Tag Archives: Harlem Globetrotters
Elmer Ripley
Elmer Ripley (College basketball. Born, Staten Island, NY, July 21, 1891; died, Staten Island, NY, Apr. 29, 1982.) Despite never having played a single college game, Elmer Horton Ripley coached basketball at six colleges for a total of 28 seasons. Ripley coached Wagner, Yale, Columbia, and Army as well as Notre Dame (1945-46) and Georgetown […]
Pat Kennedy
Pat Kennedy (Basketball. Born, Hoboken, NJ, Jan. 28, 1908; died, New York, NY, June 16, 1957.) Starting a career in 1928 that made him the most famous basketball referee of his time, Matthew P. Kennedy was, to say the least, flamboyant. Kennedy would rush across the court pointing at the miscreant when a foul was […]
Junius Kellogg
Junius Kellogg (College basketball. Born, Haverstraw, NY, Mar. 16, 1927; died, The Bronx, NY, Sept. 16, 1998.) As a sophomore center on the Manhattan College varsity, Junius Kellogg reported a bribe offer to coach Ken Norton, triggering the 1951 “point-shaving” scandal that enveloped college basketball. The scandal eventually included not only Manhattan but such national […]
John Isaacs
John Isaacs (Pro basketball. Born, Panama City, Canal Zone, Sept. 30, 1915; died, The Bronx, Jan. 26, 2009.) A New York high school basketball star who became a top professional, John Isaacs joined the celebrated New York Rens in 1935. Isaacs was a major factor in the Rens’ winning the first World Pro tournament in […]
Joe Gootter
Joe Gootter (Sports editor. Born, Lodz, Poland, Oct. 16, 1911; died, Paterson, NJ, Nov. 2, 1996.) Warmth and humor are not character traits normally associated with sports editors, but Joe Gootter had both in abundance. Gootter was sports editor of the Paterson (N.J.) Evening News for more than 25 years. At the time of his […]
Pop Gates
Pop Gates (Pro basketball. Born, Decatur, GA, Aug. 30, 1917; died, New York, NY, Dec. 1, 1999.) A legendary name in the early days of emerging black players in basketball, William Gates moved to New York as a youngster and established his reputation on Ben Franklin H.S.’s integrated team. After a P.S.A.L. championship in his […]
Sweetwater Clifton
Sweetwater Clifton (Pro basketball. Born, Chicago, IL, Oct. 13, 1924; died, Chicago, IL, Aug. 31, 1990.) Given his terrific nickname because of a childhood affinity for soft drinks, Nathaniel Clifton was the first black signed to play in the N.B.A. and had an immediate impact on the Knicks. Signed as a free agent in Sept. […]
Donn Clendenon
Donn Clendenon (Baseball. Born, Neosho, Mo., July 15, 1935; died, Sioux Falls, SD, Sept. 17, 2005.) Acquired from Montreal at the trading deadline (June 15) in 1969, Donn Alvin Clendenon not only helped the Mets win the pennant but was a crucial part of the club’s stunning World Series victory. Clendenon hit 12 homers and […]
