Recap
Despite the gloomy national financial outlook, some optimistic investors formed a new organization, the National Professional Basketball League, in Detroit with Carl Storck as president. The membership included teams in Detroit and Jackson, in Michigan, and Dayton, Toledo, Columbus, and Canton in Ohio. Toledo, featuring ABL veterans Cookie Cunningham, Rich Deighan, and Len Sheppard took first-place in the first-half of the split season schedule. Detroit, featuring the strong defensive play of future University of Michigan head basketball coach Ernie McCoy, finished second, two games back.Dayton, which finished last in the first session, came alive to take first place in the second half after signing 6’6″ Charlie Gillium and veteran major-leaguer Jerry Sullivan from the ill-fated Syracuse ABL club. In the best of seven game playoffs, Toledo’s well-balanced attack wore down Dayton in six games to give the Red Men the first, and as it turned out, only NPBL championship.
I sincerely appreciate the research work, and the information being shared. It is important and interesting history.