Of Red Auerbach, Red Holzman, Red Sarachek, etc.
Finally got around to watching "The First Basket," released on DVD earlier this month (suggested retail, $24.99), whose subtitle pretty much sums it up:
"The Greatest Jewish Basketball Documentary Ever."
Writer/producer/director David Vyorst and narrator Peter Riegert cover the influence Jews had on the early decades of basketball - including their domination of the first Knicks lineup in 1946-47 and the fact one of them, Ossie Schectman, scored the first basket in the history of what is now known as the NBA.
The subject of Jews in sports often requires a tricky balance of self-deprecating humor and justifiable pride, and this documentary strikes it well.
Bottom line: For the first half of the 20th century, hoops at its highest levels - especially in New York - was the Jewish-American national pastime.
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Comments (8)
Basketball is easily the number 1 sport in the 505.
And there is no doubt that there is a strong Jewish influence on that.
Cuz the Official State Motto is..
"Red Orgreen"
The Jewish Community Center in Rochester, which I very multiculturally belonged to for close to a decade, has some very beautiful stained glass windows depicting Les Harrison, Basketball Hall of Famer and founder of the Rochester Royals (now Sacramento Kings after many moves and name changes).
Les's biggest claim to fame was defeating the Knicks for the franchise's still-only NBA title in 1951. His most dubious move was trading the 1956 #1 pick to Boston in exchange for the promise of a one-week stop in Rochester by the Ice Capades (co-owned with Celtics management) at the arena Harrison controlled.
That pick, of course, went to select one Bill Russell, and the remainder of the NBA left Rochester the following year.
Isn't the Jewish presence in sports writing really strong: Leonard Koppett, Shirley Povich, Maury Allen, Howard Cosell, Neil Best to name a few.. I don't know about the greatest sports writer ever, Bat Masterson. But he was born in Canada as was the inventor of basketball, James Naismith. Perhaps you can use that if you ever try to get a job with the Hockey News: Canada gave us Bat, US of A will give you Best.
Ray is wrong about Les Harrison trading the pick the Celtics used for Russell. They used the pick to draft Si Green out of Duquesne. The Royals had power forwards in Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman and the only game Les Harrison saw Bill Russell play in, he didn't do well. So he drafted a guard The St Louis Hawks drafted Bill Russell and traded him for Ed MacAuley (a six time all star from St Louis) and Cliff Hagan, who was finishing up a three year military hitch. MacAuley, Hagan and the Hawks did win the 1958 NBA championship. Si Green joined the Hawks for the 1959 and 1960 teams that lost in the finals to the Celtics. He finished his career with the Celtics in 1966 but didn't play in the playoffs.
Sihugo Green played for Boys High in Bed-Stuy! So did Connie Hawkins, Lenny Wilkens and Pearl Washington.
Jews used to rule boxing too, even if they changed their names to something more acceptable for the early 20th century racists.
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