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{{Short description|Panamanian-American basketball player}}
{{about|the basketball player|the American engineer and oceanographer|John Dove Isaacs|the English aeronautical engineer|John O. Isaacs}}
{{about|the Hall of Fame basketball player|the current basketball player|Jonathan Isaac|other people|John Isaacs (disambiguation)}}
{{distinguish|John Isaac}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
⚫
'''John Isaacs''' (September 15, 1915 &ndash; January 26, 2009)<ref>https://secure.nypost.com/seven/01272009/sports/moresports/john_isaacs__gone_but_not_forgotten_152174.htm{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> was an early African-American professional basketball player. Born in [[Panama]] but raised in [[New York City]],<ref name=Slam>Claude Johnson. "[http://slamonline.com/online/blogs/2009/01/harlem-when/ Harlem When]". ''[[SLAM Magazine]] Online''. January 26, 2009. Retrieved on January 28, 2009.</ref> he was a member of the [[New York Renaissance]], the [[Washington Bears]], and various other teams.<ref>"[http://www.blackfives.com/player_isaacs.htm John 'Boy Wonder' Isaacs]". ''Black Fives''. Retrieved on January 28, 2009.</ref>
| name = John Isaacs
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| position = [[Guard (basketball)|Guard]]
| number =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 190
| birth_date = {{birth date|1915|9|15}}
| birth_place = [[Rio Sidra]], Panama
| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|1|26|1915|9|15}}
| death_place = [[Bronx|Bronx, New York]], U.S.
| nationality = American
| high_school = [[Bayard Rustin Educational Complex|Textile]] ([[Manhattan|Manhattan, New York]])
| college =
| draft_year =
| years1 = 1935–1936
| team1 = St. Peter Claver Penguins
| years2 = 1935–1936
| team2 = New York Harlem Giants
| years3 = 1936–1937
| team3 = New York Collegians
| years4 = 1936–1943
| team4 = [[New York Rens]]
| years5 = 1941–1942
| team5 = Philadelphia Toppers
| years6 = 1941–1947
| team6 = [[Washington Bears]]
| years7 = 1942–1945
| team7 = Long Island Grumans
| years8 = 1943–1944
| team8 = [[Harlem Globetrotters]]
| years9 = 1946–1947
| team9 = [[Hazleton Mountaineers]]
| years10 = 1946–1947
| team10 = Orange
| years11 = 1947–1949
| team11 = [[Utica Olympics]]
| years12 = 1948–1949
| team12 = [[Brooklyn Gothams]]
| years13 = 1949
| team13 = [[Dayton Rens]]
| years14 = 1950–1951
| team14 = [[Saratoga Harlem Yankees]]
| years15 = 1950–1951
| team15 = Glen Falls / Saratoga
| HOF_player = john-isaacs
| highlights =
* 2× [[World Professional Basketball Tournament|WPBT]] champion (1939, 1943)
}}
⚫
'''John William Isaacs''' (September 15, 1915 – January 26, 2009)<ref>https://secure.nypost.com/seven/01272009/sports/moresports/john_isaacs__gone_but_not_forgotten_152174.htm{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> was a Panamanian-American professional basketball player. Born in [[Panama]] but raised in [[New York City]],<ref name=Slam>Claude Johnson. "[http://slamonline.com/online/blogs/2009/01/harlem-when/ Harlem When]". ''[[SLAM Magazine]] Online''. January 26, 2009. Retrieved on January 28, 2009.</ref> he was a member of the [[New York Renaissance]], the [[Washington Bears]], and various other teams.<ref>"[http://www.blackfives.com/player_isaacs.htm John 'Boy Wonder' Isaacs]". ''Black Fives''. Retrieved on January 28, 2009.</ref>


==Life and career==
==Life and career==
Isaacs was born in 1915 in Panama to a [[Jamaica]]n father and a Panamanian mother. He grew up bilingual in Harlem, speaking both [[English language|English]] and [[Spanish language|Spanish]].<ref name=SI/> Isaacs was a 6'1", 190 lbs. [[guard (basketball)|guard]] who led the basketball team at Textile High School (later [[Charles Evans Hughes High School]]) to a title in the 1935 New York City High School Basketball championship with all-City honors for himself. Offered a professional contract by [[Bob Douglas]], owner of the [[Harlem]]-based, all-[[African American]] [[New York Renaissance]] basketball team, he accepted the offer, but only after getting approval from his mother.<ref name=Slam/>
Isaacs was born in 1915 in Panama to a [[Jamaica]]n father and a Panamanian mother. He grew up bilingual in Harlem, speaking [[English language|English]].<ref name=SI/> Isaacs was a 6'3", 190 lbs. [[guard (basketball)|guard]] who led the basketball team at Textile High School (later [[Charles Evans Hughes High School]]) to a title in the 1935 New York City High School Basketball championship with all-City honors for himself. Offered a professional contract by [[Bob Douglas]], owner of the [[Harlem]]-based, all-[[African American]] [[New York Renaissance]] basketball team, he accepted the offer, but only after getting approval from his mother.<ref name=Slam/>


With the Rens, Isaacs led the team to season records of 122-19, 121-19, and 127-15.<ref name=Slam/> The team won the first [[World Professional Basketball Tournament]], held in 1939 at [[Chicago Stadium]] and sponsored by the ''[[Chicago Herald American]]'', with the team making it to the finals by beating the [[Harlem Globetrotters]] of [[Chicago]] 27&ndash;23, to face the [[Oshkosh All-Stars]], who lost to the Rens 34&ndash;25 in the tournament final.<ref>via ''[[Associated Press]]'', [https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30713F93858127A93CAAB1788D85F4D8385F9 "RENAISSANCE IN FINAL; Beats Chicagoans as Celtics Lose in Pro Basketball"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 28, 1939. Accessed January 29, 2009.</ref> Isaacs won a second title in 1943 with the [[Washington Bears]], again defeating Oshkosh.<ref name=Slam/> Isaacs scored a game-high 11 points to lead the Bears to a 43&ndash;31 win and their first title.<ref name=NYT1997>Mallozzi, Vincent M. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940CE5DC1639F93AA35750C0A961958260 "A Living Wonder of the Harlem Renaissance Five"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 9, 1997. Accessed January 29, 2009.</ref> Paid $175 per month, plus expenses, to play basketball. Isaacs supplemented his professional salary with jobs on the assembly line at [[Grumman|Grumman Aircraft]] and at [[New York Life Insurance]] during the off season.<ref name=SI/>
With the Rens, Isaacs led the team to season records of 122–19, 121–19, and 127–15.<ref name=Slam/> The team won the first [[World Professional Basketball Tournament]], held in 1939 at [[Chicago Stadium]] and sponsored by the ''[[Chicago Herald American]]'', with the team making it to the finals by beating the [[Harlem Globetrotters]] of [[Chicago]] 27&ndash;23, to face the [[Oshkosh All-Stars]], who lost to the Rens 34&ndash;25 in the tournament final.<ref>via ''[[Associated Press]]'', [https://www.nytimes.com/1939/03/28/archives/renaissance-in-final-beats-chicagoans-as-celtics-lose-in-pro.html "RENAISSANCE IN FINAL; Beats Chicagoans as Celtics Lose in Pro Basketball"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 28, 1939. Accessed January 29, 2009.</ref> Isaacs won a second title in 1943 with the [[Washington Bears]], again defeating Oshkosh.<ref name=Slam/> Isaacs scored a game-high 11 points to lead the Bears to a 43&ndash;31 win and their first title.<ref name=NYT1997>Mallozzi, Vincent M. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940CE5DC1639F93AA35750C0A961958260 "A Living Wonder of the Harlem Renaissance Five"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 9, 1997. Accessed January 29, 2009.</ref> Paid $175 per month, plus expenses, to play basketball. Isaacs supplemented his professional salary with jobs on the assembly line at [[Grumman|Grumman Aircraft]] and at [[New York Life Insurance]] during the off season.<ref name=SI/>


Isaacs played with several other all-black professional basketball teams after his time with the Rens and Bears, including the [[Manhattan Nationals]], [[Hazleton Mountaineers]] of the [[Eastern Professional Basketball League]], and [[Utica Olympics]] of the [[New York State Professional League]]), and in the [[American Basketball League (1925–1955)|American Basketball League]] with Brooklyn and Saratoga.<ref name=Slam/> He became a coach and mentor after he retired. [[Chris Mullin (basketball)|Chris Mullin]] admitted that he was one of his disciples. <ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S20SdtoNaU John Isaacs Career Retrospective]
Isaacs played with several other all-black professional basketball teams after his time with the Rens and Bears, including the [[Manhattan Nationals]], [[Hazleton Mountaineers]] of the [[Eastern Professional Basketball League]], and [[Utica Olympics]] of the [[New York State Professional Basketball League]]), and in the [[American Basketball League (1925–1955)|American Basketball League]] with Brooklyn and Saratoga.<ref name=Slam/> He became a coach and mentor after he retired. [[Chris Mullin (basketball)|Chris Mullin]] admitted that he was one of his disciples.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S20SdtoNaU John Isaacs Career Retrospective]
</ref>
</ref>


Long after retiring from professional sports, Isaacs won medals at the New York State Senior Games in tennis, Frisbee, softball throwing, as well as in basketball.<ref name=SI>Steptoe, Sonja. [http://www.si.com/vault/1990/12/24/123316/meet-an-ageless-wonder-john-isaacs-75-is-a-hero-on-and-off-the-court "Meet An Ageless Wonder: John Isaacs, 75, is a hero on and off the court"], ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', December 24, 1990. Accessed January 29, 2009.</ref>
Long after retiring from professional sports, Isaacs won medals at the New York State Senior Games in tennis, Frisbee, softball throwing, as well as in basketball.<ref name=SI>Steptoe, Sonja. [https://www.si.com/vault/1990/12/24/123316/meet-an-ageless-wonder-john-isaacs-75-is-a-hero-on-and-off-the-court "Meet An Ageless Wonder: John Isaacs, 75, is a hero on and off the court"], ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', December 24, 1990. Accessed January 29, 2009.</ref>


On February 14, 2015, Isaacs was announced as a member of that year's induction class of the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]]. He will formally enter the Hall on September 11.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.hoophall.com/news/2015/2/14/five-direct-elect-members-announced-for-the-class-of-2015-by.html |title=Five Direct-Elect Members Announced for the Class of 2015 by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |publisher=Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |date=February 14, 2015 |accessdate=February 14, 2015}}</ref>
On February 14, 2015, Isaacs was announced as a member of that year's induction class of the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]]. He formally entered the Hall on September 11.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.hoophall.com/news/2015/2/14/five-direct-elect-members-announced-for-the-class-of-2015-by.html |title=Five Direct-Elect Members Announced for the Class of 2015 by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |publisher=Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |date=February 14, 2015 |access-date=February 14, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214232044/http://www.hoophall.com/news/2015/2/14/five-direct-elect-members-announced-for-the-class-of-2015-by.html |archive-date=February 14, 2015 }}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
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{{2015 Basketball HOF}}
{{2015 Basketball HOF}}
{{Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame}}
{{Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame}}
{{Portal bar|Basketball|Biography|Sports}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Isaacs, John}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isaacs, John}}
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
[[Category:African-American basketball players]]
[[Category:American Basketball League (1925–1955) players]]
[[Category:American Basketball League (1925–55) players]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American people of Jamaican descent]]
[[Category:American people of Jamaican descent]]
[[Category:American sportspeople of Panamanian descent]]
[[Category:American sportspeople of Panamanian descent]]
[[Category:Dayton Rens players]]
[[Category:Dayton Rens players]]
[[Category:Harlem Globetrotters players]]
[[Category:New York Renaissance players]]
[[Category:New York Renaissance players]]
[[Category:Panamanian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Panamanian men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Panamanian men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Panamanian people of Jamaican descent]]
[[Category:People from Harlem]]
[[Category:People from Harlem]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Manhattan]]
[[Category:Guards (basketball)]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportspeople]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American people]]

Latest revision as of 10:44, 10 March 2024

This article is about the Hall of Fame basketball player. For the current basketball player, see Jonathan Isaac. For other people, see John Isaacs (disambiguation).
John Isaacs
Personal information
Born(1915-09-15)September 15, 1915
Rio Sidra, Panama
DiedJanuary 26, 2009(2009-01-26) (aged 93)
Bronx, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolTextile (Manhattan, New York)
PositionGuard
Career history
1935–1936St. Peter Claver Penguins
1935–1936New York Harlem Giants
1936–1937New York Collegians
1936–1943New York Rens
1941–1942Philadelphia Toppers
1941–1947Washington Bears
1942–1945Long Island Grumans
1943–1944Harlem Globetrotters
1946–1947Hazleton Mountaineers
1946–1947Orange
1947–1949Utica Olympics
1948–1949Brooklyn Gothams
1949Dayton Rens
1950–1951Saratoga Harlem Yankees
1950–1951Glen Falls / Saratoga
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× WPBT champion (1939, 1943)
Basketball Hall of Fame as player

John William Isaacs (September 15, 1915 – January 26, 2009)[1] was a Panamanian-American professional basketball player. Born in Panama but raised in New York City,[2] he was a member of the New York Renaissance, the Washington Bears, and various other teams.[3]

Life and career[edit]

Isaacs was born in 1915 in Panama to a Jamaican father and a Panamanian mother. He grew up bilingual in Harlem, speaking English.[4] Isaacs was a 6'3", 190 lbs. guard who led the basketball team at Textile High School (later Charles Evans Hughes High School) to a title in the 1935 New York City High School Basketball championship with all-City honors for himself. Offered a professional contract by Bob Douglas, owner of the Harlem-based, all-African American New York Renaissance basketball team, he accepted the offer, but only after getting approval from his mother.[2]

With the Rens, Isaacs led the team to season records of 122–19, 121–19, and 127–15.[2] The team won the first World Professional Basketball Tournament, held in 1939 at Chicago Stadium and sponsored by the Chicago Herald American, with the team making it to the finals by beating the Harlem Globetrotters of Chicago 27–23, to face the Oshkosh All-Stars, who lost to the Rens 34–25 in the tournament final.[5] Isaacs won a second title in 1943 with the Washington Bears, again defeating Oshkosh.[2] Isaacs scored a game-high 11 points to lead the Bears to a 43–31 win and their first title.[6] Paid $175 per month, plus expenses, to play basketball. Isaacs supplemented his professional salary with jobs on the assembly line at Grumman Aircraft and at New York Life Insurance during the off season.[4]

Isaacs played with several other all-black professional basketball teams after his time with the Rens and Bears, including the Manhattan Nationals, Hazleton Mountaineers of the Eastern Professional Basketball League, and Utica Olympics of the New York State Professional Basketball League), and in the American Basketball League with Brooklyn and Saratoga.[2] He became a coach and mentor after he retired. Chris Mullin admitted that he was one of his disciples.[7]

Long after retiring from professional sports, Isaacs won medals at the New York State Senior Games in tennis, Frisbee, softball throwing, as well as in basketball.[4]

On February 14, 2015, Isaacs was announced as a member of that year's induction class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He formally entered the Hall on September 11.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ https://secure.nypost.com/seven/01272009/sports/moresports/john_isaacs__gone_but_not_forgotten_152174.htm[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b c d e Claude Johnson. "Harlem When". SLAM Magazine Online. January 26, 2009. Retrieved on January 28, 2009.
  3. ^ "John 'Boy Wonder' Isaacs". Black Fives. Retrieved on January 28, 2009.
  4. ^ a b c Steptoe, Sonja. "Meet An Ageless Wonder: John Isaacs, 75, is a hero on and off the court", Sports Illustrated, December 24, 1990. Accessed January 29, 2009.
  5. ^ via Associated Press, "RENAISSANCE IN FINAL; Beats Chicagoans as Celtics Lose in Pro Basketball", The New York Times, March 28, 1939. Accessed January 29, 2009.
  6. ^ Mallozzi, Vincent M. "A Living Wonder of the Harlem Renaissance Five", The New York Times, March 9, 1997. Accessed January 29, 2009.
  7. ^ John Isaacs Career Retrospective
  8. ^ "Five Direct-Elect Members Announced for the Class of 2015 by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame" (Press release). Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. February 14, 2015. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2015.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Isaacs&oldid=1212957156"