Part I of a multi-part series on George Crowe, the last living Harlem Rens player, covers his Indiana schoolboy basketball career.
George Crowe, Part 1: A Life In The Right Place At The Right Time
This weekend marks the 70th anniversary of the historic date (March 28, 1939) the all-black New York Renaissance defeated the Oshkosh All Stars to win the championship title in the inaugural World Professional Basketball Tournament at the Chicago Coliseum.
The New York Rens have been in the news a lot lately, so that might explain why these Nike retros are hot right now.
My earliest memories of him were of him teaching us basketball.
Rarely did he just stand by, he was always into it all.
As with any long-lived icon of sports, culture, and history, it is nearly impossible to encapsulate all of the thoughts and remembrances of people into one service, one article, one story, one comment. So, I will continue to share topics relating to John Isaacs from time to time, starting with these.
A man, a mentor, a teammate to all.
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.
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.
Two Black Fives Era birthdays this week, both merit consideration for the Basketball Hall of Fame, although one case is much stronger than the other.
In the winter following his rookie year in the Major Leagues, Baseball Hall of Fame member Larry Doby became the first African American player in the American Basketball League.