In its first enshrinement class, the newly created Franklin (Indiana) High School Alumni Hall of Fame will induct basketball pioneer George Crowe tomorrow.
Franklin (IN) HS Alumni HOF to Induct George Crowe, First Indiana ‘Mr. Basketball’ and a New York Rens Star
Two baseball writers speculate on why more baseball writers didn’t know about George Crowe’s death.
Crowe, a 1943 graduate of Indiana Central, was a three-sport star for the Greyhounds in basketball, baseball and track. Known as a great scorer and rebounder on the hardwood, Crowe was an all-state player in 1941 when the cagers finished ninth in the country.
Part 3 of a multi-part series on George Crowe, the last living New York (Harlem) Rens player, covers his stellar collegiate career and military experiences.
In 1939, Indiana high school basketball star George Crowe was involved in a race-related controversy — not his own doing — that received widespread newspaper coverage at the time but has been lost in history since, buried so deeply that even Crowe himself, today, can’t recall there was ever any fuss. But there was. And it revealed the ahead-of-its-time greatness of Indiana.
Part I of a multi-part series on George Crowe, the last living Harlem Rens player, covers his Indiana schoolboy basketball career.
This article by Sonja Steptoe is from the Sports Illustrated archives (the “SI Vault”), and originally appeared in print in the magazine’s December 24, 1990 issue. We felt it would be appropriate to re-publish the article here now, in honor of John “Boy Wonder” Isaacs, the former basketball star with the New York Rens (of Harlem) who passed away Monday morning at the age of 93. It’s easy to see why Mr. Isaacs was such a hero and friend to so many.
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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 ![]()
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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.![]()
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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.![]()
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