Remembering A Difficult Month For ‘Rens’ Friends, Fans

On January 6, 2010, in Children, Community, Culture, Family, NBA, Premium, Race, Relationships, by Black Fives

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.

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Excerpt From My Article In Bounce Magazine

On August 21, 2008, in Basic, History, by Claude Johnson

The NBA has no current players from Toledo, Ohio. But during a single decade that began in the early 1930s, Toledo produced a ridiculous pool of professional ball players unmatched by any other city since.

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Early Laced Basketballs

On August 15, 2008, in Gear, History, Premium, by Black Fives

Did you know that early basketballs had laces? They had to be unlaced, pumped up, tested, and re-laced repeatedly until the air pressure of the rubber bladder inside was just right. These balls evolved to include external air pump holes, but the laces remained until the 1930s, when laceless designs were first introduced. The version [...]

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Negro Wages In 1910s, Compared To Money Opportunities Playing Basketball

On August 6, 2008, in Business, Community, Culture, History, Premium, Race, by Black Fives

In 1916 the price for a room at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City was $2.00 to $3.00 per night. How did that compare to the average wages of Negroes back then?

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“We were helping our race by fortifying the bodies of our people in this, the struggle for existence, where only the fittest survive.”
-- Conrad Norman, Co-Founder, Alpha Physical Culture Club, 1910

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