Washington Bears

For the athletic program of Washington University in St. Louis, see Washington University Bears.

The Washington Bears were an all-black professional basketball team of the 1940s.

Sponsored by movie theater owner Abe Lichtman, the Bears played their home games at Turner's Arena in Washington, DC.[1] Most of the team was composed of former New York Renaissance players, such as Pop Gates,[2] Tarzan Cooper, Jackie Bethards, and John Isaacs. In 1943, the Bears achieved a 41-0 record and won the World Professional Basketball Tournament, defeating the Oshkosh All-Stars in the championship game.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Claude Johnson. "Forget Patriots: Check Out This Perfect Season". Black Fives. February 15, 2008. Retrieved on January 29, 2009.
  2. ↑ David L. Porter. Basketball: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood Publishing, 2005. 165.