The 1939 World Professional Basketball Tournament was the first edition of the
World Professional Basketball Tournament
The World Professional Basketball Tournament was an annual invitational tournament held in Chicago from 1939 to 1948 and sponsored by the '' Chicago Herald American''. Many teams came from the National Basketball League, but it also included the b ...
. It was held in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, during the days of 26-28 March 1939 and featured 11 teams competing for a prize money of $10,000. It was won by the
New York Rens
The New York Renaissance, also known as the Renaissance Big R Five and as the Rens, were the first black-owned, all-black, fully-professional basketball team in history, established in October 1923, by Robert "Bob" Douglas. They were named after t ...
who defeated the
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.
Histor ...
34–25 in the title game. The
Harlem Globetrotters came in third after beating the
Sheboygan Redskins
The Sheboygan Red Skins (or Redskins) was a professional basketball team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which was an original National Basketball Association franchise during the 1949–1950 season.
History Overview
The Redskins played in th ...
36–33 in the third-place game.
[ ] Puggy Bell
Clarence Randolph ”Puggy” Bell (November 26, 1914 – February 19, 1985) was an American basketball player and coach. Bell never played in high school or college, instead he played in the YMCA league where he won several local and state champi ...
of the
New York Rens
The New York Renaissance, also known as the Renaissance Big R Five and as the Rens, were the first black-owned, all-black, fully-professional basketball team in history, established in October 1923, by Robert "Bob" Douglas. They were named after t ...
was named the tournaments Most Valuable Player.
Results
First round
:26 March -
Harlem Globetrotters 41,
Fort Wayne Harvesters
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
33
:26 March -
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 of ...
40,
Brenton Harbor House of David 32
:26 March -
Sheboygan Redskins
The Sheboygan Red Skins (or Redskins) was a professional basketball team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which was an original National Basketball Association franchise during the 1949–1950 season.
History Overview
The Redskins played in th ...
47,
Illinois Grads
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockfor ...
29
:26 March -
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.
Histor ...
40,
Clarksburg Oil Clarksburg may refer to the following places:
;Canada
* Clarksburg, Ontario, a community of The Blue Mountains, Ontario
;United States of America
*Clarksburg, California
**Clarksburg AVA, an American Viticultural Area
*Clarksburg, former name of ...
33
Bracket
Third place game
Championship game
Individual awards
All-Tournament First team
*C -
Leroy Edwards
Leroy Harry Edwards (April 11, 1914 – August 25, 1971), nicknamed "Cowboy" and "Lefty", was one of the greatest basketball players of his era. He was an NCAA All-American at the University of Kentucky and also one of the most lauded professiona ...
,
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 ...
*F -
Ed Dancker,
Sheboygan Redskins
The Sheboygan Red Skins (or Redskins) was a professional basketball team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which was an original National Basketball Association franchise during the 1949–1950 season.
History Overview
The Redskins played in th ...
*F -
Puggy Bell
Clarence Randolph ”Puggy” Bell (November 26, 1914 – February 19, 1985) was an American basketball player and coach. Bell never played in high school or college, instead he played in the YMCA league where he won several local and state champi ...
,
New York Rens
The New York Renaissance, also known as the Renaissance Big R Five and as the Rens, were the first black-owned, all-black, fully-professional basketball team in history, established in October 1923, by Robert "Bob" Douglas. They were named after t ...
(MVP)
*G -
Babe Pressley
Louis "Babe" Pressley (1916-1965) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball League for the Chicago Studebaker Flyers The Chicago Studebaker Flyers (also known as the Chicago Studebakers) were a National ...
,
Harlem Globetrotters
*G -
Zack Clayton,
New York Rens
The New York Renaissance, also known as the Renaissance Big R Five and as the Rens, were the first black-owned, all-black, fully-professional basketball team in history, established in October 1923, by Robert "Bob" Douglas. They were named after t ...
References
External links
WPBT 1939-48on apbr.org
{{World Professional Basketball Tournament
World Professional Basketball Tournament