The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-04-07
By GEORGE W. GADDY III

BY GEORGE W. GADDY III
The recent Worlds basketball
tournament al Chicago Stadium in
the Windy City5 marked the end
Of an era, an era OF great Negro
basketball teams.
Missing for the first time IN the
entire seven-year history OF the
tourney from the rolls OF the teams
finishing first. second or third. were
the names OF such sepia basket
oall greats as: Johnnie lssacs,
Pop" Gates, PIGGY Bell, lack
Clayton. Dolly King. Eyrie Saitch,
Wee Willie Smith. Bernie Price.
Babe" Presley, Sonny Boswell,
Duck Cumberland and Hank De-
Zonie
THE FORMER 1910 world cham
pion New York Rens. with Bell,
Smith. Clayton. DeZonie and the
l9-year-old sensation OF the tour
ney. Eddie Wright, in their lineup
finished fourth.
The Harlem Globetrotters, world
champs in l94l. finished in four
way tie for fifth place in the cur
rent meet. Their lineup included:
Price Presley. Cumberland and
Charles Isles.
Long Islands Grammar Flyers,
a mixed quintet built around Dolly
King. Pop Gates and Johnnie
TsSacs. were eliminated in their
first tourney start.
The moral Of this tale seems
TO be, Together we stand, d.
vided we fall"
For various reasons the IL or Is
better Negro basketeers find them
selves scattered through three diff
ferent teams. With reserve ranks
riddled by the armed forces. these
veterans were called upon to play
entire games. In the end they were
swamped by the taller. faster, and
more well-rounded squads OF the
opposition.
THE RENS lost by % points 10
the champion Fort Wayne Zollners
The Globetrotters blew a l4-point
third quarter lead in losing to the
Chicago Gears quintet The Grum-
man Flyers made only q points
while losing in the first round to
the Dayton AGNES by a l6-point
margin
The veteran New York Rens,
while losing. played some OF the
BEST basketball of the tourney. On
their first appearance they broke
the tourney scoring record in de-
feating the indianapolis Stars,
$3.50
"Puggy" Bell and Eddie Wright
were the choice Of the fans as
the most popular players In the
meet. The stocky Bell gave .
great exhibition of individual
prowess and team play in scoring
56 points In the four games. while
being the backbone Of the Rens
defensive PLAY.
EDDIE WRIGHT, Rens forward
and former BI.U. star. put on the
finest dribbling act ever witnessed
n the tournament play The 49,
vear-old ex-collegian personally
firoze" the ball for the last three
minutes OF the Rens- Pittsburgh
Raider contest. He used both
hands in dribbling under, around.
and through the baffled Raider
team
With a backlog of about FIVE
Young players. plus a few vets OF
n y o. ~
prominence enjoyed by Negro
quintets seems ended. The solu-
ton of the problem lies in the in
fusion OF new blood
For the Negro teams TO retain
their present lucrative drawing
power their hackers should cease
Wailng about the war and Selec-
tive service inroads. and cultivate
an interest in the BIG city. munich
pal and the Negro college basket
5e'l programs
The advantages and the returns
20 be gained by playing a few
wears Of biz league basketball
should pc made clear 10 all young
PLAYERS
With well publcized program
and a JudiciouS scouting system
me pros would find a ready-made
solution 10 their replacement prob
lens
DETROIT, win one Of he best
.ntcgrated rccrestional programs
IN the country has 1T lcas, two
dozen promising Young Negro
AnopsterS cager FOR crack al
D'7ecr basketball laurcls.
Charley Justice. major doro nj
the UAW-CIO Local IA ouintct
IS attempting 20 corral - OF tho
oeSt players for a planned invasion
o. ne PRO ranks next season
Among the p'avers coveted arc
C9z.e Goats. Mel Bryant. Richar-
$" ns0n. and William RIDLEY. al
/ former colie7ians. Ollie Clark
JACK VAUGHN Avery Jack on. Yer