Chicago Crusaders
Encyclopedia
The Chicago Crusaders were an all-black barnstorming
basketball
club whose history ran from 1933 through 1947. Commonly billed as the "Western World's Colored Champions" the team's roster over the years featured about a dozen players who also were members of the better-known Harlem Globetrotters
and New York Renaissance
, both enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame
.
In the 1933-34 season Dick Hudson, who had previously managed the seminal Giles Post Legion and Savoy Big Five squads that had helped birth Abe Saperstein
's Globetrotters, converted his Hottentots into the Chicago Crusaders as something of a travelling name for the Savoy Big Five. Players that season included Jackie Bethards
, Al Johnson, Big Jack Mann, and Zack Clayton.
In 1934-35 the Crusaders made a highly-successful barnstorming tour of the Eastern USA, in contravention of the more-common practice of Eastern Seaboard clubs such as the Original Celtics
and Rens touring the cavernous MidWestern gyms. Their record that year was reported to be 112-10, including wins over such clubs back East as the Honey Russell All-Stars and Clarksville Oilers.
After a successful 1935-36 campaign, the 1936-37 Crusaders, now managed by Mahlon Roles, adopted the moniker of the Palmer House Indians, competing locally in Chicago's Windy City League. The Indians played their home games at then-brand-new DuSable High School
, winning a dozen straight to start the season before dropping a disappointing 53-31 decision to the visiting Rens. In this season the Crusaders notably added David "Big Dave" DeJernett
to their squad, making an early "Twin Towers" between DeJernett and former schoolboy rival Jack Mann. Bob "Red" Bolton of Colgate University
was another high-profile addition at guard.
In 1939-40 the Crusaders presented perhaps their strongest edition ever, as DeJernett and Al Johnson continued to start along with legendary Rens star Fats Jenkins
plus Agis Bray and Hillery Brown, both former Chicago Collegians. Late in the season the Crusaders were reported to have been "sidestepped" by the promoters of the Chicago World's Pro Tourney, which had been inaugurated the previous Spring & won by the Rens. The Pro Tourney took great pains to seed the Rens and Globetrotters in the same semifinal bracket to ensure that two black clubs would not meet in the Final for the World's title. This may have been a decisive factor in "sidestepping" the Crusaders' chances to compete in the local tournament.
In November 1940 the Harlem Globetrotters
, who had won the '40 World's title, announced that they had entered a type of player-exchange agreement with the now-redubbed Savoy Big Five. Most of the 1940 Crusaders -- DeJernett, Bray, Johnson, Brown -- were listed as parties to this exchange agreement. Although Abe Saperstein had spoken for years of his "farm team" this was the first verifiable instance of the Crusaders' taking a subordinate position to the Globetrotter unit. Within a few months Brown and Bray were regularly starting and leading the Trotters' first unit in scoring. The Savoy Big Five by the winter of 1941 was regularly playing games billed as the Harlem Globetrotters -- effectively becoming the Trotters' first official second touring unit.
Over the next six years the Crusaders occasionally played with one of their oldtime names such as Bray or Johnson as stars. Crusader-related players such as Brown or Mann also were commonly found to play for Thirties-reminiscent squads called the Chicago Collegians, the Olde-Tymers, or under the new moniker of the Chicago Monarchs.
Barnstorm (sports)
Barnstorming in athletics refers to sports teams or individuals that travel to various locations, usually small towns, to stage exhibition matches....
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
club whose history ran from 1933 through 1947. Commonly billed as the "Western World's Colored Champions" the team's roster over the years featured about a dozen players who also were members of the better-known Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
and New York Renaissance
New York Renaissance
The New York Renaissance, also known as the Renaissance Big Five and as the Rens, was an all-black professional basketball team established February 13, 1923, by Robert "Bob" Douglas in agreement with the Renaissance Casino and Ballroom...
, both enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
.
In the 1933-34 season Dick Hudson, who had previously managed the seminal Giles Post Legion and Savoy Big Five squads that had helped birth Abe Saperstein
Abe Saperstein
Abraham M. Saperstein was an owner and coach of the Savoy Big Five, which later became the Harlem Globetrotters...
's Globetrotters, converted his Hottentots into the Chicago Crusaders as something of a travelling name for the Savoy Big Five. Players that season included Jackie Bethards
Jackie Bethards
Jackie Bethards was a pre-WWII African American professional basketball player from Philadelphia. As a boy Bethards played at the Christian Street YMCA along with Charles "Tarzan" Cooper, Zack Clayton, and Bill Yancey...
, Al Johnson, Big Jack Mann, and Zack Clayton.
In 1934-35 the Crusaders made a highly-successful barnstorming tour of the Eastern USA, in contravention of the more-common practice of Eastern Seaboard clubs such as the Original Celtics
Original Celtics
The Original Celtics were a barnstorming professional basketball team in the 1920s. There is no relation to the modern Boston Celtics. The Original Celtics are often credited with extending the reach of basketball across America and for establishing the importance of aggressive defensive play...
and Rens touring the cavernous MidWestern gyms. Their record that year was reported to be 112-10, including wins over such clubs back East as the Honey Russell All-Stars and Clarksville Oilers.
After a successful 1935-36 campaign, the 1936-37 Crusaders, now managed by Mahlon Roles, adopted the moniker of the Palmer House Indians, competing locally in Chicago's Windy City League. The Indians played their home games at then-brand-new DuSable High School
DuSable High School
DuSable High School was a public high school in Chicago opened in the Bronzeville neighborhood in 1934. It was named after Chicago's first permanent non-native settler, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. DuSable was built to accommodate the growing Phillips High School in the 1930s. The campus was...
, winning a dozen straight to start the season before dropping a disappointing 53-31 decision to the visiting Rens. In this season the Crusaders notably added David "Big Dave" DeJernett
David "Big Dave" DeJernett
David "Big Dave" DeJernett was a pioneer of integration in early basketball in the United States. He is best known for leading the integrated Washington Hatchets to the Indiana state title as a high school junior in the 1929-30 season....
to their squad, making an early "Twin Towers" between DeJernett and former schoolboy rival Jack Mann. Bob "Red" Bolton of Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
was another high-profile addition at guard.
In 1939-40 the Crusaders presented perhaps their strongest edition ever, as DeJernett and Al Johnson continued to start along with legendary Rens star Fats Jenkins
Fats Jenkins
Clarence Reginald "Fats" Jenkins was an African American professional baseball and basketball player from about 1920 to 1940 when both professional sports were racially segregated...
plus Agis Bray and Hillery Brown, both former Chicago Collegians. Late in the season the Crusaders were reported to have been "sidestepped" by the promoters of the Chicago World's Pro Tourney, which had been inaugurated the previous Spring & won by the Rens. The Pro Tourney took great pains to seed the Rens and Globetrotters in the same semifinal bracket to ensure that two black clubs would not meet in the Final for the World's title. This may have been a decisive factor in "sidestepping" the Crusaders' chances to compete in the local tournament.
In November 1940 the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
, who had won the '40 World's title, announced that they had entered a type of player-exchange agreement with the now-redubbed Savoy Big Five. Most of the 1940 Crusaders -- DeJernett, Bray, Johnson, Brown -- were listed as parties to this exchange agreement. Although Abe Saperstein had spoken for years of his "farm team" this was the first verifiable instance of the Crusaders' taking a subordinate position to the Globetrotter unit. Within a few months Brown and Bray were regularly starting and leading the Trotters' first unit in scoring. The Savoy Big Five by the winter of 1941 was regularly playing games billed as the Harlem Globetrotters -- effectively becoming the Trotters' first official second touring unit.
Over the next six years the Crusaders occasionally played with one of their oldtime names such as Bray or Johnson as stars. Crusader-related players such as Brown or Mann also were commonly found to play for Thirties-reminiscent squads called the Chicago Collegians, the Olde-Tymers, or under the new moniker of the Chicago Monarchs.