Contents

List of Illustrations

Prologue

Acknowledgments

Introduction: A New Game

1. America Goes to War, 1941–1942

2. The Color Line Falls, 1942–1943

3. Wartime Basketball, 1943–1944

4. The Big Man Cometh, 1944–1945

5. Looking toward the Future, 1945–1946

Epilogue: Basketball Arrives

Appendix A. National Basketball League (NBL) Standings

Appendix B. American Basketball League (ABL) Standings

Appendix C. World Professional Basketball Tournament Results

Appendix D. Red Cross Charity Matches

Appendix E. Service Team Records

Notes

Index