1944–45 National Basketball League (United States) season

1944–45 NBL season
LeagueNational Basketball League
SportBasketball
Duration
  • December 2, 1944 – March 3, 1945
  • March 5–9, 1945 (Playoffs)
  • March 11–18, 1945 (Finals)
Games30
Teams6
Regular season
Season championsFort Wayne Zollner Pistons
Top seedFort Wayne Zollner Pistons
Season MVPBobby McDermott (Fort Wayne)
Top scorerMel Riebe (Cleveland)
Playoffs
Eastern championsFort Wayne Zollner Pistons
  Eastern runners-upCleveland Allmen Transfers
Western championsSheboygan Red Skins
  Western runners-upChicago American Gears
Finals
Venue
ChampionsFort Wayne Zollner Pistons
  Runners-upSheboygan Red Skins

The 1944–45 NBL season was the tenth National Basketball League (NBL) season. The regular season began on December 2, 1944, and ran until March 3, 1945. The playoffs began on March 5, 1945, and concluded on March 18, 1943, with the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons winning their second consecutive NBL title over the Sheboygan Red Skins in a rematch of the previous two NBL Championships.

For the 1944–45 season, the league returned to an Eastern and Western division format, with three teams in each division. The league was still impacted by World War II, although to a lesser degree than the previous two seasons.

Teams

Two teams joined the league prior to the season, bringing the total number of teams back up to six. The Chicago American Gears were a new team, and the Pittsburgh Pirates returned to the league as the Pittsburgh Raiders after four seasons away. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Chase Brassmen renamed themselves the Cleveland Allmen Transfers.[1]

Eastern Division Cleveland Allmen Transfers

Cleveland, Ohio

Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Pittsburgh Raiders

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Western Division Chicago American Gears

Chicago, Illinois

Oshkosh All-Stars

Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Sheboygan Red Skins

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Coaching changes
Offseason
Team 1943–44 coach 1944–45 coach
Cleveland Allmen Transfers Bill Brownell (player-coach)[2][3] Joseph J. Carlin[4]
Sheboygan Red Skins Carl Roth[5] Dutch Dehnert[6]
In-season
Team Outgoing coach Incoming coach
Chicago American Gears Jack Tierney[7] Swede Roos[7]

Preseason

Prior to the season commencing, the defending champion Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons defeated what were previously considered the undefeated College All-Stars (which was composed of what was considered to be the best, most elite senior college basketball players of the time throughout a yearly basis) by a 44–38 final score in what was dubbed as the "College All-Star Classic".[8] There was also a major rule change implemented prior to the season, with goaltending being abolished.[9]

Regular season

The regular season featured a 30-game schedule, where each team would play every other team six times (three at home, three away).

Following the successes of the Allies in Europe, some American soldiers were beginning to return home from the war front by early 1945, which helped lead to a renewed interest in professional basketball across the nation.[10]

Final standings

Postseason

Playoffs

The top two teams from each division qualified for the playoffs. The first round pitted the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons against the Cleveland Allmen Transfers in the Eastern Division semifinal. The Sheboygan Red Skins and the Chicago American Gears qualified to play in the Western Division semifinal. The semifinals were played in a best-of-three format with the series winners qualifying for the finals.[11]

Fort Wayne and Sheboygan both returned to the finals for the third consecutive season, after the Zollner Pistons swept the Allmen Transfers 2–0 and the Red Skins defeated the American Gears 2–1.[12]

Finals

The NBL Championship series was played under a best-of-five format, with the low seed hosting the first two games and the high seed hosting the up to three remaining games. The first two games were played at the Sheboygan Armory in Sheboygan and were sellouts.[13] Game 1 resulted in a 65–53 Sheboygan victory, after the Red Skins opened up a lead early on and weathered multiple Pistons comeback attempts. Dick Schulz led the Red Skins with 18 points and Ed Sadowski scored 17 for the Pistons.

March 11, 1945
3:00 PM (CWT)
Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 53, Sheboygan Red Skins 65
Scoring by quarter: 8–16, 22–19, 11–17, 12–13
Pts: Ed Sadowski, 17 Pts: Dick Schulz, 18
Game 1, Sheboygan leads 1–0
Sheboygan Armory
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Attendance: 3,500
Referees: Messenger, Kriznecky

The second game was another Sheboygan victory, with the Red Skins winning 50–47 in a back-and-forth affair. Ed Dancker scored over half of Sheboygan's points with 29, while Bobby McDermott led a more spread out Pistons offense with 11 points.

March 12, 1945
8:30 PM (CWT)
Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 47, Sheboygan Red Skins 50
Scoring by quarter: 11–13, 7–9, 18–17, 11–11
Pts: Bobby McDermott, 11 Pts: Ed Dancker, 29
Game 2, Sheboygan leads 2–0
Sheboygan Armory
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Attendance: 3,500
Referees: Messenger, Kriznecky

The series shifted to Fort Wayne for the third game, which saw Fort Wayne defeat Sheboygan 58–47 to narrow Sheboygan's lead in the series to one game. The Pistons opened up a large first-half lead and survived a third-quarter comeback attempt by the Red Skins to secure the victory. Former Red Skin Buddy Jeannette led the Pistons with 13 points, while Rube Lautenschlager paced the Red Skins with 11.

March 15, 1945
8:45 PM (CWT)
Sheboygan Red Skins 47, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 58
Scoring by quarter: 8–19, 15–20, 17–10, 7–9
Pts: Rube Lautenschlager, 11 Pts: Buddy Jeannette, 13
Game 3, Sheboygan leads 2–1
North Side High School Gym
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Referees: Messenger, Kriznecky

The Pistons tied the series in a noncompetitive fourth game, winning in a 58–41 blowout. McDermott scored 15 points for Fort Wayne, while Schulz and Dancker each scored 11 for Sheboygan.

March 16, 1945
8:45 PM (CWT)
Sheboygan Red Skins 41, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 58
Scoring by quarter: 12–15, 12–20, 8–10, 9–13
Pts: Dick Schulz, 11
Ed Dancker, 11		 Pts: Bobby McDermott, 15
Game 4, series tied 2–2
North Side High School Gym
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Referees: Messenger, Kriznecky

After the fourth game, Sheboygan coach Dutch Dehnert received news that his son was killed in action in Nazi Germany. Dehnert left the team and traveled to New York, with Dancker taking over as Sheboygan's coach for the fifth game.[18] The Pistons completed the "reverse sweep" and sealed their second consecutive NBL title with a 59–49 victory in the fifth and final game. McDermott once again led the Pistons with 19 points, while Schulz and Bobby Holm each had 11 for the Red Skins.[19]

March 18, 1945
8:45 PM (CWT)
Sheboygan Red Skins 49, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 59
Scoring by quarter: 7–13, 11–19, 14–17, 17–10
Pts: Dick Schulz, 11
Bobby Holm, 11		 Pts: Bobby McDermott, 19
Game 5, Fort Wayne wins 3–2

Bracket

Division Playoffs NBL Championship
      
E1 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 2
E2 Cleveland Allmen Transfers 0
E1 Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 3
W1 Sheboygan Red Skins 2
W1 Sheboygan Red Skins 2
W2 Chicago American Gears 1
  • Bold Series winner

World Professional Basketball Tournament

Main article: 1945 World Professional Basketball Tournament

Following the completion of the NBL season, every NBL team except the Sheboygan Red Skins participated in the 1945 edition of the World Professional Basketball Tournament in Chicago.[21]

The Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons won their second consecutive WPBT title, defeating the Dayton Acmes 78–52. Buddy Jeannette earned his second tournament MVP.

NBL All-Star Game

Two days after winning their second WPBT championship, the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons won 59–47 over the NBL's All-Star Team. 3,000 people saw the game at the North Side High School Gym in Fort Wayne, Indiana.[22] Following the game's conclusion, when describing the game in greater detail, The Fort Wayne-Journal Gazette's reporter, Bob Reed, summed up the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons in what would be described as completing the "Grand Slam of Professional Basketball" by successfully winning the "College All-Star Classic" of 1944, obtaining the best record of the 1944–45 NBL season, winning the 1945 NBL Playoffs' Championship, winning the 1945 World Professional Basketball Tournament, and most recently winning the 1945 NBL All-Star Game for good measure.[23]

Statistics

Category Player Team Stat
Points Mel Riebe Cleveland Allmen Transfers 607[24]
Free-Throws Mel Riebe Cleveland Allmen Transfers 161[25]
Field goals Bobby McDermott Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 258[26]

Note: Prior to the 1969–70 NBA season, league leaders in points were determined by totals rather than averages. Rebounding and assist numbers were not recorded properly in the NBL like they would be in the BAA/NBA, as would field goal and free-throw shooting percentages.

Awards

[27]

All-Time Stars of Professional Basketball

Near the end of the regular season, the six managers (most of whom were also head coaches) of the NBL's teams for this season (Jack Tierney for Chicago, Jeff Carlin for Cleveland, Carl Bennett for Fort Wayne, Lon Darling for Oshkosh, Joe Urso for Pittsburgh, and Dutch Dehnert for Sheboygan) were polled to vote for what was called the "All-Time Stars of Professional Basketball". The players being voted on included both NBL players and players that were on other professional basketball leagues like the rivaling American Basketball League, with the players being voted on first and second teams for these honors, as well as the honorable mention team.[28] Bolded players showcase those that are currently active NBL players as of this season, while italic players are those who had previously played in the NBL at one point in time. Notably, as of 2026, only Leroy Edwards has yet to enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in terms of the First Team entries there.

See also

References

  1. ^ "NBL Standings". nbahoopsonline.com. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  2. ^ "CLEVELAND CHASE BRASS".
  3. ^ Marcus, Jeff (April 28, 2003). A Biographical Directory of Professional Basketball Coaches. Scarecrow Press, Inc. ISBN 9781461726531. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  4. ^ "CLEVELAND ALLMEN TRANSFERS".
  5. ^ "SHEBOYGAN RED SKINS".
  6. ^ "SHEBOYGAN RED SKINS".
  7. ^ a b Triptow, Richard F. (1997). The Dynasty that Never Was: Chicago's First Professional Basketball Champions, The American Gears. Lake Bluff, Illinois: self-published. ISBN 0-9659280-0-4., pp. 7, 21
  8. ^ Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-4006-1., p. 132
  9. ^ Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-4006-1., p. 131
  10. ^ Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-4006-1., p. 135
  11. ^ Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-4006-1., p. 137
  12. ^ Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-4006-1., pp. 137–138
  13. ^ "Sell Out Crowds To View Battles". The Sheboygan Press. March 10, 1945. p. 7. Retrieved February 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Redskins Blast Zollners". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. March 12, 1945. Retrieved February 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Dancker And Mates Whip Piston Quintet, 50–47, For Second Win". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. March 13, 1945. Retrieved February 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Zollner Quintet Fights Back In 58 To 47 Victory Over Redskins". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. March 16, 1945. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  17. ^ "Zollners Send Series Into Fifth Game with 58–41 Win". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. March 17, 1945. Retrieved February 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Sell Out Crowds To View Battles". The Sheboygan Press. March 10, 1945. p. 7. Retrieved February 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-4006-1., pp. 138–139
  20. ^ "Fort Wayne Five Cops Pro Playoff Title With Third Victory, 59 To 49". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. March 19, 1945. Retrieved February 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-4006-1., pp. 139–141
  22. ^ Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-4006-1., p. 141
  23. ^ Triptow, Richard F. (1997). The Dynasty that Never Was: Chicago's First Professional Basketball Champions, The American Gears. Lake Bluff, Illinois: self-published. ISBN 0-9659280-0-4., p. 20
  24. ^ "NBL Year-by-Year Leaders and Records for Points". Basketball-Reference.com.
  25. ^ "NBL Year-by-Year Leaders and Records for Free Throws". Basketball-Reference.com.
  26. ^ "NBL Year-by-Year Leaders and Records for Field Goals". Basketball-Reference.com.
  27. ^ "Steve Dimitry's NBL Web Site". Archived from the original on August 18, 2005.
  28. ^ Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-4006-1., p. 137
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