The Kansas City Hi-Spots were a franchise for one season (1950-1951) in the National Professional Basketball League, based in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

History

The

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

contracted after the 1949-1950 season, losing six teams: The

Anderson Packers The Anderson Packers, also known as the Anderson Duffey Packers and the Chief Anderson Meat Packers, were a professional basketball team based in Anderson, Indiana, in the 1940s and 1950s. The team was founded and owned by brothers Ike W. and Jo ...

Sheboygan Red Skins 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 ...

and

Waterloo Hawks The Waterloo Hawks were a National Basketball League and National Basketball Association team based in Waterloo, Iowa. The Hawks remain the only sports franchise ever based in Iowa from any of the current Big Four Leagues. Franchise history ...

jumped to the NPBL, while the

Chicago Stags The Chicago Stags were a National Basketball Association team based in Chicago from 1946 to 1950. History 1946–47 season In the BAA's inaugural year, the Chicago Stags were placed in the Western Division, and after 60 games were tied with the ...

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

and

St. Louis Bombers The St. Louis Bombers were a National Basketball Association team based in St. Louis from 1946 to 1950. Franchise history The St. Louis Bombers were originally part of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946. The BAA merged wit ...

folded. The league went from 17 teams to 11 before the 1950-1951 season started. Midway through the 1950-1951 season, the

Washington Capitols The Washington Capitols were a former Basketball Association of America (forerunner of the National Basketball Association) team based in Washington, D.C. from 1946 to 1951. The team was coached from 1946 to 1949 by NBA Hall of Famer Red Auerbach ...

folded as well, bringing the number of teams in the league down to ten. The National Professional Basketball League was formed around the former NBA teams, with teams added in new larger markets. The charter teams were the East Division:

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 ...

(Former NBA),

Louisville Alumnites Louisville Alumnites were a team in the National Professional Basketball League (1950-1951), based in Louisville, Kentucky. History The National Basketball Association contracted after the 1949–1950 season, losing six teams: The Anderson Packers ...

and Grand Rapids Hornets. West Division:

Denver Refiners The Denver Refiners were a professional basketball team who played in Denver, Colorado, in 1950–1951 and were a member of the Western Division of the National Professional Basketball League, which lasted one season. History The National Basket ...

Evansville Agogans :''Also see: Sports in Evansville''. The Evansville Agogans were a professional basketball team who played in Evansville, Indiana, in 1951 and were a member of the Western Division of the National Professional Basketball League (1950–1951), Natio ...

Saint Paul Lights The St. Paul Lights were a franchise for the one season (1950) of the National Professional Basketball League, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. History The National Basketball Association contracted after the 1949–1950 season, losing six teams: ...

, Kansas City Hi-Spots and

(Former NBA). The Hi-Spots ended the 1950-51 season with a record of 4 wins and 19 losses, finishing fourth in the NPBL's West Division, behind the leading

(at 32-24, .667). Paul Cloyd (2-10) and Gene Kurash (2-5) and Bob Tough (0-4) coached the team. The Hi-Spots actually folded before the season ended, a fate shared by the

, St. Paul Lights and Grand Rapids Hornets, playing their last game on January 22, 1951. After the Hi-Spots folded, professional basketball did not return to Kansas City until the

Kansas City Steers The Kansas City Steers were an American basketball team based in Kansas City, Missouri from 1961 to 1963. They were a member of the American Basketball League History The American Basketball League played one full season, 1961–1962, an ...

(1961-1963) of the American Basketball League. The NPBL folded after the 1950-1951 Season.

The arena

The Hi-Spots played at the Pla-Mor Ballroom. It was located on the corner of Linwood and Main, at 3412 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri. It was demolished in 1972.

Notable alumni

* Jerry Fowler *

Joe Graboski Joseph W. Graboski (January 15, 1930 – July 2, 1998) was an American professional basketball player. He spent 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the third player to enter the NBA without having played in college: ( T ...

Ralph Hamilton Ralph Albert Hamilton (June 10, 1921 – June 5, 1983) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Fort Wayne Pistons and Indianapolis Jets of the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America (BA ...

External links

Extinct Sports Leagues site on the National Professional Basketball League

h1>

References

{{reflist Defunct basketball teams in Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Basketball teams established in 1950 Sports clubs disestablished in 1951 National Professional Basketball League (1950–51) 1950 establishments in Missouri 1950 disestablishments in Missouri Sports teams in Missouri