John J. O'Brien (born November 4, 1888 – December 9, 1967) was an American basketball referee and administrator. Born in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, he was involved in organizing several early professional basketball leagues. In 1925, he founded
Metropolitan Basketball League, which featured
Original Celtics
The Original Celtics were a barnstorming professional American basketball team. At various times in their existence, the team played in the American Basketball League, the Eastern Basketball League and the Metropolitan Basketball League. The tea ...
. From 1928 to 1953 he was an executive with
American Basketball League, serving as president and, later, as chairman of the board. He was enshrined into the
Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1961.
External links
Basketball Hall of Fame on O'Brien
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, John
1888 births
1967 deaths
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees