I betchu I can connect any modern day athlete or event to vintage basketball star and African American sports pioneer Frank ‘Strangler’ Forbes.
Six Degrees of Frank ‘Strangler’ Forbes, A Sports Trivia Game
William ‘Dolly’ King excelled in football, basketball, and baseball at Long Island University before starring in basketball with the Rens and other pro teams.
Bill Rhoden’s latest column will likely make you disappointed in David Stern and his N.B.A., or the Rev. Calvin Butts III and his Abyssinian Development Corporation (ADC).
Recently, Converse and Black Fives staged a vintage basketball cage game re-enactment — a game between the New York (Harlem) Rens and the Washington (DC) 12 Streeters played inside a wire mesh cage. These are some of the highlights presented in a slide show: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILCKoSmOCkQ The game was played according to vintage Black Fives Era… Read more »
The “Rens” attracted the best African American talent in basketball. The team’s original lineup included future Basketball Hall of Famers Clarence “Fats” Jenkins and James “Pappy” Ricks, as well as Frank “Strangler” Forbes and Leon Monde. All four of these men also played professional baseball in the Negro Leagues.
I got a chance to check out the new Converse 2008 Century Collection at their special sneak peak in SoHo the other day. The new collection features its own Black Fives line, which had some intriguing pieces.
Robert “Bob” Douglas was by far the most successful basketball team owner of the Black Fives Era.