1942 World Professional Basketball Tournament

World Professional Basketball Tournament
1942
Tournament information
Location	Chicago, Illinois
Dates	8 March–12 March
Venue	International Amphitheater
Teams	16
Final positions
Champions	Oshkosh All-Stars
1st runner-up	Detroit Eagles
2nd runner-up	Long Island Grumman Flyers
Tournament statistics
MVP	Ed Riska
Top scorer	Gene Englund
	← 1941 1943 →

The 1942 World Professional Basketball Tournament was the fourth edition of the World Professional Basketball Tournament. It was held in Chicago, Illinois, during the days of 8–12 March 1942 and featured 16 teams, with the teams mostly being independently run teams that also competed alongside six teams that were around in the National Basketball League at the time because of World War II. The NBL's champions that year, the Oshkosh All-Stars, had their route to the championship occur by beating independently ran teams like the Davenport Central Turner Rockets, the New York Renaissance, and the Harlem Globetrotters. However, the other half of the tournament had the most impressive team involve the Long Island Grumman Flyers (which was composed of star players from the American Basketball League, New York Renaissance, and even Harlem Globetrotters working at the Grumman Aircraft Company (who specialized as a war industry defense plant that wasn't subjected to military call-ups^[1]) in Long Island, New York) reaching the semifinal round before losing 44–43 in overtime to the defending WPBT champion Detroit Eagles (which had since demoted itself into a barnstorming team after winning last year's WPBT championship). The WPBT championship this year was won by the NBL champion Oshkosh All-Stars (being the first professional champion team to win multiple championships in the same season), who got their revenge for last year and defeated the NBL turned barnstorming Detroit Eagles 43–41 in the championship game because hobbled veteran Leroy Edwards scored five quick points off the bench late in the game for Oshkosh.^[2]^[3] This was the first and only time in tournament history that the championship round was a rematch of the previous tournament's championship. The All-Stars' players were given a prize of gold watches for winning the tournament.^[1] The Long Island Grumman Flyers came in third after beating the Harlem Globetrotters 43–41 themselves in the third-place game.^[2] Ed Riska of the Oshkosh All-Stars was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Gene Englund led all scorers with 54 points, while Riska came second with 50.^[4]

Results

Bracket

Round 1		Quarterfinals		Semifinals		Final

Davenport Central Turner Rockets	29

Oshkosh All-Stars	44
		Oshkosh All-Stars	44

		New York Renaissance	38
New York Renaissance	55

Michigan City Steelers	37
				Oshkosh All-Stars	48

				Harlem Globetrotters	41
Harlem Globetrotters	40

Hagerstown Conoco Oilers	33
		Harlem Globetrotters	37

		Sheboygan Red Skins	32
Sheboygan Red Skins	34

Columbus Bobb Chevrolets	26
						Oshkosh All-Stars	43

						Detroit Eagles	41
Detroit Eagles	46

Toledo White Huts	29
		Detroit Eagles	40

		Aberdeen Army Ordnance Training Center	34
Aberdeen Army Ordnance Training Center	56

Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons	42
				Detroit Eagles	44

				Long Island Grumman Flyers	43
Long Island Grumman Flyers	54					Third place

Indianapolis Kautskys	32
		Long Island Grumman Flyers	48			Harlem Globetrotters	41

		Chicago Bruins	38			Long Island Grumman Flyers	43
Chicago Bruins	56

Detroit AAA	46

Third place game

12 March 1942

Box score

Long Island Grumman Flyers 43, Harlem Globetrotters 41
Scoring by half: 24–16, 19–25
Pts: D. King – 16		Pts: T. Strong – 11

International Amphitheater
Attendance: 11,500
Referees: Enright, Messinger

Championship game

12 March 1942

Box score and recap

Oshkosh All-Stars 43, Detroit Eagles 41
Scoring by half: 20–12, 23–29
Pts: G. Englund – 17		Pts: B. Jeannette – 14

International Amphitheater
Attendance: 11,500
Referees: Kennedy, Kriznecky

Individual awards

Gene Englund of the Oshkosh All-Stars led this tournament in scoring with 52 points scored in four games played.^[5] In addition to that, Sonny Boswell of the New York Renaissance would score a record-high 32 points against the Michigan City Steelers (who might sometimes be referred to as the Northern Indiana Steelers or even just the Indiana Steelers instead), which would later be tied by Bob Tough in 1944 and wouldn't be broken until 1948.^[6]

All-Tournament Team

The WPBT initially listed an All-Tournament Team of ten players for this event at the time of its conclusion.^[7] However, following future years where they added a first team and second team, the WPBT would modify this All-Tournament Team to list out who was a first team member and who was a second team member for this particular year (which ultimately became the only time the WPBT would do such a thing throughout their history).^[6] The listing below features all ten of the original players showcased for the original All-Tournament Team, with the first and second team listings being officially revised versions done by the Chicago Herald American, the official organizers of the tournament, for future versions done in later years.

All-Tournament First Team

F – Ed Riska, Oshkosh All-Stars (MVP)
F – Dolly King, Long Island Grumman Flyers
C – Gene Englund, Oshkosh All-Stars
G – Jerry Bush, Detroit Eagles
G – Buddy Jeannette, Detroit Eagles

All-Tournament Second Team

F – Moe Becker, Aberdeen Army Ordnance Training Center
F – Sonny Boswell, New York Renaissance
C – Bernie Price, Harlem Globetrotters
G – Ed Milkovich, Hagerstown Conoco Oilers
G – Mickey Tierney, Chicago Bruins

References

1 2 Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-4006-1., p. 110
1 2 "Oshkosh Nips Detroit for World Cage Title". Democrat and Chronicle. March 12, 1942. p. 23. Retrieved April 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ Elliot Cushing (March 13, 1942). "Jerry Bush a Standout in Chicago Tourney -- So was Riska". Democrat and Chronicle. p. 29. Retrieved April 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Gene Englund". The Oshkosh Northwestern. March 13, 1942. p. 17. Retrieved April 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ 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. 217
1 2 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. 218
↑ Eddie McKenna (March 13, 1942). "Englund on All-Pro Tourney Team". Kenosha News. p. 10. Retrieved April 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

WPBT 1939-48 on apbr.org
1941-42 WPBT Tournament Overview on retroseasons.com
WORLD BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: 1941-1942 on Pro Basketball Encyclopedia

[1942Tournament-1] 1 2 Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-4006-1., p. 110

[oshkosh-nips-2] 1 2 "Oshkosh Nips Detroit for World Cage Title". Democrat and Chronicle. March 12, 1942. p. 23. Retrieved April 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

[3] Elliot Cushing (March 13, 1942). "Jerry Bush a Standout in Chicago Tourney -- So was Riska". Democrat and Chronicle. p. 29. Retrieved April 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

[4] "Gene Englund". The Oshkosh Northwestern. March 13, 1942. p. 17. Retrieved April 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

[5] 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. 217

[RecordsClarified-6] 1 2 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. 218

[7] Eddie McKenna (March 13, 1942). "Englund on All-Pro Tourney Team". Kenosha News. p. 10. Retrieved April 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

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