 22, 1947: Chicago American Gears 70, Rockford Press Club 58 January 27, 1947: Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 69, Chicago American Gears 62 (@ Milwaukee, Wisconsin) January 28, 1947: Midland Dow Chemicals 78, Chicago American Gears 53 February 2, 1947: Chicago American Gears 70, Midland Dow Chemicals 60 March 10, 1947: Dayton Metropolitans 52, Chicago American Gears 48 April 11, 1947: Rochester Royals 76, Chicago American Gears 73 (@ Hershey, Pennsylvania for the "Royals Appreciation Series") April 12, 1947: Chicago American Gears 75, Rochester Royals 74 (OT @ Schenectady, New York for the "Royals Appreciation Series") April 13, 1947: Chicago American Gears 68, Rochester Royals 60 (@ Rochester, New York for the "Royals Appreciation Series") NBL Schedule Reference: Dick Triptow's The Dynasty That Never Was, pg. 93Triptow 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. 93 # Date Opponent Score Record 1 November 9 @ Oshkosh 61–66 0–1 2 November 28 @ Sheboygan 40–48 0–2 3 November 30 @ Rochester 65–64 1–2 4 December 3 @ Syracuse 69–59 2–2 5 December 6 N Syracuse 55–57 2–3 6 December 10 @ Youngstown 72–60 3–3 7 December 11 Oshkosh 41–44 3–4 8 December 13 Fort Wayne 47–40 4–4 9 December 15 Detroit 58–43 5–4 10 December 17 @ Toledo 58–57 6–4 11 December 18 @ Detroit 56–60 6–5 12 December 20 Rochester 59–48 7–5 13 December 22 Anderson 54–57 7–6 14 December 23 @ Anderson 60–63 7–7 — December 25 @ Buffalo Cancelledhttps://nbahoopsonline.com/teams/AtlantaHawks/History/Buffalo/index.html 15 December 26 @ Indianapolis 59–67 7–8 16 December 27 Toledo 59–62 7–9 17 December 29 Sheboygan 58–63 7–10 18 January 3 Indianapolis 57–58 (OT) 7–11 19 January 5 Youngstown 55–45 8–11 20 January 8 @ Fort Wayne 55–56 8–12 21 January 11 @ Tri-Cities 43–48 8–13 22 January 16 @ Anderson 58–56 9–13 23 January 17 Tri-Cities 53–30 10–13 24 January 18 @ Oshkosh 38–55 10–14 25 January 24 Fort Wayne 64–60 (OT) 11–14 26 January 26 Anderson 55–50 12–14 27 January 31 Syracuse 62–60 13–14 28 February 5 @ Tri-Cities 61–57 (OT) 14–14 29 February 6 @ Sheboygan 59–60 14–15 30 February 7 Detroit 76–44 15–15 31 February 9 Indianapolis 55–47 16–15 32 February 10 @ Youngstown 64–52 17–15 33 February 11 @ Detroit 58–53 18–15 34 February 12 @ Toledo 55–57 18–16 35 February 13 @ Syracuse 61–50 19–16 36 February 14 Toledo 72–50 20–16 37 February 16 Sheboygan 62–44 21–16 38 February 20 @ Indianapolis 64–46 22–16 39 February 21 Rochester 57–56 23–16 40 February 23 Oshkosh 52–54 23–17 — February 24 @ Buffalo Cancelledhttps://nbahoopsonline.com/teams/AtlantaHawks/History/Buffalo/index.html 41† February 25 @ Rochester 39–41 (2OT; Protested) 23–18† 41/42 March 2 Youngstown 65–52 24–17(24–18†) 42/43 March 7 Tri-Cities 72–52 25–17(25–18†) 43/44 March 9 @ Fort Wayne 69–62 26–17(26–18†) 44* March 13 @ Rochester 55–75 26–18* Each team would play each other a total of four times for 2 home and road games each for 44 total regular season NBL matches for this particular season of play. However, due to the unique circumstances involved for this season of play, the games that Chicago originally intended to play for the Buffalo Bisons this season would instead either be cancelled (with make-up games being rescheduled into newer, more proper dates following the Buffalo Bisons moving to Moline, Illinois nearby where the American Gears played or otherwise being played on the original dates the Bisons meant to play for the newly-named Tri-Cities Blackhawks to take on instead, depending on specific circumstances involved), with one home game being considered more of a neutral site for them instead due to them playing that specific match in nearby Moline, Illinois and one road match against the Rochester Royals being replayed at a later date due to the double-overtime format used for that match deviating from the typical overtime format at hand to a sudden-death overtime format where the first team to score would win the entire match without much warning being given out. NBL Playoffs NBL Western Division Opening Round (2W) Indianapolis Kautskys vs. (3/4W) Chicago American Gears: Chicago wins series 3–2 Game 1: March 18, 1947 @ Indianapolis: Chicago 74, Indianapolis 72 Game 2: March 20, 1947 @ Indianapolis: Chicago 69, Indianapolis 61 Game 3: March 23, 1947 @ Chicago: Indianapolis 68, Chicago 67 Game 4: March 25, 1947 @ Chicago: Indianapolis 55, Chicago 54 Game 5: March 26, 1947 @ Chicago: Chicago 76, Indianapolis 62 NBL Western Division Semifinals (1W) Oshkosh All-Stars vs. (3/4W) Chicago American Gears: Chicago wins series 2–0 Game 1: March 27, 1947 @ Chicago: Chicago 60, Oshkosh 54Gears Winners Over Oshkosh 'Stars, 60–54 https://www.newspapers.com/image/396164579/ The Post-Crescent March 28, 1947 13 Newspapers.com October 27, 2019 Game 2: March 29, 1947 @ Oshkosh: Chicago 61, Oshkosh 60Gears Beat Oshkosh https://www.newspapers.com/image/403938660 Wisconsin State Journal March 30, 1947 30 Newspapers.com October 27, 2019 NBL Championship (1E) Rochester Royals vs. (3/4W) Chicago American Gears: Chicago wins series 3–1 Game 1: April 3, 1947 @ Rochester: Rochester 71, Chicago 65Royals Defeat Gears; Take Playoff Lead https://www.newspapers.com/image/3856647 The Journal Standard April 4, 1947 8 Newspapers.com October 27, 2019 Game 2: April 5, 1947 @ Rochester: Chicago 67, Rochester 63George Mikan's 27 Points Help Gears Win, 67–63 https://www.newspapers.com/image/370990611 Chicago Tribune April 6, 1947 24 Newspapers.com October 27, 2019 Game 3: April 7, 1947 @ Chicago: Chicago 78, Rochester 70Gears Battle Royals In Playoff Battle https://www.newspapers.com/image/3857736 The Journal Standard April 8, 1947 6 Newspapers.com October 27, 2019 Game 4: April 9, 1947 @ Chicago: Chicago 79, Rochester 68Chicago Gears Take National Basketball Title https://www.newspapers.com/image/12900288 Carbondale Free Press April 10, 1947 7 Newspapers.com October 27, 2019 Awards and honors All-NBL First Team – Bobby McDermott and George Mikan All-NBL Second Team – Bob Calihan NBL All-Time Team – Bobby McDermott and George Mikanhttp://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/6925/nbl.html Steve Dimitry's NBL Web Site www.geocities.com October 25, 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20050311095835/http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/6925/nbl.html March 11, 2005 dead Chicago Departs the NBL for the PBLA Following the conclusion of the 1946–47 NBL season, the owner of the Chicago American Gears, Maurice White of the American Gear Company, expressed great anger at the NBL for deciding to allow for new Indianapolis Kautskys co-owner Paul Walk to become the new president of the NBL over him. As such, White let the NBL know late in the summer that he was going to let the defending NBL champion Chicago American Gears defect from the NBL in order to create his own rivaling professional basketball league similar to not just the NBL, but also the rivaling American Basketball League and recently created Basketball Association of America that would prove to be very ambitious in scope called the Professional Basketball League of America. Initially, 32 teams were to have been planned for the new league (including themselves), but 16 were ultimately utilized for what became its only season of play. The PBLA's season began on October 25 with a close 44–43 win by the Atlanta Crackers over the Oklahoma City Drillers (with the American Gears debuting on Halloween 1947 six days later with a 59–49 win over the St. Paul Saints), but ended on November 13 due to the league declaring bankruptcy after stated losses of $600,000 (in a time where houses were under $7,000) following the previous day's games, which included the American Gears getting a perfect 8–0 record by a 65–56 score over the Louisville Colonels and the Chattanooga Majors winning a close 48–46 match over the Atlanta Crackers.https://nbahoopsonline.com/History/Leagues/PBLA/Scores.html Following the PBLA's demise, a vote was held by the NBL at the Morrison Hotel in Chicago on November 16 for whether to admit the American Gears back into the NBL despite already starting the 1947–48 NBL season, but the teams ultimately decided against that team's return into the league, regardless of actual circumstances in mind, in part due to other team owners disliking Maurice White in spite of his creativity in mind. NBL Dispersal Draft Following the NBL's vote on what to do with the American Gears franchise on November 16, a dispersal draft of sorts was held for the remaining NBL teams already in the 1947–48 NBL season either later that same day or the following day afterward on November 17. When the dispersal draft officially happened, the Minneapolis Lakers (working off of the previous 4–40 record held by the Detroit Gems predecessor team) would select superstar center George Mikan to help alter the course of professional basketball forever. In addition to that, the newly-established Flint Dow A.C.'s (formerly known as the Midland Dow Chemicals works team and later became the Midland Dow A.C.'s) would pick up Bob Calihan, Price Brookfield went to the Anderson Duffey Packers, Bruce Hale went to the Indianapolis Kautskys, and Bobby McDermott went to the Sheboygan Red Skins. Other players from the American Gears franchise at that time would also be dispersed to other NBL teams outside of the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, who decided not to select anyone from the former Chicago American Gears franchise onto their roster whatsoever (though they would later sign Dick Triptow onto their team), such as Billy Hassett returning to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks after previously leaving the team and the NBL for a shot at the new league ran by the American Gears' owner, Fritz Nagy going to the Indianapolis Kautskys, Les Rothman going to the Syracuse Nationals, George Ratkovicz going to the Rochester Royals, Stan Patrick going to the Toledo Jeeps, Max Morris going to the Sheboygan Red Skins, and Bill McDonald going to the Oshkosh All-Stars.Nelson Murry R. The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949 2009 McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers 978-0-7864-4006-1, p. 18017 November 1947 PRO BASKETBALL AMERICAN LEAGUE https://democratandchronicle.newspapers.com/newspage/136101670/ Democrat and Chronicle Associated Press Rochester, New York 23 References Category:Chicago American Gears seasons Chicago Category:National Basketball League (United States) championship seasons Chicago American Gears Chicago American Gears Category:1946 in Chicago Category:1947 in Chicago