Amanda Knapp
The 1929 stock market crash had a significant impact on basketball, with the American Basketball League (ABL) starting its fifth season just ten days later. Despite the economic slump, the ABL continued, with eight teams competing for the championship, including two new teams, and the New York Rens winning 125 games. The league underwent a reorganisation in 1933, modernising the game with new rules and contracts for players. The ABL survived the Great Depression, and in 1939, the sport received a boost with the inaugural World Professional Basketball Tournament. Additionally, basketballs were redesigned in 1929 for more bounce and easier handling, and the practice of enclosing courts in cages of chicken wire or chain-link fencing ended in the 1929-30 season.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of stock market crash | 29 October 1929 |
| American Basketball League (ABL) season start date | 10 days after the stock market crash |
| ABL season | Fifth |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| New teams | 2 |
| Teams that gave up their franchises | Trenton Bengals and New York Hakoahs |
| Replacement teams | A new club in Syracuse and the Original Celtics in New York |
| Teams | Cleveland, Rochester, Chicago, Brooklyn, Boston Whirlwinds, Buffalo Bisons, Detroit Pulaski Post Five, Fort Wayne Hoosiers |
| Changes to the game | Players signed to contracts, backboards made mandatory, addition of a three-second lane violation, foul outs, elimination of double dribble |
| First college basketball game ever filmed for a newsreel | 20 February 1931 |
| First manufactured basketballs | 1894 |
| Ball redesign | 1929 |
| Ball redesign features | More bounce, concealed laces, bigger, lighter, easier to handle |
| End of the practice of enclosing basketball courts in chicken wire, chain-link fencing, or rope | 1929 |
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What You'll Learn
The 1929 stock market crash impacted the American Basketball League (ABL)
The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as Black Thursday, wiped out billions of dollars of wealth and ushered in the Great Depression, a period of economic upheaval that saw the U.S. economy shrink by more than 36% from 1929 to 1933. The unemployment rate surged to over 25%, and many U.S. banks failed, resulting in a loss of savings for their customers.
The American Basketball League (ABL), which had just commenced its fifth season ten days after the stock market crash, was not immune to the financial crisis. Despite the gloomy economic outlook, the ABL continued business as usual under the leadership of its president, John J. O'Brien, who believed that the "Great Depression" would be short-lived.
However, the financial strain took its toll on the league. During the 1930–31 season, Max Rosenblum, the owner of the Cleveland team, shocked the basketball world by announcing that his team would cease operations. The ABL struggled to recover from this blow, and in 1933, it was reorganized as an East Coast league, with teams based in Pennsylvania and the New York City metro area.
The league implemented several measures to modernize the game and improve its financial stability. Contracts were introduced to prevent players from jumping between teams, with salaries of up to $1,500 per month, a significant sum compared to the average laborer's weekly wage of $15. New rules were also introduced, including mandatory backboards, a three-second lane violation, and the elimination of double dribbling to encourage top college stars to join the league.
Despite the challenges, the ABL persevered and continued to operate until 1955, playing a pivotal role in the survival of professional basketball during the Great Depression.
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The Original Celtics were reformed in 1929
The Original Celtics were a barnstorming professional American basketball team that played in the American Basketball League (ABL), the Eastern Basketball League, and the Metropolitan Basketball League. The team was first formed in 1915 as a group of youngsters from New York City and rose to become an invincible team in the early 1920s. However, due to their dominance, the Original Celtics were disbanded in 1928 as they posed a threat to the ABL.
In 1929, the Original Celtics were reformed, thanks to the efforts of their owner, Jim Furey, who had just been released from prison. Furey quickly set about rebuilding the team, signing Davey Banks, Nat Holman, and Johnny Beckman. However, they lacked some of their former star players, such as Dutch Dehnert, Joe Lapchick, and Pete Barry, who were now with the Cleveland team. Despite this, the Original Celtics remained a big attraction, even though they were no longer the dominant force they once were.
The reformed Original Celtics joined the ABL's fifth season, which began in October 1929, just ten days after the stock market crash. They were one of eight teams vying for the championship, including six holdovers and two new teams. The ABL itself was impacted by the economic slump, but it continued operations, with John J. O'Brien, the league's president, believing the "Great Depression" would not persist.
The Original Celtics, also known as the New York Celtics, competed in the 1929-1930 season, marking their return to the basketball world. During this season, they played in New York and, as the Brooklyn Celtics, dropped out in December 1929. Despite the challenges and changes, the Original Celtics continued to be a significant part of basketball's early history, with their legacy recognized through their induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959.
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The 1929–30 NCAA men's basketball season featured a national championship game
The season witnessed a surprising resurgence of the Original Celtics, who had been absent for a year. Owner Jim Furey, a former convict, swiftly rebuilt the team, signing Davey Banks, Nat Holman, and Johnny Beckman. However, they lacked the star power of previous years, as key players were tied to other teams. The New York Rens, an all-black team organised by Bob Douglas in 1922, also thrived during this period, winning 125 games and losing only 10, marking their first foray into the Midwest.
The ABL implemented several measures to modernise the game, including the introduction of mandatory contracts for players, backboards, a three-second lane violation rule, and foul outs. The elimination of double dribbling aimed to attract top college stars to the league. Cleveland's Honey Russell emerged as an early standout, with a league-leading scoring average of 7.4 points.
Amidst the gloomy financial outlook, a new organisation, the National Professional Basketball League, formed in Detroit with Carl Storck as president. The league included teams from Michigan and Ohio, with Toledo, featuring ABL veterans, securing first place in the first half of the split season.
The 1929–30 season also saw the continuation of the charging foul rule, which had been introduced during the previous 1928–29 NCAA men's basketball season, which concluded in March 1929. This earlier season witnessed the formation of the Big Six Conference and the Missouri Valley Conference, following a split in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA).
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The ABL was reorganised in 1933
The American Basketball League (ABL) was the first attempt at creating a major professional basketball league in the United States. It was established in 1925 by Joseph Carr, the president of the National Football League (NFL). The ABL was composed of nine of the best independent pro teams from the East and Midwest regions. The league played six seasons from 1925-26 to 1930-31.
However, the stock market crash of October 1929 significantly impacted the ABL, which was already struggling due to the financial slump caused by the Great Depression. Despite this, the league started its fifth season just ten days after the crash, with eight teams competing for the championship.
By the end of the 1930-31 season, the ABL had only five teams remaining and ultimately folded during the Great Depression. After a two-year hiatus, the league was reorganised in 1933 as an East Coast league, with teams based in Pennsylvania and the New York City metro area.
This reorganisation brought about several changes aimed at modernising the game. One significant issue addressed was players frequently switching teams, which was mitigated by introducing contracts, with salaries of up to $1,500 per month, a substantial sum compared to the average labourer's weekly wage of $15. Additionally, new rules were implemented, including mandatory backboards, a three-second lane violation, and foul outs. The ABL also eliminated the double dribble rule to attract top college stars to the league.
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The first basketball newsreel was filmed in 1931
The American Basketball League (ABL) was the first attempt at creating a major professional basketball league in the United States. It was formed in 1925 and played six seasons until 1931. The stock market crash of October 1929 took its toll on the ABL, and the league was reorganized in 1933 as an East Coast league.
Despite the gloomy financial outlook, basketball persisted through the early years of the Great Depression. The game even saw some modernization, with new rules being implemented to encourage top college stars to play in the league.
In February 1931, St. John's and Carnegie Tech met in the first college basketball game ever filmed for a newsreel. This was during the Golden Age of the newsreel, which lasted from 1933 to 1945. Newsreels began in 1895, giving audiences in theatres a moving picture version of newsworthy events. The first newsreels were silent, with the first sound newsreels becoming profitable in the late 1920s.
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Frequently asked questions
The New York Stock Market crash of 1929 negatively impacted the American Basketball League (ABL). Despite this, the ABL continued business as usual.
Max Rosenblum's Cleveland team ceased operations, shocking the basketball world.
In 1939-40, backboards were moved 4 feet in from the end lines to reduce players stepping out of bounds.
The first Olympic basketball tournament was organised as part of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The National Basketball Committee (NBC) was also formed in 1936.
The first National Invitation Tournament (NIT) was organised by New York City basketball writers.
