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| Chicago American Gears | |
|---|---|
| Founded | c.1940 |
| Folded | 1947 |
| History | Chicago American Gears 1944–1947 (NBL) 1947 (PBLA) |
| Arena | International Amphitheatre |
| Capacity | 9,000 |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Ownership | Maurice White |
| Championships | NBL: 1 (1947) |
The Chicago American Gears were an American basketball team that played professionally in the National Basketball League (NBL) from 1944 to 1947 and in the Professional Basketball League of America (PBLA) in 1947 after leaving the NBL. The team is best known for George Mikan's stint with the team where he led them to the 1947 NBL championship. The team's owner, Maurice White, also owned the local American Gear Company as well, hence the name of the team in question.[1]
History
[edit]They are notable in professional basketball history for two things. First, they were the rookie year pro team of basketball legend George Mikan. Mikan had starred at local DePaul University as a collegian. After holding out for several weeks for money he felt owed him by the Gears, Mikan joined the team early enough to help them finish with a third-place record in the West Division of the 10-team National Basketball League that season. Nearly seven feet tall, Mikan then led playoff upsets for the Gears over three teams en route to the 1947 NBL Championship,[2] then widely considered the most prestigious title in pro basketball.
Prior to their move to the NBL, the Gears had played in the Amateur Athletic Union.[citation needed]
1946-47 season
[edit]The 1946–47 Chicago American Gears season was the Gears' third year in the United States' National Basketball League (NBL), which was also the league's twelfth season. Twelve teams competed in the NBL in 1946–47, comprising six teams in both the Eastern and Western Divisions.
Chicago played their home games at International Amphitheatre.[citation needed] Despite finishing tied for third place in the Western Division, the American Gears made a surprise playoffs run by winning the first series three games to two (3–2) over the Indianapolis Kautskys, followed by a 2–0 sweep of Oshkosh All-Stars in the semifinals.[citation needed] They then went on to win their first league championship 3–1 over Eastern Division champion Rochester Royals.[3][4]
Player-coach Bobby McDermott (First Team), George Mikan (First), and Bob Calihan (Second) earned All-NBL honors.[citation needed]
PBLA
[edit]After winning the 1947 NBL title, White announced he was leaving the NBL to form his own league, the ambitious 24-team Professional Basketball League of America.[5] Start-up costs proved prohibitive, however, and crowds for PBLA games were often very small. After the Gears 8-0 start in the first month of the season, the league folded due to financial difficulties.[6] The Gears later folder after its plea of joining the NBL again was rejected.
Season-by-season records
[edit]Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage
| Season | GP | W | L | W–L% | Finish | Playoffs |
| NBL | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944–45 | 30 | 14 | 16 | 0.467 | 2nd | Lost Western semifinals |
| 1945–46 | 34 | 17 | 17 | 0.500 | 3rd | Did not qualify |
| 1946–47 | 46 | 28 | 18 | 0.581 | 3rd | Won Opening Round (Kautskys) 3–2 Won Division semifinals (All-Stars) 2–0 Won NBL Championship (Royals) 3–1 |
| PBLA | ||||||
| 1947–48 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st | League disbanded before playoffs |
| NBL Totals | 110 | 59 | 51 | 0.536 | – | 1 NBL Championship |
| PBLA Totals | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st | Playoff record 0–0 |
| Franchise Totals | 118 | 67 | 51 | 0.568 | – | 1 Championship |
Citations
[edit]- ^ Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935–1949. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-4006-1., p. 131
- ^ "Gears capture pro cage title". Toledo Blade. April 10, 1947. Retrieved on September 10, 2009.
- ^ Maurice Shevlin (10 April 1947). "Gears Defeat Royals, 79-68; Capture title". Chicago Tribune. p. 31. Retrieved 21 April 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jim O'Connell (9 July 1997). "Cicero connection - Former American Gear star recalls championship team". The Life. p. 11. Retrieved 17 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Nelson, p. 179.
- ^ Edward McClelland (21 October 2021). "A (Pre-Bulls) History of Pro Basketball Flops in Illinois". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
References
[edit]- Triptow, Richard F. (1997). The dynasty that never was: Chicago's first professional basketball champions, the American Gears. ISBN 978-0965928007.
- Nelson, Murry R. (2009). The National Basketball League: A History, 1935-1949. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780786453610.
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