1948–49 Detroit Vagabond Kings / Dayton Rens season

1948–49 Detroit Vagabond Kings / Dayton Rens season
Head coachDel Loranger (Detroit's player-coach)
Pop Gates (Dayton's player-coach)
General managerErnie Pabis? (Detroit Vagabond Kings)
Eric Illidge (Dayton Rens)
Owner(s)C. King Boring
Ernie Pabis (Detroit Vagabond Kings)
Bob Douglas (Dayton Rens)
ArenaHoly Redeemer High School Gymnasium
Dearborn High School Gymnasium (Detroit Vagabond Kings)
Springfield High School (Dayton Rens)
Results
Record16–43 (.271)
PlaceDivision: 4th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify (Detroit folded operations; Dayton finished season)

The 1948–49 Detroit Vagabond Kings / Dayton Rens season was the first and only professional season played for both the Detroit Vagabond Kings (the original franchise that started out this season) and the Dayton Rens (a rebranded version of the all-black New York Renaissance barnstorming team that once won the inaugural World Professional Basketball Tournament) franchises in the National Basketball League, especially since it would ultimately be the last season for that league's general existence. While this was officially the first (and only) professional season of play for the Detroit Vagabond Kings franchise (who were owned by Ernie Pabis and former Detroit Gems owner C. King Boring) before they later ended up becoming a barnstorming franchise themselves up until 1956,[1] the Dayton Rens originally played as the New York Renaissance starting back in 1923 (and sometimes had players still playing under that independent moniker during this season, even in road games, due to that franchise still being able to make money under that name by this point in time), which would make this its 25th (and potentially final) season of play for them as a franchise.[2] Due to the NBL losing four of their major franchises to the rivaling Basketball Association of America, they would start out this season with only four teams in the Eastern Division (including just the Detroit Vagabond Kings and not the Dayton Rens at first) and five teams in the Western Division.

The Detroit Vagabond Kings would start out the final season of the NBL when it began (in a match against the Oshkosh All-Stars) on October 30, 1948, but due to a combination of them playing in mixed home venues in the Detroit area, the poor attendance they had in the venues they did play in (hardly exceeding 1,000 paid attendees in a few of the games they had in the one venue that did exceed that amount), and the poor record they had before folding operations with a 2–17 record (with their only wins being against the original Denver Nuggets team on November 9 and December 7, 1948, with 56–48 and 86–76 victories on those respective dates), the Vagabond Kings folded operations as a professional franchise on December 16. This led to NBL commissioner Doxie Moore and NBL president Ike Duffey convincing New York Renaissance team owner Bob Douglas to take over the Vagabond Kings' position in the NBL and rebranding the franchise to the Dayton Rens (playing their home games in Dayton, Ohio instead of in Harlem out in Manhattan, New York despite Dayton being a notably segregated area in the state of Ohio at the time due to the small following the Rens acquired in the city of Dayton) the following day afterward for the rest of the 1948–49 NBL season. Due to the Rens being an all-black franchise for their entire history, the Dayton Rens would end up becoming the first ever racially integrated franchise to ever join a professional league that was previously considered all or mostly white oriented up until the day the Rens officially joined the NBL.[3] While the Rens ended up performing a lot better in the remaining games they played throughout the rest of the season (going 14–26 in the remaining 40 games they played in the NBL, which gave Dayton a total combined record of 16–43 when including the previous games the Detroit Vagabond Kings had in the NBL), they still ended up missing out on joining the final NBL Playoffs ever played altogether due, in part, to the awkward way the Eastern Division was set up on their ends (while the Eastern Division technically did have five teams competing there alongside the Western Division, the Eastern Division was forced to utilize the Rens replacing the Detroit Vagabond Kings with their combined records as the official fourth and final team there for the rest of the season) alongside the Rens being forced to combine their 40 games played with the previous games the Detroit Vagabond Kings had earlier in the season.[4]

Following the final NBL season's conclusion, when the NBL merged with the rivaling Basketball Association of America on August 3, 1949, to become the modern-day National Basketball Association, the Dayton Rens ended up joining the Hammond Calumet Buccaneers and the Oshkosh All-Stars as one of three NBL teams to not only be excluded from the official BAA-NBL merger into the NBL, but also fold operations entirely not long afterward. However, with the case of the Rens, their exclusion was primarily related to racial segregation in mind for the newly established NBA due to the primary operatives of that new league coming from the BAA's side of things more than the NBL's side of things (though it had been suggested that, had the New York Renaissance won the final World Professional Basketball Tournament ever held over the Minneapolis Lakers (who had since moved onto the BAA (now NBA)), the Rens would have had greater leverage to hold as WPBT champions in order to get their potential move into the NBA to officially become a reality[5]), though the NBA would later allow for black players to join the NBA by as early as the 1950–51 NBA season following the removal of six NBA teams (four of which came from the NBL's side of operations in the final NBL champion Anderson (Duffey) Packers, the original Denver Nuggets, the Sheboygan Red Skins, and the Waterloo Hawks all defecting from the NBA to create a short-lived rivaling league of their own called the National Professional Basketball League). The rejection from the newly established league following the merger (to the point where the NBA wouldn't even hold a dispersal draft in relation to the Dayton Rens players who were on the team that season) would soon lead to the Rens' team owner, Bob Douglas, folding the Rens franchise entirely not too long after the BAA-NBL merger into the NBA became official.

Detroit Vagabond Kings Roster

1948–49 Detroit Vagabond Kings roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
F/C Art Bakeraitis 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1925–02–19 Bay City Junior College
G Fred Campbell 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1920–08–08 Southern Illinois
F Doyle Cofer 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1923–01–18 Indiana State
F Dillard Crocker 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1923–01–18 Western Michigan
F/C Hal Devoll 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1925–01–19 Lawrence Tech
G/F Paul Juntunen 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1921–02–13 Wayne State
C Tony Kaseta 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1923–09–29 Northern High School (MI)
F/C Dave Latter 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1922–01–05 Leslie High School (MI)
G/F Del Loranger 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1920–03–17 Western Michigan
G/F Ben Schadler 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1924–03–09 Northwestern
G/F Johnny Sebastian 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1921–11–20 Southern Illinois
G Ollie Shoaff 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 1923–11–10 Southern Illinois
G Dick Shrider 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1923–02–07 Ohio
Head coach
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster

[6][7][8]

Detroit Vagabond Kings Schedule

Not to be confused with exhibition or other non-NBL scheduled games that did not count towards Detroit's official NBL record for this season. An official database created by John Grasso detailing every NBL match possible (outside of two matches that the Kankakee Gallagher Trojans won over the Dayton Metropolitans in 1938) would be released in 2026 showcasing every team's official schedules throughout their time spent in the NBL. As such, these are the official results recorded for the Detroit Vagabond Kings during their only season in the NBL.

# Date Opponent Score Record
1 October 30 @ Oshkosh 59–72 0–1
2 November 1 @ Anderson 59–89 0–2
3 November 3 N Oshkosh 37–75 0–3
4 November 4 N Oshkosh 59–63 0–4
5 November 6 @ Oshkosh 54–81 0–5
6 November 7 @ Hammond 65–71 0–6
7 November 9 N Denver 56–54 1–6
8 November 14 @ Waterloo 53–72 1–7
9 November 16 Sheboygan 57–64 1–8
10 November 23 N Syracuse 54–78 1–9
11 November 27 @ Tri-Cities 73–92 1–10
12 November 30 Waterloo 63–65 1–11
13 December 1 N Anderson 62–76 1–12
14 December 2 @ Anderson 60–86 1–13
15 December 4 Denver 56–64 1–14
16 December 7 Denver 86–76 2–14
17 December 11 Sheboygan 65–80 2–15
18 December 13 Hammond 59–78 2–16
19 December 16 N Anderson 84–92 2–17

Detroit's NBL Dispersal Draft

When the Detroit Vagabond Kings announced that they would fold operations altogether for the rest of the 1948–49 NBL season on December 16, 1948, the NBL hosted an impromptu dispersal draft of sorts later that same day (as well as one day before the Dayton Rens were placed in the NBL as the replacement squad for Detroit) involving the remaining NBL teams acquiring any of the Vagabond Kings' players that they felt interested in acquiring along the way, similar to the way the Chicago American Gears' players were redistributed amongst the other NBL teams in the previous season there following the quick collapse of the American Gears' failed rivaling Professional Basketball League of America. When this dispersal draft of sorts became completed, it saw former Syracuse Nationals turned Detroit player Johnny Sebastian, Ollie Shoaff, and Hal Devoll all going to the Hammond Calumet Buccaneers (who became a short-lived NBL franchise themselves by the end of this season), former Fort Wayne Pistons player from the now-rivaling Basketball Association of America (now Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association) Dillard Crocker going to the Anderson Duffey Packers (who would end up winning the final NBL championship that season), and former Chicago Stags (of the BAA) player Ben Schadler going to the Waterloo Hawks, with former Detroit Gems players Dave Latter and player-coach Del Loranger opting to retire from NBL play altogether and stay in the city of Detroit instead. Beyond those players, however, there was very little interest in any of the other players on the Vagabond Kings' roster by comparison to the interest that was had for the former NBL champion Chicago American Gears' players, though one player from the Vagabond Kings named Dick Shrider did previously play for the New York Knicks in the rivaling Basketball Association of America in this season before joining the Detroit squad.[9] Incidentally, one other Vagabond Kings player (and former Detroit Gems player-coach), Fred Campbell, would end up returning to the Vagabond Kings franchise once they became a barnstorming franchise, with Campbell also being a player-coach as well for a few years there.

Dayton Rens Roster

1948–49 Dayton Rens roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
G/F Rookie Brown 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1925–02–15 Howard
C George Crowe 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1921–03–22 Indiana Central
G/F Duke Cumberland 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1915–10–20 Scott High School (OH)
G/F Hank DeZonie 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1922–02–12 Clark Atlanta
F/C Bill Farrow 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1918–06–15 DePaul
F/C Len Ford 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 198 lb (90 kg) 1926–02–18 Creighton
G/F Pop Gates 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1917–08–30 Benjamin Franklin High School (NY)
G John Isaacs 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 160 lb (73 kg) 1915–09–15 Textile High School (NY)
PF Dolly King 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1913–10–19 Long Island
G Vic Krafft 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 168 lb (76 kg) 1919–06–03 Woodrow Wilson Junior College
C Longie Powell 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1919–02–14 Friedrich Froebel High School (IN)
G Red Pryor 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 160 lb (73 kg) 1926–06–02 DePaul
F Tom Sealy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1921–01–31 Brooklyn College
G/F Wee Willie Smith 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1911–04–22 East Tech High School (OH)
SG Jim Usry 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 174 lb (79 kg) 1922–02–22 Lincoln University (PA)
F Eddie Wollen 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 1909–05 Unknown
G/F Sonny Wood 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1922–12–31 Benjamin Franklin High School (NY)
Head coach
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster

[10][11][12]

Dayton Rens Schedule

Not to be confused with exhibition or other non-NBL scheduled games that did not count towards Dayton's official NBL record for this season (excluding the previous games the Detroit Vagabond Kings played in the NBL earlier this season), meaning games from the New York Renaissance's end would not count in this case. An official database created by John Grasso detailing every NBL match possible (outside of two matches that the Kankakee Gallagher Trojans won over the Dayton Metropolitans in 1938) would be released in 2026 showcasing every team's official schedules throughout their time spent in the NBL. As such, these are the official results recorded for the Dayton Rens during their only season in the NBL, with their record section showcasing both their own record as a franchise and the combined record of theirs with the previous Detroit Vagabond Kings' NBL record in parentheses at the bottom due to their unique situation at hand.

# Date Opponent Score Record
1
(20)		 December 19 Anderson 61–83 0–1
(2–18)
2
(21)		 December 22 @ Hammond 53–50 (OT) 1–1
(3–18)
3
(22)		 December 26 @ Tri-Cities 49–70 1–2
(3–19)
4
(23)		 December 27 N Oshkosh 69–89 1–3
(3–20)
5
(24)		 January 11 @ Denver 56–47 2–3
(4–20)
6
(25)		 January 13 @ Denver 47–60 2–4
(4–21)
7
(26)		 January 16 @ Waterloo 45–59 2–5
(4–22)
8
(27)		 January 19 N Oshkosh 67–55 3–5
(5–22)
9
(28)		 January 20 @ Oshkosh 64–62 4–5
(6–22)
10
(29)		 January 23 N Oshkosh 49–57 4–6
(6–23)
11
(30)		 January 25 N Denver 70–64 5–6
(7–23)
12
(31)		 January 29 N Syracuse 65–85 5–7
(7–24)
13
(32)		 January 30 @ Syracuse 68–78 5–8
(7–25)
14
(33)		 January 31 N Syracuse 55–65 5–9
(7–26)
15
(34)		 February 7 N Tri-Cities 51–49 6–9
(8–26)
16
(35)		 February 9 N Waterloo 44–56 6–10
(8–27)
17
(36)		 February 10 @ Tri-Cities 61–54 7–10
(9–27)
18
(37)		 February 12 N Hammond 43–52 7–11
(9–28)
19
(38)		 February 13 Anderson 51–54 7–12
(9–29)
20
(39)		 February 15 N Waterloo 53–52 8–12
(10–29)
21
(40)		 February 16 N Anderson 68–76 8–13
(10–30)
22
(41)		 February 20 @ Sheboygan 61–59 9–13
(11–30)
23
(42)		 February 21 N Tri-Cities 54–74 9–14
(11–31)
24
(43)		 February 24 @ Syracuse 49–66 9–15
(11–32)
25
(44)		 March 3 @ Tri-Cities 60–58 10–15
(12–32)
26
(45)		 March 6 @ Syracuse 57–61 10–16
(12–33)
27
(46)		 March 9 @ Tri-Cities 56–65 10–17
(12–34)
28
(47)		 March 10 N Tri-Cities 45–68 10–18
(12–35)
29
(48)		 March 13
(Game 1)		 @ Sheboygan 52–67 10–19
(12–36)
30
(49)		 March 13
(Game 2)		 @ Sheboygan 50–52 10–20
(12–37)
31
(50)		 March 15 N Syracuse 69–51 11–20
(13–37)
32
(51)		 March 18 N Hammond 45–50 11–21
(13–38)
33
(52)		 March 19 N Hammond 53–62 11–22
(13–39)
34
(53)		 March 20 @ Waterloo 50–52 11–23
(13–40)
35
(54)		 March 21 @ Anderson 69–74 11–24
(13–41)
36
(55)		 March 23 N Sheboygan 55–60 11–25
(13–42)
37
(56)		 March 26 N Waterloo 61–45 12–25
(14–42)
38
(57)		 March 29 N Denver 69–55 13–25
(15–42)
39
(58)		 March 31
(Game 1)		 @ Sheboygan 62–68 13–26
(15–43)
40
(59)		 March 31
(Game 2)		 @ Sheboygan 61–54 14–26
(16–43)

The Detroit Vagabond Kings / Dayton Rens franchise(s) would miss a grand total of five game played throughout this season, with one game being cancelled being against the Syracuse Nationals and some combination of games each being cancelled against each of the original Denver Nuggets franchise, the Hammond Calumet Buccaneers, and the Waterloo Hawks. Those cancelled games would likely be related to the Detroit Vagabond Kings folding operations early on in their season and subsequently being replaced by the Dayton Rens not long afterward, though some games might have been due to other concerns relating to scheduling (such as serious weather problems or even travel problems in the case of the Denver Nuggets) where none of the teams' records would ultimately be affected in a significant manner throughout this season.

Season standings

Pos. Eastern Division Wins Losses Win %
1 Anderson Duffey Packers 49 15 .766
2 Syracuse Nationals 40 23 .635
3 Hammond Calumet Buccaneers 21 41 .339
4 Dayton Rens‡ 14 26 .350
5 Detroit Vagabond Kings‡ 2 17 .105
‡ Dayton replaced Detroit, who disbanded during the season, and assumed Detroit's
record in the standings. Their combined record was 16–43.

Awards and honors

References

  1. ^ "Detroit Vagabond Kings". nbahoopsonline.com. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  2. ^ "Dayton Rens". nbahoopsonline.com. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  3. ^ "The Hidden Story: Rens Break Pre-NBA Color Barrier, 1948 | Black Fives". Black Fives | Make History Now!. 18 December 2007. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  4. ^ "1948–49 NBL Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  5. ^ "A Tale Of Two Passes | Black Fives". Black Fives | Make History Now!. 19 January 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  6. ^ "DETROIT VAGABOND KINGS". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  7. ^ "Peach Basket Society: 1948-49 Detroit Vagabond Kings (NBL)". Peach Basket Society. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  8. ^ "1948-49 Detroit Vagabond Kings Roster". statscrew.com. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  9. ^ Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-4006-1., pg. 211
  10. ^ "DAYTON RENS". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  11. ^ "Peach Basket Society: 1948-49 Dayton Rens (NBL)". Peach Basket Society. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  12. ^ "1948-49 Dayton Rens Roster". statscrew.com. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
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