Original Celtics
Encyclopedia
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. As a group, the team was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame
in 1959.
The team's roots lay in the New York Celtics team that disbanded during World War I. In 1918, James Furey assembled his own team around a nucleus of those truly "original" Celtics, adding other players mostly from the West Side of New York City, and defiantly called his new squad the Original Celtics. Initially they played in various struggling professional leagues, before becoming primarily a touring squad which traveled up to 150,000 miles a year while completing a 150-200 game schedule. They won about ninety percent of their games and finished 1922-23 with the unbelievable record of 193-11-1. Hoping to claim an undisputed national championship, they challenged the nationally famous Franklin Wonder Five
, but the Franklin coach refused as his team "was too tired" after a grueling year.
The team's first dominant player was "Dutch" Dehnert
, a 6'1" (1.85 m) standing guard whom some credit with introducing the modern concept of pivot play. When ballhandling wizard Nat Holman
(later to coach national championship teams at CCNY
) was signed to play for then-coach John Whitty in 1922, the Original Celtics hit their stride.
Other outstanding individual players on these squads were another "big man", Joe Lapchick
; John Beckman
, called the "Babe Ruth of basketball"; George "Horse" Haggerty; and speedy Davey Banks.
In 1926, the American Basketball League
, developed by sports entrepreneur George Preston Marshall
, effectively railroaded the team into joining its ranks by prohibiting member teams from playing against them. The Original Celtics responded by so dominating the league in their first two seasons that the league forced them to break up and apportioned their players to the other teams. The strategy backfired as game attendance plummeted and, further deflated by the Great Depression
, the A.B.L. folded after the 1931 season. The Original Celtics briefly reorganized as a barnstorming team in the 1930s, but never replicated their initial glory.
Barnstorm (sports)
Barnstorming in athletics refers to sports teams or individuals that travel to various locations, usually small towns, to stage exhibition matches....
professional 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...
team in the 1920s. There is no relation to the modern Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
. The Original Celtics are often credited with extending the reach of basketball across America and for establishing the importance of aggressive defensive play. As a group, the team was enshrined into 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 1959.
The team's roots lay in the New York Celtics team that disbanded during World War I. In 1918, James Furey assembled his own team around a nucleus of those truly "original" Celtics, adding other players mostly from the West Side of New York City, and defiantly called his new squad the Original Celtics. Initially they played in various struggling professional leagues, before becoming primarily a touring squad which traveled up to 150,000 miles a year while completing a 150-200 game schedule. They won about ninety percent of their games and finished 1922-23 with the unbelievable record of 193-11-1. Hoping to claim an undisputed national championship, they challenged the nationally famous Franklin Wonder Five
Franklin Wonder Five
The Franklin Wonder Five was a 1920s basketball team from Indiana's "Hoosier Hysteria" era. With basketball king in Indiana, the team from Franklin was dubbed the “Wonder Five”. This small town about 20 miles south of Indianapolis produced a team that captured the Indiana State Basketball...
, but the Franklin coach refused as his team "was too tired" after a grueling year.
The team's first dominant player was "Dutch" Dehnert
Dutch Dehnert
Henry G. "Dutch" Dehnert was an American basketball player whose career lasted from 1915 to 1935....
, a 6'1" (1.85 m) standing guard whom some credit with introducing the modern concept of pivot play. When ballhandling wizard Nat Holman
Nat Holman
Nat Holman was one of the early pro basketball players and one of the game's most important innovators.-Career:...
(later to coach national championship teams at CCNY
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
) was signed to play for then-coach John Whitty in 1922, the Original Celtics hit their stride.
Other outstanding individual players on these squads were another "big man", Joe Lapchick
Joe Lapchick
Joseph Bohomiel Lapchick was a professional basketball player, mostly known for playing with the Original Celtics in the 1920s and 30s. He is commonly regarded as the best center of his era, overshadowed in his later years only by Tarzan Cooper...
; John Beckman
John Beckman
John Beckman was an early professional basketball player.During his 27 years lasting pro career he was known as the "Babe Ruth of basketball"...
, called the "Babe Ruth of basketball"; George "Horse" Haggerty; and speedy Davey Banks.
In 1926, the American Basketball League
American Basketball League (1925-1955)
The American Basketball League was an early professional basketball league. During six seasons from 1925-26 to 1930-31, the ABL was the first attempt to create a major professional basketball league in the United States...
, developed by sports entrepreneur George Preston Marshall
George Preston Marshall
George Preston Marshall was the owner and president of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League from 1932 until his death in 1969.-Contributions:...
, effectively railroaded the team into joining its ranks by prohibiting member teams from playing against them. The Original Celtics responded by so dominating the league in their first two seasons that the league forced them to break up and apportioned their players to the other teams. The strategy backfired as game attendance plummeted and, further deflated by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the A.B.L. folded after the 1931 season. The Original Celtics briefly reorganized as a barnstorming team in the 1930s, but never replicated their initial glory.
Year-by-year
| Year | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921/22 | EBL | 1st (2nd half) | Champions |
| 1922/23 | MBL | N/A | N/A |
| 1926/27 | ABL | 4th (1st half); 1st (2nd half) | Champions |
| 1927/28 | ABL | 1st, Eastern | Champions |
| 1929/30 | ABL | N/A | N/A |
Notable players
Notable players with the Original Celtics include:- Lou BenderLou BenderLouis "Lulu" Bender was an American basketball player who helped turn the sport into a popular success in New York City during the Great Depression and helped make Madison Square Garden a destination for the sport. Bender was a three-time All-Ivy League and two-time All-America in the early 1930s...
(1910–2009), pioneer player with the Columbia LionsColumbia LionsThe Columbia University Lions are the collective athletic teams and their members from Columbia University, an Ivy League institution in New York City, United States. The current director of athletics is M...
and in early pro basketball, who was later a successful trial attorney.