1942 World Professional Basketball Tournament

none August 2023 World Professional Basketball Tournament 1942 Chicago, Illinois 8 March 12 March International Amphitheater 16 Oshkosh All-Stars Detroit Eagles Long Island Grumman Flyers Ed Riska Gene Englund 1941 1943 The 1942 World Professional Basketball Tournament was the fourth edition of the World Professional Basketball Tournament. It was held in Chicago, Illinois, during the days of 8–12 March 1942 and featured 16 teams, with the teams mostly being independently run teams that also competed alongside six teams that were around in the National Basketball League at the time because of World War II. The NBL's champions that year, the Oshkosh All-Stars, had their route to the championship occur by beating independently ran teams like the Davenport Central Turner Rockets, the New York Renaissance, and the Harlem Globetrotters. However, the other half of the tournament had the most impressive team involve the Long Island Grumman Flyers (which was composed of star players from the American Basketball League, New York Renaissance, and even Harlem Globetrotters working at the Grumman Aircraft Company (who specialized as a war industry defense plant that wasn't subjected to military call-upsNelson Murry R. The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949 2009 McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers 978-0-7864-4006-1, p. 110) in Long Island, New York) reaching the semifinal round before losing 44–43 in overtime to the defending WPBT champion Detroit Eagles (which had since demoted itself into a barnstorming team after winning last year's WPBT championship). The WPBT championship this year was won by the NBL champion Oshkosh All-Stars (being the first professional champion team to win multiple championships in the same season), who got their revenge for last year and defeated the NBL turned barnstorming Detroit Eagles 43–41 in the championship game because hobbled veteran Leroy Edwards scored five quick points off the bench late in the game for Oshkosh.Oshkosh Nips Detroit for World Cage Title https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99255318/oshkosh-nips-detroit-for-world-cage/ 7 April 2022 Democrat and Chronicle 12 March 1942 23 Newspapers.com Elliot Cushing Jerry Bush a Standout in Chicago Tourney -- So was Riska https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99255624/jerry-bush-a-standout-in-chicago/ 7 April 2022 Democrat and Chronicle 13 March 1942 29 Newspapers.com This was the first and only time in tournament history that the championship round was a rematch of the previous tournament's championship. The All-Stars' players were given a prize of gold watches for winning the tournament. The Long Island Grumman Flyers came in third after beating the Harlem Globetrotters 43–41 themselves in the third-place game. Ed Riska of the Oshkosh All-Stars was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Gene Englund led all scorers with 54 points, while Riska came second with 50.Gene Englund https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99255958/sport-shorts/ 7 April 2022 The Oshkosh Northwestern 13 March 1942 17 Newspapers.com Results Bracket y y no 1/1/1/1 Round 1 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final Third place Davenport Central Turner Rockets 29 Oshkosh All-Stars 44 New York Renaissance 55 Michigan City Steelers 37 Harlem Globetrotters 40 Hagerstown Conoco Oilers 33 Sheboygan Red Skins 34 Columbus Bobb Chevrolets 26 Detroit Eagles 46 Toledo White Huts 29 Aberdeen Army Ordnance Training Center 56 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 42 Long Island Grumman Flyers 54 Indianapolis Kautskys 32 Chicago Bruins 56 Detroit AAA 46 Oshkosh All-Stars 44 New York Renaissance 38 Harlem Globetrotters 37 Sheboygan Red Skins 32 Detroit Eagles 40 Aberdeen Army Ordnance Training Center 34 Long Island Grumman Flyers 48 Chicago Bruins 38 Oshkosh All-Stars 48 Harlem Globetrotters 41 Detroit Eagles 44 Long Island Grumman Flyers 43 Oshkosh All-Stars 43 Detroit Eagles 41 Harlem Globetrotters 41 Long Island Grumman Flyers 43 Third place game #e3e3e3 12 March 1942 Box score Long Island Grumman Flyers 43 Harlem Globetrotters 41 24–16 19–25 D. King – 16 T. Strong – 11 International Amphitheater 11,500 Enright, Messinger Championship game #e3e3e3 12 March 1942 Box score and recap Oshkosh All-Stars 43 Detroit Eagles 41 20–12 23–29 G. Englund – 17 B. Jeannette – 14 International Amphitheater 11,500 Kennedy, Kriznecky Individual awards Gene Englund of the Oshkosh All-Stars led this tournament in scoring with 52 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 In addition to that, Sonny Boswell of the New York Renaissance would score a record-high 32 points against the Michigan City Steelers (who might sometimes be referred to as the Northern Indiana Steelers or even just the Indiana Steelers), which would later be tied by Bob Tough in 1944 and wouldn't be broken until 1948.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. 218 All-Tournament Team The WPBT initially listed an All-Tournament Team of ten players for this event at the time of its conclusion.Eddie McKenna Englund on All-Pro Tourney Team https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99254769/kenosha-news/ 7 April 2022 Kenosha News 13 March 1942 10 Newspapers.com However, following future years where they added a first team and second team, the WPBT would modify this All-Tournament Team to list out who was a first team member and who was a second team member for this particular year (which ultimately became the only time the WPBT would do such a thing throughout their history). The listing below features all ten of the original players showcased for the original All-Tournament Team, with the first and second team listings being officially revised versions done by the Chicago Herald American, the official organizers of the tournament, for future versions done in later years. All-Tournament First Team F – Ed Riska, Oshkosh All-Stars (MVP) F – Dolly King, Long Island Grumman Flyers C – Gene Englund, Oshkosh All-Stars G – Jerry Bush, Detroit Eagles G – Buddy Jeannette, Detroit Eagles All-Tournament Second Team F – Moe Becker, Aberdeen Army Ordnance Training Center F – Sonny Boswell, New York Renaissance C – Bernie Price, Harlem Globetrotters G – Ed Milkovich, Hagerstown Conoco Oilers G – Mickey Tierney, Chicago Bruins See also 1941–42 National Basketball League (United States) season, a professional basketball season featuring six of the competing teams there (with one of them competing under a different team name for the NBL's sake), including the defending NBL champions (and eventual WPBT champions) in the Oshkosh All-Stars References External links WPBT 1939-48 on apbr.org 1941-42 WPBT Tournament Overview on retroseasons.com WORLD BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: 1941-1942 on Pro Basketball Encyclopedia Category:World Professional Basketball Tournament