Helena Frye
Basketball was indeed around during World War II, with the sport's history dating back to 1891 when it was invented by James Naismith. Prior to World War II, basketball was largely a regional game in the United States, with different styles played across the country. The war disrupted the lives of millions, but countries tried to maintain a sense of normalcy, and sports played a role in boosting civilian morale. Basketball was not as popular as sports like boxing, horse racing, baseball, and football, but it still had a following, with the National Basketball League (NBL) and the American Basketball League (ABL) navigating challenging conditions to sustain and grow the sport. The war created opportunities for players from different regions to interact and compete, contributing to the development of a more consistent form of basketball. The World Professional Basketball Tournament (WPBT) emerged before the US entered World War II, paving the way for racial integration in the sport. The post-World War II period is considered the Golden Age of professional basketball, with teams and leagues proliferating rapidly.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Basketball's existence during WWII | Yes |
| Popularity | Minor sport in the US |
| Leagues | National Basketball League (NBL), American Basketball League (ABL), World Professional Basketball Tournament (WPBT) |
| Teams | Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, Harlem Globetrotters, New York Renaissance (Rens), Oshkosh (Wisconsin) All-Stars |
| Players | Bob "Ace" Calkins, Edward C. Christi |
| Post-WWII impact | Proliferation of professional teams and leagues, Golden Age of basketball |
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What You'll Learn
Basketball was a minor sport in the US before World War II
Basketball was a relatively minor sport in the US before World War II. The sport was invented in 1891, and the first professional league was founded just seven years later. However, the Great Depression destabilized basketball, and it was still a largely regional game before World War II, with different styles played across the country.
There were two major leagues operating since the mid-1930s: the National Basketball League (NBL), founded in 1937, and the American Basketball League (ABL), founded in 1946. These leagues were regionally based and had little to no conflict with each other. Players occasionally moved between leagues, and there was no sense of direct competition. The NBL and ABL struggled to keep eight to ten teams afloat during the war, and many players were lost to the war effort.
The US military created base teams composed of top players who were now in uniform. This allowed players from different regions to play together and against each other, leading to the development of a more consistent form of basketball. The war also created opportunities for racial integration in the sport, with the participation of all-black teams like the Harlem Globetrotters and the New York Renaissance, as well as integrated teams, in tournaments like the World Professional Basketball Tournament (WPBT).
The WPBT, which began in 1939, was a round-robin tournament that included professional, amateur, barnstorming, and independent teams. It paved the way for the integration of the National Basketball League in 1942, five years before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball.
The NBL and ABL merged in 1949 to form the National Basketball Association. The post-World War II period was a golden age for professional basketball, with teams and leagues proliferating at an unprecedented pace.
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The war disrupted basketball leagues
Basketball was indeed around during World War II, but it was a relatively minor sport in the United States at the time. The war disrupted basketball leagues in several ways. Firstly, the conflict caused pro and amateur leagues to contract and combine rosters to remain competitive. The National Basketball League (NBL) and the American Basketball League (ABL) struggled to keep eight to ten teams afloat during the war.
Secondly, many basketball players joined the military, with some, like Bob "Ace" Calkins and Edward C. Christi, making the ultimate sacrifice and never returning home. The U.S. military also formed base teams made up of top players who were now in uniform. This led to players from different regions of the country playing with and against each other, helping to shape a more consistent form of basketball.
Thirdly, the war years saw the formation of the World Professional Basketball Tournament (WPBT) in 1939, which included all-black and integrated teams competing against white teams. This tournament paved the way for the integration of the NBL in 1942, five years before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball.
Finally, the post-war years brought significant changes to basketball leagues. The frenzied period after the war saw the proliferation of professional teams and leagues at a rapid pace. Younger players and college graduates returning from military duty captured most of the major league jobs, shaping the talent pool and publicity for the sport in the years to come.
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Racial integration in basketball during World War II
Basketball was a relatively minor sport in the United States before World War II, with the major spectator sports being boxing, horse racing, major league baseball, and college football. However, the sport was still used to maintain a semblance of normality and keep up civilian morale during the war, like other sports.
During World War II, thousands of basketball players joined the war effort, with some, unfortunately, never returning. One such player was Bob “Ace” Calkins, who captained the UCLA team before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps and dying from his injuries in an Italian prison camp.
In the United States during World War II, racial segregation was prevalent, with African Americans facing discrimination in many areas of public life, including sports. The Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA), for example, denied all-black public high schools from participating in the state's high school basketball tournament until the 1942-1943 season, and prejudices continued even after that.
However, World War II paved the way for a vigorous campaign against all forms of racial discrimination in the postwar years, as stated by historian Emma Lou Thornbrough. African Americans who fought for democracy and freedom abroad during the war worked to secure those same freedoms for themselves back home.
In the years immediately following World War II, there was a strong push to integrate Indiana University (IU) and the greater Bloomington area, with African American students forming a local branch of the NAACP in early 1945 to advocate for the admittance of Black students to state-owned dormitories on campus. While discriminatory practices persisted, there was gradual progress toward integration in basketball and other sports.
By 1950, Chuck Cooper became the first African American drafted into the NBA, followed by Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton signing the first NBA contract for a Black player, and Earl Lloyd becoming the first Black athlete to play in an NBA game. These pioneers of racial integration in basketball helped pave the way for a more inclusive and diverse league, breaking down racial barriers that had long denied African American athletes full participation in sports.
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Basketball players who served in World War II
Basketball was a relatively minor sport in the United States before World War II, with professional basketball decades away from achieving the popularity it enjoys today. However, like other sports, basketball contributed thousands of players to the war effort, some of whom never returned.
Bob "Ace" Calkins, who captained the UCLA basketball team in 1938-1939, joined the U.S. Army Air Corps when war broke out. He served as a navigator aboard a B-17 bomber but died from his injuries in an Italian prison camp after his plane was shot down. Edward C. Christi, the centre and team captain of the U.S. Military Academy's basketball team from 1941-1944, also lost his life during the war. West Point's basketball arena is named in his honour.
Many other basketball players served in the armed forces during World War II, and some went on to become famous NBA players. For example, Paul Arizin, one of the pioneering players of modern basketball, was selected to play for the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1950 NBA draft after serving in the Marine Corps during the Korean War. George Yardley, a 6'5" forward and the first NBA player to score 2,000 points in a season, served in the Navy from 1950-1954 before joining the Fort Wayne Pistons. Connie Norman, who played for the Philadelphia 76ers and the San Diego Clippers, also served in the U.S. Army after his basketball career.
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The growth of basketball after World War II
Basketball was a relatively minor sport in the United States before World War II. The game was largely played at a regional level, with different styles across the country. However, the war years and their aftermath were a critical moment for the development of the sport, which grew in popularity and began to take a more consistent form.
The National Basketball League (NBL) and the American Basketball League (ABL) were both formed before the war, in 1937 and 1946 respectively. During the conflict, these leagues struggled to keep teams afloat and were forced to combine rosters to stay competitive. The U.S. military also formed base teams, bringing players from different regions together. As a result, a more standardised style of basketball began to emerge.
The war also had an impact on the racial integration of basketball. The World Professional Basketball Tournament (WPBT) included all-black and integrated teams, allowing black teams to compete against white teams for the first time. This paved the way for the integration of the NBL in 1942, several years before the same change occurred in baseball.
In the post-war years, basketball entered a "Golden Age". Millions of young men returned to civilian life and sports were a popular peacetime pursuit. During the 1946-47 season, over 90 professional teams were involved in major and minor league action, with dozens more touring independently. This period also saw a large number of college graduates enter the sport, providing a nucleus of tall, talented players who would dominate the game into the 1950s.
The growth of basketball during and after World War II was therefore a crucial period in the sport's history, helping to shape its future development and popularity.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, basketball was played during World War II.
Before World War II, basketball—professional and collegiate—was largely a regional game, with different styles played throughout the United States. However, the war created the opportunity for players from different parts of the country to play with and against each other, and a more consistent form of basketball began to take shape.
The National Basketball League (NBL) and the American Basketball League (ABL) were both active during World War II. They would later merge in 1949 to form the National Basketball Association.
Yes, the war forced pro and amateur leagues to contract and combine rosters to stay competitive. The U.S. military also created base teams made up of top players who were now in uniform.
The war years profoundly affected the game’s growth after the war. The rising popularity of the professional game led to the formation of the World Professional Basketball Tournament (WPBT) in 1939. The WPBT included all-black and integrated teams, paving the way for the NBL to integrate in December 1942.
