January is a difficult month for friends and fans of the New York “Rens” of Harlem, the all-black pro basketball team that played in 1920s, 30s, and 40s.
Remembering A Difficult Month For ‘Rens’ Friends, Fans
Henry “Hank” DeZonie, who was a star basketball player with the Harlem Yankees, New York Renaissance, Dayton Rens of the National Basketball League, and Tri-Cities Blackhawks of the National Basketball Association, died January 2, 2009, at Lenox Hill Hospital in Harlem. He would have been 87 years old yesterday.
Isaacs was born Sept. 15, 1915. After retiring from serious competition, he coached Tiny Archibald, Chris Mullin and a thousand others. Later, he became a counselor at the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club in The Bronx. He died Monday after a stroke. He was 93.
Though news coverage of the NBA’s upcoming racial integration was limited, there was enough to get a glimpse of what the milestone meant at the time.
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.
This is what makes it so difficult for some Black Fives Era players to be fairly considered for comparison and recognition by the committee members responsible for selecting inductees into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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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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