Welcome to BlackFives.com!

Black Fives^® is where you Make History Now™!

It’s all about the history of dozens of African American basketball teams that played before the racial integration of the N.B.A., from 1904 through 1950.

“Fives” referred to the five starting players on a basketball team.  All-black teams were known as colored quints, colored fives, Negro fives, or “black fives.”

This period in sports history is known as the Black Fives Era^®.

BlackFives.com is the world’s leading steward and resource for the history of the Black Fives Era of basketball.

Through research, preservation, promotion, and education, we share the stories and experiences of the pioneers and teams that paved the way for the players and the game as we know it today!

These pioneers were our on-court ancestors; they make up our basketball family tree!

The rules of basketball are different today, and so is society, but the faces haven’t changed. This is our history!

Find out more!  Look around!

Start with the trivia section.  Or the teams. Or go right to the players section for brief biographies about the stars.

Don’t forget the off-court contributions of coaches, businessmen, and community leaders!

And remember to check out what was happening in the broader scope of black culture and society as a whole!

Or you might simply want to see our vintage-inspired merchandise!

Meanwhile, thank you very much for your interest in Black Fives!