Today In Sports History (February 13, 1923)

On this day in 1923, the first Black pro basketball team, the New York Renaissance (RENS) was formed. The founder and owner of the Renaissance was Robert “Bob” Douglas. Douglas was also the first black man to be inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He is referred to as the “Father of Black Professional Basketball” and his Renaissance were the pinnacle of success in the late 1930s. Without the success of the Renaissance, the history of African-American athletes would undoubtedly be different. If not for the Renaissance, many black athletes would not have been given the chance to showcase their talents/abilities. The Renaissance found immediate success and notoriety in professional sports, showing everyone it does not matter what the color of your skin is. If you can compete with them, you can compete with them. The Renaissance were good enough to not only compete against, but good enough to beat the original Boston Celtics squad who were one of the most dominant white teams in that era of basketball. Whether you like them or not, the New York Renaissance changed the game of basketball forever. Without Bob Douglas and his RENS, the NBA would not be what it is today.