1.
1948 Summer Olympics
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The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin, the 1940 Games had been scheduled for Tokyo, and then for Helsinki, the 1944 Games had been provisionally planned for London. This was the occasion that London had hosted the Olympic Games. The 1948 games were the first of two summer Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Sigfrid Edström, the event came to be known as the Austerity Games, because of the economic climate and post-war rationing. No new venues were built for the games, and athletes were housed in existing accommodation in the Wembley area instead of an Olympic Village, as were the 1936 Games and the subsequent 1952 Games. A record 59 nations were represented by 4,104 athletes,3,714 men and 390 women, germany and Japan were refused permission to participate, the USSR was invited but chose not to send any athletes. The United States team won the most total medals,84, the host nation won 23 medals, three of them gold. One of the performers at the Games was Dutch sprinter Fanny Blankers-Koen. Dubbed The Flying Housewife, the 30-year-old mother of two won four medals in athletics. In the decathlon, American Bob Mathias became the youngest male ever to win an Olympic gold medal at the age of 17, the most individual medals were won by Veikko Huhtanen of Finland who took three golds, a silver and a bronze in mens gymnastics. In June 1939, the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1944 Olympic Summer Games to London, ahead of Rome, Detroit, Budapest, Lausanne, Helsinki, Montreal, World War II stopped the plans and the Games were cancelled so London again stood as a candidate for 1948. Britain almost handed the 1948 games to the USA due to financial and rationing problems. The official report of the London Olympics shows that there was no case of London being pressed to run the Games against its will. As a result, a committee was set up by the British Olympic Council to work out in some detail the possibility of holding the Games. After several meetings they recommended to the council that the Lord Mayor of London should be invited to apply for the allocation of the Games in 1948. In March 1946 the IOC, through a vote, gave the summer Games to London. London was selected ahead of Baltimore, Minneapolis, Lausanne, Los Angeles, London, which had previously hosted the 1908 Summer Olympics, became the second city to host the Olympics twice, Paris hosted the event in 1900 and 1924. It became the first city to host the Olympics for the time when London hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics. E
2.
United Kingdom
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
3.
London
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London /ˈlʌndən/ is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain and it was founded by the Romans, who named it Londinium. Londons ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its 1. 12-square-mile medieval boundaries. London is a global city in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism. It is crowned as the worlds largest financial centre and has the fifth- or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world, London is a world cultural capital. It is the worlds most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the worlds largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic, London is the worlds leading investment destination, hosting more international retailers and ultra high-net-worth individuals than any other city. Londons universities form the largest concentration of education institutes in Europe. In 2012, London became the first city to have hosted the modern Summer Olympic Games three times, London has a diverse range of people and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken in the region. Its estimated mid-2015 municipal population was 8,673,713, the largest of any city in the European Union, Londons urban area is the second most populous in the EU, after Paris, with 9,787,426 inhabitants at the 2011 census. The citys metropolitan area is the most populous in the EU with 13,879,757 inhabitants, the city-region therefore has a similar land area and population to that of the New York metropolitan area. London was the worlds most populous city from around 1831 to 1925, Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Pauls Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and The Shard. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world, the etymology of London is uncertain. It is an ancient name, found in sources from the 2nd century and it is recorded c.121 as Londinium, which points to Romano-British origin, and hand-written Roman tablets recovered in the city originating from AD 65/70-80 include the word Londinio. The earliest attempted explanation, now disregarded, is attributed to Geoffrey of Monmouth in Historia Regum Britanniae and this had it that the name originated from a supposed King Lud, who had allegedly taken over the city and named it Kaerlud. From 1898, it was accepted that the name was of Celtic origin and meant place belonging to a man called *Londinos. The ultimate difficulty lies in reconciling the Latin form Londinium with the modern Welsh Llundain, which should demand a form *lōndinion, from earlier *loundiniom. The possibility cannot be ruled out that the Welsh name was borrowed back in from English at a later date, and thus cannot be used as a basis from which to reconstruct the original name. Until 1889, the name London officially applied only to the City of London, two recent discoveries indicate probable very early settlements near the Thames in the London area
4.
United States men's national basketball team
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The USA Basketball Mens Senior National Team, commonly known as the United States Mens National Basketball Team, represents the United States in international mens basketball. The USA team is the most successful team in competition, winning medals in all eighteen Olympic tournaments it has entered. The United States is currently ranked first in the FIBA World Rankings, traditionally composed of amateur players, a 1989 rule change by FIBA allowed USA Basketball to field teams with professional players. The first such team, known as the Dream Team, won the medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. With the introduction of professionals, the team was able to spark a run of dominance after capturing only a bronze medal in 1988. A team of professional players competed at the 1994 FIBA World Championship, in 1996,2000,2008,2012, and 2016 the USA again captured gold medals at the Olympics. Facing increased competition, the USA failed to win a medal at the 2002 FIBA World Championship, determined to put an end to these failures, USA Basketball initiated a long-term project aimed at creating better, more cohesive teams. The USA won its first seven games at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan before losing against Greece in the semi-finals, the USA won gold two years later, though, at the 2008 Summer Olympics with a dominant performance. The USA continued this streak of dominance by going undefeated and capturing gold once more at the 2012 Summer Olympics,2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the United States possessed a clear advantage in the early decades of international play. Through the next six tournaments, the United States went undefeated, collecting gold while not losing a single contest in the held in London, Helsinki, Melbourne, Rome, Tokyo. Roster until the formation of the 1992 Dream Team, the 1952 team included big man Clyde Lovellette of the University of Kansas, a future Hall of Famer and NBA star, but Kurland once again led the team to victory. The 1956 team was led by San Francisco Dons Bill Russell, the 1972 Olympic mens basketball gold medal game, marking the first ever loss for the USA in Olympic play, is arguably the most controversial in Olympic history. The United States rode their seven consecutive gold medals and 63–0 Olympic record to Munich for the 1972 Summer Olympics, the team won its first eight games in convincing fashion, setting up a final against the Soviet Union. With three seconds left in the medal game, American forward Doug Collins sank two free throws to put the Americans up 50–49. However, the buzzer sounded before Collins second free throw, immediately following Collins free throws, the Soviets inbounded the ball and failed to score. But one official had whistled play to stop with one remaining after hearing the earlier horn. The Soviets argued that they had requested a timeout before Collins foul shots, the referees ordered the clock reset to three seconds and the games final seconds replayed. However, the clock was in the process of being reset when the referees put the ball in play
5.
France national basketball team
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The French national basketball team is the national basketball team representing France. It is administrated by the Fédération Française de Basket-Ball, France has been a regular at FIBA EuroBasket, with 37 appearances, the most of any nation. Its best results have been a medal at FIBA EuroBasket 2013. The French squad has won two silver medals at the Summer Olympics, in 1948 and 2000. Frances best result at the FIBA Basketball World Cup came in 2014, throughout its history, Frances national basketball team has experienced many ups and downs. The time periods where the team earned medals have been quite streaky. In Europe, team France started out as a fierce competitor and its period of glory at the world stage began in the late 1940s / early 1950s. At the 1948 Olympics in London, the France team led by Robert Busnel won an Olympic silver medal, the French finished second only to the United States. The following years were less glorious, Frances basketball team seemingly declined gradually to disappear almost completely from the two major world competitions during the 1960s and 1970s. After the disappointing 60s and 70s, the 1980s were marked by a generation of hope, counting in its ranks French basketball icons such as Richard Dacoury, Stephane Ostrowski, during this decade, France returned to the Olympics, and the 1986 FIBA World Championship. During the 1990s Team France had its moments to shine despite some internal struggles, at the European meetings, the team did not win a medal despite some good performances. The years 1999 and 2000, however, marked a turnaround for French basketball, in 2000, team France traveled to the Olympics in Sydney, full of ambition, which developed the means for major achievement. After this event, the Olympic vice-champion gained new backbone in Tony Parker who was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2001 NBA Draft, France lost the quarter-finals to Germany 77–81 and finished 6th place overall. During this time, most of Frances players cleared their spots for a new generation of players, the stated objective was the title, which would come as the second within a short time-period to Tony Parker who had won the NBA title only a few months ago. At the end, France even failed to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, hoping not to repeat the disappointing performance of 2003, Frances squad again saw some considerable changes in 2005. The new coach Claude Bergeaud, surprisingly also selected Frédéric Weis, a player once drafted at the 1999 NBA Draft. After a sobering first round, team France improved to stunning performances in the playoffs, first, France eliminated world champion Serbia-Montenegro on their home court, then the team defeated the European champion Lithuania. Then, in a game against Greece where both side battled each other through tough defense, France failed in the last second after leading by seven points,45 seconds before the game ended
6.
Brazil national basketball team
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The Brazil national basketball team represents Brazil in FIBAs basketball competitions. The team is governed by the Brazilian Basketball Confederation, abbreviated as CBB and they have been a member of the International Federation of Basketball since 1935. Brazils basketball team remains among the most successful in the Americas and it is the only team besides the United States that has appeared at every Basketball World Cup since it was first held in 1950. Basketball was initially introduced to Brazil by Professor Augusto Shaw in 1896, in 1912, he began organizing the first state tournament and in 1922 the first national team made its debut at games against Argentina and Uruguay. As in the case of football, South America was initially ahead of the rest of the world, in that decade, Brazilian basketball was supported by professional football clubs, to include it as a new sports section, although amateur in nature. Later, these clubs became professional and supported the team with world-class players. In the following years, Brazil became a regular at international competitions. Its basketball squad participated in the first official basketball tournament at the Summer Olympics 1936 in Berlin, in 1939, the first continental championship was held in Rio de Janeiro. In the 40s, basketball was catching on more layers of society, the sport received the ultimate accolade at the 1948 Olympic Games in London. There, against all odds, the directed by Moacyr Daiuto managed to achieve the bronze medal. The team recorded six wins until it stopped due to the semi-final defeat to France. In the bronze match, Brazil beat Mexico. They managed to feature ten amateur players, the pre-Olympic Brazil concentration was very poor in resources. After its time-consuming journey to London, the team was astonishment when they saw how the U. S. team practiced, Brazil only had two for the whole team. One of the pillars of Brazilian basketball was the boldness of its coaches. The father of all is Togo Renan Soares, Kanela. Working in the shadow of the giant football, Kanela understood that basketball would add more followers if it could offer new emotions. He aimed to get the media involved, so the game was conceived as a spectacle based on its dynamism
7.
Basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics
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Basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics was the third appearance of the sport. The top six teams at the 1948 Summer Olympics qualified automatically, as did the 1950 World Champion, thirteen other nations competed in a preliminary round to determine the last six places in the sixteen-team Olympic tournament. Nations that lost two games in the tournaments were eliminated. When there were two teams left in each group, those teams advanced to the main tournament. In the first round, Cuba and Bulgaria won, switzerland, 69–58 Cuba and Bulgaria played each other, with Bulgarias victory winning it a berth in the main tournament. The losers played each other, with Switzerlands second loss ejecting the nation from the tournament, switzerland, 59–49 The two teams that were 1–1 played each, with the winner receiving a tournament berth and the loser being eliminated. Belgium, 71–63 In the first round, Hungary and the Philippines won, israel, 57–47 Hungary and the Philippines played each other, with the Philippiness victory winning it a berth in the main tournament. The losers played each other, with Israels second loss ejecting the nation from the tournament, israel, 54–52 The two teams that were 1–1 played each, with the winner receiving a tournament berth and the loser being eliminated. Greece, 47–44 In the first round, Italy and Turkey were served their first losses, Turkey, 64–45 Romanias first game was a loss to Canada. Italy and Turkey played each other, with Turkeys second loss eliminating it, Turkey, 49–37 Italy and Romania, who had both lost once, played each other. Romanias second loss eliminated the nation from the tournament, undefeated nations Canada and Egypt played each other, with Egypt being served its first loss. Egypt, 63–57 Italy played its game of the tournament against Egypt. The decisive game ended with Egypt winning a berth to the main competition, Italy, 66–62 The top two teams in each group advanced to the quarterfinal round. Cuba, 66–55 The top two teams in each quarterfinals advanced to the semifinals, the other two teams in each quarterfinals played in the fifth through eighth place classification. Chile, 78–60 Each country was allowed to enter one team of 14 players, a total number of 317 players were entered. Up to now only two reserve player can be named,14 reserve players are unknown
8.
Basketball
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Basketball is a non-contact team sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of five players each. The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop 18 inches in diameter and 10 feet high that is mounted to a backboard at each end of the court. The game was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, a team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket being defended by the opposition team during regular play. A field goal scores three points for the team if the player shoots from behind the three-point line. A team can also score via free throws, which are worth one point, the team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but additional time is mandated when the score is tied at the end of regulation. The ball can be advanced on the court by passing it to a teammate and it is a violation to lift, or drag, ones pivot foot without dribbling the ball, to carry it, or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling. The game has many techniques for displaying skill—ball-handling, shooting, passing, dribbling, dunking, shot-blocking. The point guard directs the on court action of the team, implementing the coachs game plan, Basketball is one of the worlds most popular and widely viewed sports. Outside North America, the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as the Euroleague, the FIBA Basketball World Cup attracts the top national teams from around the world. Each continent hosts regional competitions for teams, like EuroBasket. The FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup features the top womens basketball teams from continental championships. The main North American league is the WNBA, whereas the EuroLeague Women has been dominated by teams from the Russian Womens Basketball Premier League, in early December 1891, Canadian Dr. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied, after rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-in gymnasiums, he wrote the basic rules and nailed a peach basket onto a 10-foot elevated track. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball and these laces could cause bounce passes and dribbling to be unpredictable. Eventually a lace-free ball construction method was invented, and this change to the game was endorsed by Naismith, dribbling was not part of the original game except for the bounce pass to teammates. Passing the ball was the means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the shape of early balls. Dribbling only became a part of the game around the 1950s
9.
Harringay Arena
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Harringay Arena was a sporting and events venue on Green Lanes in Harringay, North London, England. Built in 1936, it lasted as a venue until 1958, Harringay Arena was built and owned by Brigadier-General Alfred Critchley under the auspices of his private company, the Greyhound Racing Association Trust Ltd. A new company, Harringay Arena Limited, whose directors were directors of the GRA, was incorporated in 1929 to build. The company raised funds for the venture via a stock and share issue in January 1936, designed by Dr. Oscar Faber, the arena was a stark modernist octagonal-shaped building which borrowed heavily from the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. It was erected adjacent to the Harringay Stadium in just eight months between February and October 1936 and its vast steel roof was constructed by Dorman Long & Co, who had recently been responsible for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and completed the new Wembley Stadium in 2007. It had a capacity of almost 10,000 for ice hockey. The actual arena was 198 feet long by 88 feet wide, a removable maple floor could be laid over the ice for non-sporting events. At an event shortly after its opening the Daily Herald reported that claims that Harringay had solved its cold-feet problem were not quite substantiated, cold air from the ice below the boards filtered through. Specifically designed as an ice hockey venue, it became famous as a venue for both ice hockey and boxing. Up to the Second World War, ice hockey enjoyed its most popular era in the UK until a revival in the 1990s, two local teams were formed for the Arenas opening, Harringay Racers and Harringay Greyhounds. On October 26,1938, the first ice hockey game to be televised anywhere in the world was played at Harringay between the Racers and Streatham, a year later, WWII started and ice hockey matches were suspended. This interruption proved very damaging to the popularity and post-war audiences remained thin for the remainder of the Arenas life. Boxing became firmly established at the Arena prior to the war, on April 7,1938 Harringay was the venue for the first boxing match to be televised live when the full 15 rounds between Len Harvey v Jock McAvoy were broadcast. Following the war Harringay was a successful boxing venue. During its 22-year life, it was home to five world title fights, however famous the Arena became for boxing, commercial necessity led to a diversification into a wider range of events including, The basketball and wrestling events for the 1948 Summer Olympics. All England Open Badminton Championships from 1947 to 1949, Home of the Horse of the Year Show for its first ten years, from 1949 to 1958. In its final year at Harringay, the featured in the first broadcast of the BBCs new Saturday afternoon sports programme Grandstand. Roller Speedway from 1939 until 1952, with a break during the War, in 1953, with the demise of roller speedway, the Arena hosted a Roller Derby match
10.
1936 Summer Olympics
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The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event that was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain, on 26 April 1931 and it marked the second and final time the International Olympic Committee gathered to vote in a city that was bidding to host those Games. To outdo the Los Angeles games of 1932, Adolf Hitler had built a new 100, 000-seat track and field stadium, six gymnasiums, the games were the first to be televised, and radio broadcasts reached 41 countries. Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl was commissioned by the German Olympic Committee to film the Games for $7 million and her film, titled Olympia, pioneered many of the techniques now common in the filming of sports. When threatened with a boycott of the Games by other nations, total ticket revenues were 7.5 million Reichsmark, generating a profit of over one million marks. The official budget did not include outlays by the city of Berlin or outlays of the German national government and these were the final Olympics under the presidency of Henri de Baillet-Latour and the final Olympic Games for 12 years because of World War II. The next Olympic Games would be held in 1948, the bidding for these Olympic Games was the first to be contested by IOC members casting votes for their own favorite host cities. The vote occurred in 1931, during the Weimar Republic, before Adolf Hitler, many other cities around the world also wanted to host the Summer Olympics for that year, but except for Barcelona they did not receive any IOC votes. The other cities competing to hold the games were Alexandria, Buenos Aires, Cologne, Dublin, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Lausanne, Nuremberg, Rio de Janeiro, Budapest, and Rome. The selection procedure marked the second and final time that the International Olympic Committee would gather to vote in a city which was bidding to host those Games, the only other time this occurred was at the inaugural IOC Session in Paris, France, on 24 April 1894. Then, Athens and Paris were chosen to host the 1896 and 1900 Games, after the Nazis took control and began instituting anti-Semitic policies, the IOC held private discussions among its delegates about changing the decision to hold the Games in Berlin. However, Hitlers regime gave assurances that Jewish athletes would be allowed to compete on a German Olympic team, in September 1934, the US Olympic committee publicly accepted the invitation to go to the Berlin games, halting any further IOC attempts to quietly revise the decision. The next scheduled games in 1940 were awarded to Tokyo, the Japanese military even demanded that venues should be built from wood because metal was needed for its wars in Manchuria. The Olympic torch relay – itself pioneered as part of the 1936 Summer Games – was to fly the Olympic flame from Olympia to Tokyo in a specially-designed long-range aircraft. In 1938 the Japanese rejected hosting the games because they saw the Olympics and he promoted the idea that the use of sports would harden the German spirit and instill unity among German youth. At the same time he believed that sports was a way to weed out the weak, Jewish. Among Diems ideas for the Berlin Games was the introduction of the Olympic torch relay between Greece and the host nation, the 1936 Summer Olympics torch relay was the first of its kind, following on from the reintroduction of the Olympic Flame at the 1928 Games. It pioneered the modern convention of moving the flame via a system from Greece to the Olympic venue
11.
United States at the 1948 Summer Olympics
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The United States competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England. 300 competitors,262 men and 38 women, took part in 126 events in 19 sports, three male pentathletes represented the United States in 1948. George Moore Richard Gruenther Hale Baugh Twelve shooters represented the United States in 1948, in the 50 metre rifle event Art Cook won gold and Walter Tomsen won silver
12.
Don Barksdale
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Donald Argee Barksdale was an American professional basketball player. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Barksdale honed his basketball playing skills in parks, and then played for two years at Marin Junior College, across San Francisco Bay, before earning a scholarship to UCLA. A66 center for the Bruins, in 1947 he became the first African American to be named consensus All-American, Barksdale was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. In 1948, he was the first African-American on the U. S. Olympic basketball team and he joined the team in Basketball at the 1948 Summer Olympics, and became the first African-American to win an Olympic gold medal in basketball. About eight years later, Maggiora told Barksdale that some committee members responses to the idea of having a black Olympian was Hell no, but Maggiora wouldnt let the committee bypass Barksdale. So they picked me, but Maggiora said he went through holy hell for it – closed-door meetings, the 1948 Olympic team had five Kentucky Wildcats basketball players who had just won that schools first national championship in the 1948 NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Tournament. Barksdale became the first African-American to play against Kentucky in Lexington and he could not stay at the hotel with the rest of the team, but instead stayed with a black host family. Adolph Rupp, the legendary Kentucky coach, was assistant coach on the 1948 team under Omar Browning, turned out to be my closest friend, Barksdale said. We went to London and won all 12 games and got the gold medal, but he had to brush off indignities just about every step of the way. Later, coach Rupp told Barksdale, Son, I wish things werent like that and he lived by a very simple philosophy. He wasnt interested in protest, he was interested in playing basketball and he had faced prejudice before, and he knew that he would face it again. After college, he played for the Oakland AAU team until the NBA began to integrate, while playing professional basketball, he started a career in radio broadcasting. In 1948, he became the first black radio disc jockey in the San Francisco Bay area and he also worked in television and owned a beer distributorship. He became the first African-American beer distributor and the first African-American television host in the Bay area with a show called Sepia Review on KRON-TV, in 1951, he signed a lucrative contract with the Baltimore Bullets and entered the NBA as a 28-year-old rookie. He would be one of the first African-Americans to play in the NBA after Nathaniel Clifton, Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, while with the Bullets, he became the first African-American to appear in an NBA All-Star Game, in 1953. Shortly afterward, he was traded to the Boston Celtics, two years later, his playing career was cut short by ankle injuries. After his basketball career ended he returned to radio, started his own recording label, in 1983 he launched the Save High School Sports Foundation, which is credited with helping to save Oakland school athletic programs from collapse. He succumbed to cancer at the age of 69 on March 8,1993 in Oakland
13.
Ralph Beard
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Ralph Milton Beard Jr. was an American collegiate and professional basketball player. Beard was born in Hardinsburg, Kentucky and he was a member of Adolph Rupps Fabulous Five University of Kentucky basketball team, with Alex Groza, Wallace Jones, Cliff Barker, and Kenny Rollins. Beard won a medal in the 1948 Summer Olympics with the Fabulous Five. Taken in the round of the 1949 NBA draft, Beard played two seasons with the Indianapolis Olympians and averaged 15.9 points and 4.4 assists per game. This scandal was the CCNY point shaving scandal Beard died at his Louisville, Ralph Beard profile Ralph Beard Info Page at NBA. com Ralph Beard at Basketball-Reference. com Ralph Beard at Find a Grave
14.
Gordon Carpenter
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Gordon Shorty Carpenter was an American basketball player, and part of gold medal winning American basketball team at the 1948 Summer Olympics. He later played AAU basketball for both the Phillips 66ers and Denver Chevrolets, making AAU All-American teams each year from 1943 to 1947 and he coached the United States mens national basketball team at the 1950 FIBA World Championship, winning the silver medal. Carpenter was named to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Helms Athletic Hall of Fame, following his playing career, he became a referee with the Big Eight Conference. Olympic profile profile as player basketpedya. com profile as coach basketpedya. com
15.
Alex Groza
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Alex John Groza was an American professional basketball player from Martins Ferry, Ohio who was banned from the NBA for life in 1951 for point shaving. This scandal was the CCNY point shaving scandal and he had an outstanding college career at the University of Kentucky and was a two-time All-Star for the Indianapolis Olympians before his career came to an abrupt end. Groza grew up in Martins Ferry, Ohio and attended Martins Ferry High School and he was the brother of future Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Lou Groza. Alex Groza led the Purple Riders to two undefeated seasons and to the Ohio state tournament both years, as Martins Ferry finished 24-1 in 1943 and 26-1 in 1944. In 1944, he scored 628 points, including 41 in one game, Groza was three-time All-American and All-SEC, and two-time NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Groza was drafted in the 1st round of the 1949 NBA Draft by the Indianapolis Olympians, Groza averaged 23.4 points per game in his rookie season and was named NBA Rookie of the Year. Because the award was selected by newspaper writers at the time and he averaged 22.5 points per game over two seasons before being implicated along with college teammates Ralph Beard and Dale Barnstable in a point shaving scandal during the 1948–49 season at Kentucky. NBA president Maurice Podoloff banned all of the players from the league for life. As a result of this ban, Groza became the first player in NBA history to end his career with a season in which he averaged at least 20 points per game. In NBA history, only three players have had higher scoring averages in their final NBA seasons, Bob Pettit, Paul Arizin, after his playing career ended, Groza became the coach of Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1963, Groza led the Knights to a Kentucky Intercolliegiate Athletic Conference title and was named KIAC coach of the year, Groza left Bellarmine in 1966 for a brief coaching and managerial career in the American Basketball Association. Groza was 2-0 as coach of the Colonels but 15-23 as coach of the Conquistadors, Groza served as general manager of the San Diego Conquistadors beginning in 1972 until taking over as the teams coach in 1974, replacing Wilt Chamberlain. In 1975 Groza became director of development for the San Diego Sails of the ABA. After the team moved to Houston, Groza remained in San Diego, alex Groza died of cancer in 1995 at age 68. He was survived by his wife of 42 years, Jean Groza, Groza led the league in field goal percentage in 1950. Alex Groza was the brother of football Hall of Famer Lou Groza
16.
Wah Wah Jones
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Wallace Clayton Wah Wah Jones was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association from 1949 to 1952 with the Indianapolis Olympians, Jones was born in Harlan, Kentucky. He attended Harlan High School, where he set a scoring record in basketball. He was all-state in football, basketball and baseball, Jones attended the University of Kentucky, where he continued to play varsity football, basketball and baseball. He was twice All-SEC in football, in basketball, he was a three time All-American and four time All-SEC. He led the Wildcats to 2 NCAA Championships, in 1948 and 1949, Jones was a member of the 1948 Olympic Gold medal winning team with Adolph Rupps Fabulous Five and the Phillips 66ers. During his four years at Kentucky, the team had a combined record of 130-10. He holds the distinction of being an All-American under both legends, Adolph Rupp and Bear Bryant when both coached at Kentucky. He is the player to have his number retired in both football and basketball at Kentucky. At the University of Kentucky, Jones was a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, in 1953, Jones was elected the sheriff of Fayette County, Kentucky. In 1956, Jones was the Republican nominee for Kentuckys 6th congressional district seat in the United States House of Representatives, though Dwight Eisenhower, heading the Republican ticket, carried the state, Jones lost the election to Democrat John C. Watts. Known as Wallace in his years, Jones acquired the nickname, Wah Wah. Jones died in Lexington on July 27,2014 at the age of 88
17.
Bob Kurland
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Robert Albert Bob Kurland was a 7 feet American basketball center, who played for the two-time NCAA champion Oklahoma A&M Aggies basketball team. He led the U. S. basketball team to gold medals in two Summer Olympics, and led his AAU team to three national titles and he is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Kurland was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Albert and he graduated from Jennings High School in Jennings, Missouri, where he participated in basketball and track. Kurland, a Missouri native, considered attending the University of Missouri, but when Oklahoma A&M played a game at Saint Louis University, A&M coach Henry Iba invited Kurland to dinner and offered him a scholarship. Missouri could only offer Kurland a job, many of Kurlands family members had not finished high school, and Kurland was the first in his family to attend college at any level. Kurland was a part of the teams consecutive NCAA titles in 1945 and 1946. In the 1945–46 season, he scored a then-season record 643 points, including 58 in a game against Saint Louis University, Kurland was voted Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year. Kurland was known to leap above the rim to grab opponents shots and this led to the NCAA banning defensive goaltending in 1945. Kurland was also the first person to regularly dunk during games, the rivalry between him and De Pauls George Mikan would foreshadow similar matchups, especially those of basketballs big men. In college, Kurland was active in campus activities, including the student council. He graduated with a bachelor of science in education, Kurland never played professional basketball, passing up the newly formed Basketball Association of America and National Basketball League, to play for Phillips Petroleums A. A. U. team, the Oilers. Kurland played for six years with Phillips, winning three championships, since Kurland never played professionally, he was eligible as an amateur for the Olympic Games. In the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England, he led the U. S. basketball team to the gold medal and he was second on the team in scoring as the U. S. defeated France in the gold medal game, 65–21. In the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, Kurland carried the U. S. flag in the opening ceremony and he was again a dominant force at center as the U. S. defeated the Soviet Union in the gold medal game, 36–25. Kurland received post-graduate management training at Stanford University and he became a salesman for Phillips Petroleum Company, where he played AAU basketball, and later served as a senior marketing executive. His corporate responsibilities took his family to Denver, Wichita, Memphis, Cincinnati, ultimately, the family returned to the home of Phillips Petroleum, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where Kurland served as vice mayor and as a member of the city commission for several years. He retired from Phillips in 1985, Kurland was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961. In 1996, he was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame, after retirement, Kurland and his wife, Barbara, divided time between their homes in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and Sanibel Island, Florida
18.
R. C. Pitts
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Pitts was an American basketball player who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics. Pitts played collegiately for the University of Arkansas, making All-Southwest Conference in 1942 and he later played for the Amateur Athletic Union juggernaut Phillips Petroleum Phillips 66ers, where he made AAU All-America in 1948. Pitts was part of the American mens basketball team in the 1948 Summer Olympics, Robert Pitts profile at databaseOlympics. com Robert Pitts profile at Sports Reference. com Robert Pitts obituary
19.
Jesse Renick
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Jesse Bernard Cab Renick was an American basketball player who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics. Renick was A62 Guard for Marietta High School in Marietta and he went on to star at Oklahoma A&M University. He was All-Missouri Valley Conference in 1939 and 1940 as well as an All-American in 1939 and 1940, oSUs first two-time All-American selection, he played on the United States Gold Metal Olympic Team alongside fellow Oklahoma A&M great Bob Kurland. He led the Cowboys to 45-11 record in his two seasons, Renick was also the second Native American, after Jim Thorpe, to win an Olympic Gold Medal
20.
Kenny Rollins
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Kenneth Herman Kenny Rollins was an American basketball player who competed at the 1948 London Olympics and was a member of the University of Kentuckys Fabulous Five who won the 1948 NCAA Tournament. His college career was interrupted by service in the United States Navy during World War II and he was voted to the All-SEC and All-SEC Tourney teams following his junior and senior seasons. His brother, Phil, played for the University of Louisville, born in Charleston, Missouri, Rollins played high school basketball in Wickliffe, Kentucky. He later played professionally for the Chicago Stags of the BAA and the NBA, the Louisville Alumnites of the National Professional Basketball League and he died in October 2012 in Greencastle, Indiana where he had lived with his son since 2004. Profile on Univ Kentucky fan site Olympic Profile Kenny Rollins at Basketball-Reference. com Kenny Rollins at Find a Grave
21.
Great Britain at the 1948 Summer Olympics
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, competing as Great Britain, was the host nation for the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. It was the time that the United Kingdom had hosted the Summer Olympic Games, equalling the record of France. British athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games, three male pentathletes represented Great Britain in 1948. Mixed Architecture, Architectural Designs Patrick Horsbrugh
Gold medalists
Silver medalists
Bronze medalists
United States
Great Britain
Philippines
Egypt
Brazil
Italy
South Korea
Mexico
France
Republic of China
Uruguay
Hungary
Iran
Canada
Belgium
Iraq
Chile
Czechoslovakia
Peru
Switzerland
Argentina
Ireland
Cuba
Argentina (14)
Belgium (14)
Brazil (12)
Canada (14)
Chile (14)
Republic of China (10)
Cuba (14)
Czechoslovakia (14)
Egypt (14)
France (14)
Great Britain (13)
Hungary (14)(**)
Ireland (14)
Iran (13)
Iraq (10)
Italy (14)
South Korea (9)
Mexico (14)
Peru (11)
Philippines (10)
Switzerland (14)
United States (14)
Uruguay (14)
