It’s with deep sorrow that I report the passing of John “Boy Wonder” Isaacs. John passed away this morning at the Albert Einstein Hospital in the Bronx, New York. He had suffered a stroke last week, from which he never arose. He was 93 years old.
R.I.P. John ‘Boy Wonder’ Isaacs, 1915-2009
The New York Rens, the first black-owned, all-black, fully professional basketball team, debuted on November 3, 1923, beating the Collegiate Five, an all-white team, at the Renaissance Ballroom in Harlem. Team owner Robert Douglas, who was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973, had announced his plans to the public just a few… Read more »
On October 13, 1910, history was made when Major A. Hart formed the first all-black play-for-pay basketball team, a new squad called the New York All Stars.
Judging from what I saw at the 16th Annual John Henry “Pop” Lloyd Humanitarian and Youth Awards in Atlantic City last weekend, this event just keeps getting better.
When SLAM asked me to write something about 93-year-old former professional basketball player John Isaacs, I wanted to go beyond what’s been told (and retold) before. I wanted to tell what matters most.
Adrian Dantley finally got elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He’ll be enshrined on Friday in a ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts, along with several other players, coaches, and contributors including Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, and Pat Riley. Among other things, I like Dantley’s unselfishness and perspective when it comes to recognizing his… Read more »
The building’s gymnasium was the site of many early games between African American basketball teams, including the Washington 12 Streeters led by Edwin B. Henderson.
Brandon Jennings has made history. Now. Jennings’ move reminds us of Dolly King in ’41. He’s the #1 ranked high school basketball player who could have played in the N.B.A. if it weren’t for the league’s artificial age limit. He’s the Dominguez High School and Oak Hill Academy product from Compton, Ca., who could have… Read more »
The site of the former home of Smart Set Athletic Club founding father Edwin F. Horne, grandfather of Lena Horne, is now a playground in the Bed-Stuy section of Brooklyn.
Did your 2008 N.B.A. Draft predictions come true? One kid you’ll definitely hear about next year is already making news today. He may become the first player to go directly from high school in America to the pros in Europe. His name is Brandon Jennings: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJpqtynQOAM You may have seen Bill Rhoden’s column about Jennings… Read more »
3,497
Black Fives Foundation
We inspire excellence by preserving, teaching, and honoring the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball.
Congratulations to our Education and Leadership Ambassador @kamoreaarnold for her first @ncaa Tourney appearance with @uconnwbb who she idolized as a youngster with posters on her wall. Manifestation, one moment at a time! Truly breathtaking! Best wishes KK! Make History Now! 💪🏽😤🔥
Sneak Peek! If you’re in Indianapolis for the NBA All-Star Weekend, please stop by the @ebbetsvintage pop-up shop at 50 South Meridian for the launch of our new Black Fives x Ebbets Field Flannels collection featuring the New York Rens. Open 10 AM to 10 PM. #RENS100 #makehistorynow #bhm
Limited Edition “Make History Now” Black Fives x Big East BHM Cotton Long Sleeve ![]()
![]()
Though you aren’t a BIG EAST basketball player, you can still have this cotton long-sleeve tee version of their performance warm-up shirt.![]()
![]()
The shirt graphic is the same. It’s the Black Fives x BIG EAST commemorative partnership logo with the Make History Now slogan on a cotton long-sleeve tee shirt to celebrate BHM2024 and honor early African-American basketball teams paired up with BIG EAST member schools.![]()
![]()
Learn more in our bio link ⬆️