Director at Marquette University Law School - Lubar Center for Public Policy Research & Civic Education
Most people are familiar with the Negro Leagues of baseball, but few are aware of the Black Fives Era of basketball. Just after the game of basketball was invented in 1891, teams were called “fives” in reference to their five starting players. Basketball, like American society, was racially segregated & teams made up entirely of African American players were often known as “colored quints,” or “black fives.” The period of time between 1904 and when the NBA integrated in 1950, is known as the Black Five Era. During this time all-Black teams emerged, flourished, and excelled in urban industrial centers like New York, Washington, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and even Milwaukee. Barred from the Whites-only gymnasiums and athletic clubs, Black Fives teams played in church basements, armories, meeting halls and dance ballrooms. Rather than just isolated basketball games, these events also involved jazz music and dances before and after games. These teams would travel for months at a time, traveling thousands of miles, playing every night and twice on Sundays, often sleeping on the bus due to Jim Crow laws. Occasionally, they would play all white teams and faced ruthless name calling and overtly biased referees. The most famous team was the New York Renaissance or Rens, who had an 83% winning percentage and an 88 game win streak while barnstorming the country. 12 players from the Black Fives Era have been posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. #blackhistorymonth2024
The Black Fives were the inspiration for the Harlem Globetrotters who for decades played legitimate games. Their high point was in 1948 when they defeated the all-white Minneapolis Lakers. The Trotters were actually from Chicago and chose the name “Harlem” because it was the center of Black America. They didn’t play their first “home game” until 1969.
The Savoy Big Five from the South Side of Chicago still plays. They are now known as the Harlem Globetrotters. This amazing and legendary group is celebrating 98 years of basketball.
I knew some of this history and did not realize the NBA did not integrate until the 1950’s! That’s a lot to comprehend.
Dr. Jeff White
8mo
Great Share - Thanks!✊🏾👏🏾💪🏾🙌🏾
Val Shelby
8mo
Thanks for the great information
Former (Retired) Simulations Technician Contractor at Tec-Masters, Inc.
8moI knew about the Milwaukee Bears African American Baseball Team of 1923 but the 1937 Milwaukee Panthers Basketball Team remanded elusive because I could never track down the information in a quantifiable way. I even own memorabilia from the Bears but none from the Old School Panthers. The former professional basketball players from Milwaukee haven’t even mentioned or promoted any of this history. My family has been in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsi for decades and this was never discussed. The well known summer basketball Warning League was created by Vietnam Veteran and former Alderman Michael McGee Sr. in 1974 and just like our local youth greatly benefited from that endeavor, this is just another local basketball historical gem. Note: McGee created the Warning Basketball League after his return from Vietnam because he wanted to bring unity and hope to the city of Milwaukee during that tumultuous period in our history. This much older Milwaukee basketball story can now be stamped in time as well. Thank you again.