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History of African Americans in Basketball

  • All black basketball teams (Black Fives) were established

  • First fully organized independent all black basketball teams established

  • Amateur all black Olympian athletic league formed

  • First inter-city basketball game played between two black teams

  • Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn was named the first colored basketball world champion

  • Howard University’s first Varsity Basketball team was created

  • Commonwealth 5, the first all-black “professional” team was founded

  • New York Renaissance was founded

  • Chicago Globetrotters were established

  • The New York, Harlem Globetrotters were founded

  • “Harlem” Globetrotters were founded

  • All-black New York Renaissance beat the all-white Oshkosh All-Stars in the World Pro Basketball Tournament

  • The all-white National Basketball League began to integrate with 10 black players joining two teams: the Toledo Gym White Chevrolet’s and The Chicago Studebakers

  • The National Basketball Association was fully-integrated