The 1944–45 NBL season was the tenth National Basketball League (NBL) season. The regular season began on November 25, 1944, and ran until March 4, 1945. The playoffs began on March 5, 1945, and concluded on March 18, 1945, with the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons winning their second consecutive NBL title over the Sheboygan Red Skins in a rematch of the previous two NBL Championships, with this one ending in a reverse sweep for Fort Wayne after previously being down 0–2 in this series.
For the 1944–45 season, the league returned to an Eastern and Western division format, with three teams in each division. The league was still impacted by World War II, although to a lesser degree than the previous two seasons. The record to adding in divisions would be implemented despite the NBL having less teams in the league this season than their first two seasons they were without divisions at hand by having six teams this season against seven teams in those prior seasons.
Teams Two teams joined the league prior to the season, bringing the total number of teams back up to six. Similar to the Cleveland franchise that joined the NBL during the previous season, the Chicago American Gears were a new team owned by Maurice White's American Gear & Manufacturing Company that jumped up from the Amateur Athletic Union to the NBL after playing in the AAU for at least one season beforehand., pp. 2–3 Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Raiders were a returning franchise that previously played in the NBL as the Pittsburgh Pirates before leaving the NBL in its second season under that name and going under what can be seen as a hiatus of sorts for four seasons before returning to the NBL under their new Raiders team name. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Chase Brassmen renamed themselves into the Cleveland Allmen Transfers. Eastern DivisionCleveland Allmen Transfers Cleveland, OhioFort Wayne Zollner Pistons Fort Wayne, IndianaPittsburgh Raiders Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaWestern DivisionChicago American Gears Chicago, IllinoisOshkosh All-Stars Oshkosh, WisconsinSheboygan Red Skins Sheboygan, Wisconsin +Coaching changesOffseason Team 1943–44 coach 1944–45 coachCleveland Allmen TransfersBill Brownell (player-coach)Joseph J. CarlinSheboygan Red SkinsCarl RothDutch DehnertIn-season Team Outgoing coach Incoming coachChicago American GearsJack Tierney, pp. 7, 21Swede Roos
Preseason Prior to the season commencing, the defending champion Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons defeated what were previously considered the undefeated College All-Stars (which was composed of what was considered to be the best, most elite senior college basketball players of the time throughout a yearly basis) by a 44–38 final score in what was dubbed as the "College All-Star Classic" under the handling of the Chicago Herald American, who also set up the World Professional Basketball Tournament setting during the spring., p. 132 There was also a major rule change implemented prior to the season, with goaltending being abolished due to the rise of larger centers like George Mikan and Bob Kurland being found within college basketball during this period in time. (Before their discovery, it was very rare, if not nearly impossible for players to try and utilize goaltending to their advantage due to the combination of a lack of height and athletic (jumping) prowess being in mind.), p. 131
Regular season The regular season featured a 30-game schedule, where each team would play every other team six times (three at home, three away).
Following the successes of the Allies in Europe, some American soldiers were beginning to return home from the war front by early 1945, which helped lead to a renewed interest in professional basketball across the nation., p. 135
Final standings
Postseason
Playoffs The top two teams from each division qualified for the playoffs. The first round pitted the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons against the Cleveland Allmen Transfers in the Eastern Division semifinal. The Sheboygan Red Skins and the Chicago American Gears qualified to play in the Western Division semifinal. The semifinals were played in a best-of-three format with the series winners qualifying for the finals., p. 137
Fort Wayne and Sheboygan both returned to the finals for the third consecutive season, after the Zollner Pistons swept the Allmen Transfers 2–0 and the Red Skins defeated the American Gears 2–1., pp. 137–138
Finals The NBL Championship series was played under a best-of-five format, with the low seed hosting the first two games and the high seed hosting the up to three remaining games. The first two games were played at the Sheboygan Armory in Sheboygan and were sellouts. Game 1 resulted in a 65–53 Sheboygan victory, after the Red Skins opened up a lead early on and weathered multiple Pistons comeback attempts. Dick Schulz led the Red Skins with 18 points and Ed Sadowski scored 17 for the Pistons.The second game was another Sheboygan victory, with the Red Skins winning 50–47 in a back-and-forth affair. Ed Dancker scored over half of Sheboygan's points with 29, while Bobby McDermott led a more spread out Pistons offense with 11 points.The series shifted to Fort Wayne for the third game, which saw Fort Wayne defeat Sheboygan 58–47 to narrow Sheboygan's lead in the series to one game. The Pistons opened up a large first-half lead and survived a third-quarter comeback attempt by the Red Skins to secure the victory. Former Red Skin Buddy Jeannette led the Pistons with 13 points, while Rube Lautenschlager paced the Red Skins with 11.The Pistons tied the series in a noncompetitive fourth game, winning in a 58–41 blowout. McDermott scored 15 points for Fort Wayne, while Schulz and Dancker each scored 11 for Sheboygan.After the fourth game, Sheboygan coach Dutch Dehnert received news that his son was killed in action in Nazi Germany. Dehnert left the team and traveled to New York, with Dancker taking over as Sheboygan's coach for the fifth game.
The Pistons completed the "reverse sweep" and sealed their second consecutive NBL title with a 59–49 victory in the fifth and final game. McDermott once again led the Pistons with 19 points, while Schulz and Bobby Holm each had 11 for the Red Skins., pp. 138–139
Bracket
World Professional Basketball Tournament
Following the completion of the NBL season, every NBL team except the Sheboygan Red Skins participated in the 1945 edition of the World Professional Basketball Tournament in Chicago., pp. 139–141
The Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons won their second consecutive WPBT title, defeating the Dayton Acmes 78–52. Buddy Jeannette earned his second tournament MVP.
NBL All-Star Game Two days after winning their second WPBT championship, the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons won 59–47 over the NBL's All-Star Team. 3,000 people saw the game at the North Side High School Gym in Fort Wayne, Indiana., p. 141 Following the game's conclusion, when describing the game in greater detail, The Fort Wayne-Journal Gazette's reporter, Bob Reed, summed up the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons in what would be described as completing the "Grand Slam of Professional Basketball" by successfully winning the "College All-Star Classic" of 1944, obtaining the best record of the 1944–45 NBL season, winning the 1945 NBL Playoffs' Championship, winning the 1945 World Professional Basketball Tournament, and most recently winning the 1945 NBL All-Star Game for good measure., p. 20
Statistics Category Player Team Stat Points Mel Riebe Cleveland Allmen Transfers 607 Free-Throws Mel Riebe Cleveland Allmen Transfers 161 Field goals Bobby McDermott Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 258 Note: Prior to the 1969–70 NBA season, league leaders in points were determined by totals rather than averages. Rebounding and assist numbers were not recorded properly in the NBL like they would be in the BAA/NBA, as would field goal and free-throw shooting percentages.
Awards NBL Most Valuable Player: Bobby McDermott, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons NBL Coach of the Year: Bobby McDermott, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons NBL Rookie of the Year: Stan Patrick, Chicago American Gears
All-NBL First Team: G/F – Mel Riebe, Cleveland Allmen Transfers F/G – Stan Patrick, Chicago American Gears C/F – Leroy Edwards, Oshkosh All-Stars G – Buddy Jeannette, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons G – Bobby McDermott, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons All-NBL Second Team: F/C – Jake Pelkington, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons C/F – Ed Dancker, Sheboygan Red Skins C – Huck Hartman, Pittsburgh Raiders G/F – Jerry Bush, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons G – Dick Triptow, Chicago American Gears
All-Time Stars of Professional Basketball Near the end of the regular season, the six managers (most of whom were also head coaches) of the NBL's teams for this season (Jack Tierney for Chicago, Jeff Carlin for Cleveland, Carl Bennett for Fort Wayne, Lon Darling for Oshkosh, Joe Urso for Pittsburgh, and Dutch Dehnert for Sheboygan) were polled to vote for what was called the "All-Time Stars of Professional Basketball". The players being voted on included both NBL players and players that were on other professional basketball leagues like the rivaling American Basketball League, with the players being voted on first and second teams for these honors, as well as the honorable mention team., p. 137 Bolded players showcase those that are currently active NBL players as of this season, while italic players are those who had previously played in the NBL at one point in time. Notably, as of 2026, only Leroy Edwards has yet to enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in terms of the First Team entries there.
All-Time Stars of Professional Basketball First Team: G/F – Nat Holman G/F – Dutch Dehnert, Sheboygan Red Skins (current head coach/general manager) F/C – Leroy Edwards, Oshkosh All-Stars G – Bobby McDermott, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons G – John Beckman All-Time Stars of Professional Basketball Second Team: G/F – Nat Hickey, Pittsburgh Raiders C – Wee Willie Smith, New York Renaissance C – Joe Lapchick F – Jerry Bush, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons G – Buddy Jeannette, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
All-Time Stars of Professional Basketball Honorable Mention Team: G/F – Curly Armstrong, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons G/F – Eddie Riska, Oshkosh All-Stars C – Ed Dancker, Sheboygan Red Skins G – Bennie Borgmann G – Davey Banks
See also National Basketball League (United States)
References
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