NBA History

You never know where you will learn something. While getting my car worked on this weekend, I peeked out a documentary made by NBA Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul Jabbar about what he called was the "greatest team that you never heard of." The Harlem Rens (short for renaissance) played out of the Renaissance Casino and Ballroom at 138th St and Seventh Avenue from 1922 to 1948. They were created by future Hall-of-Fame manager Bob Douglas, who made a agreement with William Roach, the owner of the Ballroom to help promote the ballroom.

The Big R Five as they were called became America's first all-black, black-owned fully professional basketball team. Players included team captain and point guard Clarence "Fats" Jenkins, James "Pappy" Ricks and Frank "Strangler" Forbes. Aside from loving the nicknames, these guys also played in the Negro baseball Leagues. William "Pop" Gates and Charles "Tarzan" Cooper are Hall-of-Famers. John Isaacs, who has a street named after him in Harlem, was a youth counselor at the Madison Square Boys and Girls for more than 50 years after his playing days.

These players helped the "Rens" compile a 2,588 - 529 record. According to the Basketball Hall of Fame website, this team at one time won 88 straight games. The team took on all comers, which included wins against the Boston Celtics, the dominant team of the day. "I was raised hearing that the Celtics were the greatest team of all time," said Richard Lapchick, son of Celtic Joe Lapchick. "My dad's friends would say that and all our neighbors would say that. But he would correct them and say, 'The Rens were every bit as good as we were in the beginning and were better than us in the end.'"

Their success paved the way for the creation of the Harlem Globetrotters in 1927. It is here that I come clean and admit that I did not know that the Globetrotters actually were from Chicago.  

The Rens peaked in 1939 by winning the first ever World Professional Basketball Championship. First ever, black or white. Their title included a win over the rival Globetrotters in the third round.

Despite this win, they were still denied entry in what is now the NBA. Glad to see times have changed.