Indianapolis Jets
The Indianapolis Jets were a Basketball Association of America (BAA) team based in Indianapolis. They were founded as the Indianapolis Kautskys and used that name until the team joined the BAA. They played for one year in the BAA and then ceased operations due to the formation of the Indianapolis Olympians.
| Indianapolis Jets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Leagues | NBL: 1946–1949 NBA: 1949–1950 NPBL: 1950–1951 | ||
| Founded | 1931 | ||
| History | 1931–1949 Indianapolis Kautskys 1931–1948 Indianapolis Jets 1948–1949 | ||
| Arena | Butler Fieldhouse (15,000) | ||
| Location | Indianapolis, Indiana | ||
| Team colors | Navy Blue, White | ||
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Franchise history
In 1931 Frank Kautsky, an Indianapolis grocer, formed a professional basketball team and named it the Indianapolis Kautskys. After playing in the Midwest Basketball Conference (1932–33)[1] and the National Basketball League (1935–37),[2] the Kautskys became one of the original members of the newly-formed National Basketball League (NBL) in 1937.[3]
1946-47 was the best season for the franchise; led by Arnie Risen, they set the franchise mark for most wins (27) and won the World Professional Basketball Tournament.
With the Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals, and Fort Wayne Pistons, the team moved to the Basketball Association of America (BAA) for the 1948–49 season. At that time the team's name was changed to the Indianapolis Jets because the BAA prevented its teams from having commercial sponsors, similar to how the Fort Wayne Pistons removed the Zollner sponsor from their original name.[3]
Following the 1948-49 season, the Jets folded. This coincided with the BAA and the NBL merging to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). For the 1949-50 season, a new Indianapolis franchise, the Indianapolis Olympians, was created.[3]
Season-by-season records
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Win–Loss %
| Season | W | L | % | Playoffs | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Kautskys (MBC) | |||||
| 1935–36 | 9 | 3 | 0.750 | Round Robin Tourney | |
| 1936–37 | 2 | 5 | 0.286 | Did not qualify | |
| Indianapolis Kautskys (NBL) | |||||
| 1937–38 | 4 | 9 | 0.308 | Did not qualify | |
| 1938–39 | 13 | 13 | 0.500 | Did not qualify | |
| 1939–40 | 9 | 19 | 0.321 | Did not qualify | |
| 1941–42 | 12 | 11 | 0.522 | 0–2 | |
| 1945–46 | 10 | 22 | 0.312 | Did not qualify | |
| 1946–47 | 27 | 17 | 0.614 | 2–3 | |
| 1947–48 | 24 | 35 | 0.407 | 1–3 | |
| Indianapolis Jets (BAA) | |||||
| 1948–49 | 18 | 42 | 0.300 | Did not qualify | |
Players
- George Chestnut
- Norman Cottom
- Gus Doerner
- Glynn Downey
- Hal Gensichen
- Bruce Hale
- Bob Kessler
- Branch McCracken
- Charles "Stretch" Murphy
- William Perigo
- Cy Proffitt
- Arnie Risen
- Herm Schaefer
- Edward Shaver
- Dave Strack
- Earl Thomas
- John Wooden
- Jewell Young
Basketball Hall of Famers
| Indianapolis Jets Hall of Famers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | ||||
| No. | Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted |
| — | Arnie Risen | C | 1945–1948 | 1998 |
| — | John Wooden | G | 1938–1939 | 1960 |
| — | Charles "Stretch" Murphy | C | 1932–1934 | 1960 |
| — | Branch McCracken | C/F/G | — | 1960 |
References
- "National Basketball League 1932-33". The Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- "Midwest Basketball Conference [1935-36 to 1936-37]". The Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- Biesel, David B. (1991). Can You Name that Team?: A Guide to Professional Baseball, Football, Soccer, Hockey, and Basketball Teams and Leagues. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. pp. 33–34. ISBN 0-8108-2458-2.