Irving S. Kosloff (May 10, 1912,
Philadelphia,
PennsylvaniaFebruary 19, 1995,
Merion, Pennsylvania) was an American businessman and sportsman.
Early life and education
He was born in Philadelphia, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants Lillian and Louis Kosloff. He had two brothers, Carl and Charles Kosloff. He graduated from
South Philadelphia High School in 1930, where he played football and basketball as an offensive center and middle linebacker. Initially, Irv set out to be a dentist. However, after a knee injury, he lost his athletic scholarship to
Temple University, which he had attended for approximately two years but had to drop out and search for a job for lack of funds. He found a job in the traffic department of the Container Corporation of America in
Manayunk, Philadelphia. In 1932, he founded the Roosevelt Paper Company on State Road near Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia. The company grew to become one of the largest paper merchants in the country.
Career
In May 1963, Kosloff, with the inspiration and aid of high-school classmate attorney
Ike Richman, purchased the
Syracuse Nationals of the
National Basketball Association (NBA) from
Danny Biasone
Daniel Biasone (22 February 1909 – 25 May 1992) was the founding owner of the Syracuse Nationals, an NBA team now known as the Philadelphia 76ers. Biasone, who was a childhood immigrant to the United States from Italy, was mostly known for advo ...
, brought them to Philadelphia, and changed the team's name to the
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
.
[76ers Ownership Timeline]
at NBA.com Richman ran the day-to-day operations of the team, with Kosloff, busy with his growing paper business, remaining the silent partner.
On December 4, 1965, Richman died of a heart attack at a 76ers-
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
game. Kosloff brought in
Jack Ramsay
John Travilla Ramsay (February 21, 1925 – April 28, 2014) was an American basketball coach, commonly known as "Dr. Jack" (as he held an earned doctorate). He was best known for leading the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA championship, a ...
to manage the team.
During Kosloff's tenure as owner, the Sixers won an NBA championship in 1966–67.
Kosloff sold the 76ers to
Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr. for $5 million on May 28, 1976.
Goldaper, Sam. "Motta to Coach Bullets," ''The New York Times'', Saturday, May 29, 1976.
Retrieved December 4, 2020
Death
Kosloff died of leukemia at his home in Merion, Pennsylvania in 1995.
References
External links
Entry
at the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
at the '' New York Times''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kosloff, Irving
1912 births
1995 deaths
Basketball players from Philadelphia
Players of American football from Philadelphia
Sportspeople from Philadelphia
Businesspeople from Philadelphia
National Basketball Association executives
Philadelphia 76ers owners
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
20th-century American businesspeople
Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania
Deaths from leukemia
Burials in Pennsylvania
South Philadelphia High School alumni