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HARRY
JEANNETTE |
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2004 - BASKETBALL -
POSTHUMOUS |
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From 1938 to 1948 "Buddy" was
regarded as professional basketball's top backcourt player. His adept
passing, clutch shooting and hard nosed defense earned him four Most
Valuable Player Awards, three in the old National Basketball League and
one in the American Basketball League. He also played on five
championship teams in three different cities, Sheboygan, Fort Wayne and
Baltimore. As one of basketballs early pioneers, Jeannette played
professionally in three different leagues, the NBL, ABL and the
Basketball Association of America, the forerunner to the NBA.
A graduate of New Kensington High School and Washington & Jefferson
College, he made his way to the top of the basketball world. He was an
outstanding four-year player for W&J College. He led the Presidents to a
41 -19 mark during his career. In 1937 he was named to Chuck Taylor's
All-American Team, a remarkable feat for a player from a college with
only 600 students. In 1938 he began a marvelous ten-year professional
career, sharing Rookie of the Year Honors with Lou Boudreau. From 1941
to 1948 Jeannette won five straight championships. In 1947 he became the
first ever player/coach to win a professional championship with the
Baltimore Bullets of the ABL and repeated the feat the following year
with the Bullets in the new BAA. Jeannette retired as a player in 1950.
He coached collegiately at Georgetown, professionally with the Baltimore
Bullets. Jeannette was inducted into the Washington & Jefferson College
Hall of Fame, Class 2001.
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