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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Happy heavenly birthday to Earl Lloyd, overlooked @sixers legend and the first African American to play in an #NBA game A 9th round pick by the Washington Capitols The “Big Cat” was an exemplar of class #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

This Sacramento Kings legend learned today that his AAFC stats now count in NFL records He’d like to see his NBL stats (and the stats of ABA players) count in the NBA #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Fear not…the NBA will not do the same for NBL or ABA

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Second half of the 1929-30 American Basketball League season finds everyone gunning for the champs #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

We’re not talking enough about how hard Musk flopped here

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No Context Social Media @walledgardenmag.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

I remember hearing a rumor that Melo was always kinda pissed he couldn't do this. Maybe it was a blessing and it saved him from doing Palm'd jab-steps into hilarious turnovers.

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

Syracuse All-Americans center Chuck Gillium doing something not many could do in 1929 #HoopsHistory

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Jawn Gonzalez @johngonzalez.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

Congratulations on an incredible shot you have won a terrible punishment

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

Sad but true “Checks and balances” aren’t self-enforcing…they require people to agree to play along In theory, two branches should restrain the third…but our legislature has checked out So you have a Constitutional crisis Which will require military intervention

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Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

The New York Times is in denial about its own role in 2024.

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Who can name this little 🥨 maker from the 1929-30 ABL season? #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Epic American Basketball League history from Chistmas 1929 Hit ALT for the caption #HoopsHistory

Chicago’s Al Kellett just missed a free throw, and this is how players of the era fight for a rebound: reaching with one hand while shoving with the other. Tillie Voss (right) bats at the ball, taking care a Fort Wayne Hoosiers player won’t get it. On the other side of the free throw line the Bruins’ Honey Russell keeps Fort Wayne’s Shang Chadwick under control and prepares to get the ball

Ft. Wayne is in red shirts and black shorts
Chicago in white shirts and red shorts

Game in Chicago Stadium on Christmas Day, 1929

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Trunks and socks: blue and white Jersey: white with a red rose Player: Joe Lapchick Team: Cleveland Rosenblums Year: 1929-30 #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

The 1926 Chicago Bruins Jimmy Campbell was from Camden, NJ You get one guess what his nickname was #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Me in the National Security Team group chat

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

As per Ernie D, he only wore this game in two exhibitions before Buffalo switched to their iconic powder blues #NBA #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Some people know that Senator John Y. Brown, Jr. owned the Kentucky Colonels, Buffalo Braves But who can name the US President who was a general manager for a pro hoops team? #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

This is, in fact, a pretty accurate depiction of Davey Banks, who was built like a fire hydrant but was still able to finish at the top of the American Basketball League scoring board every year (from November 1929) #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Having won the 1929 ABL title, the Cleveland Rosenblums adopted new uniforms that employed a rose (“in bloom”) instead of the owner’s name Blue and white trunks and socks and the red rose made for an attractive combo #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Today I got to the opening of the penultimate ABL season in my book draft, so enjoy this footage from the opener, the only existing footage from the league #HoopsHistory youtu.be/zUkeRcKvw78?...

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Rochester Centrals @ New York (“Original”) Celtics, 16 Nov 1929 American Basketball League IN COLOR

YouTube video by Only The Ball Was Brown

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Tired of #NBA players making shot after shot? Take a look at the shooting percentages during the 1929 American Basketball League finals #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

Only one #USMNT player in history has also played major league professional basketball. Who can name him? First correct answer gets a No-Prize #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

Kelly McBride was bounced from the team the year it debuted in the American Basketball League, but his photo provides a good colorization of the Cleveland Rosenblums uniform #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

The American Basketball League’s greatest defender Played with Cleveland Rosenblums, Chicago Bruins, Rochester Centrals, and Paterson Crescents Who ya got? #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

This wonderful colorization by @bsmile.bsky.social features Original Celtics great Johnny Beckman in 1921, standing with some baseball player with a barnstorming team 😉 Beckman would star in the ABL with the Celtics, Baltimore, Detroit, Chicago, Rochester, Cleveland, and Ft. Wayne #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

In the ABL of the 1920s, basketball experts appreciated the science of the "freeze," while the casual fan was just bored #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

In the 1920s, the ball had to clear the basket before the final whistle to count You can imagine the hilarity that ensued when a bucket was waived off #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Pre-season NBA/ABA hoops in Artis’ rookie year but before the Colonels unveiled their new uniforms #NBA #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

In 1928, Nat Holman and Davey Banks put together an all-Jewish team for the American Basketball League—the New York Hakoahs #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 16/03/2025

It’s not often you see a Chicago Zephyrs jersey. Even Tommy Heinsohn seems impressed. The Zephyrs are still in the #NBA today Who knows as what team? #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

The “NY Rens applied to be in ABL” is a hoax But, in Dec 1928, another Black Five was thinking of applying…but it never happened Who knows why? #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

In 2004 the NY Liberty played 6 games at Radio City Music Hall because MSG was being used for the Republican National Convention A return to pro hoops early roots in dance halls and ballrooms No “cages” used, though #WNBA #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

Bill Walton blocks Jeff Ruland in ‘83 NBA action Both men probably had season-ending injuries on the play…ironically while iron-man Randy Smith looks on #NBA #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Sure, we can talk about the ‘67 Sixers or ‘86 Celtics or ‘92 Bulls great teams But then there is the ‘28 New York Celtics: An .816 winning pct (40-9) Won the ABL title Team made up entirely of the First Team all-stars #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

The pride of the old Eastern Basketball League

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Jeff Ash @jeffash26.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

I see your four Hall of Famers and raise you one. From Tuesday, Sept. 29, 1970, here are Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Lew Alcindor, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor in a preseason game at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The Bucks won 118-96.

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

As coming out of college to play pro was not yet a thing, the 1927 Chicago Bruins program felt the need to list the opponents' nationalities And misspell Lapchick

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

The @kywnewsradio.bsky.social news guy just stumbled during his fire risk reporting, thinking “brush” was a typo and actually saying “I’ve seen that word before” What is going on with our schools??

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Ernie D is telling the ref that Dave Wohl is chewing gum but didn’t bring enough for everyone else #NBA #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Bearing in mind Mr. Beckman was Jewish, I'm sure there would be no issues with this January 1928 headline today... #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

So much to love in this photo of Buffalo’s Randy Smith driving past Washington’s Phil Chenier Buffalo unis Legal handle Proper flows #NBA #HoopsHistory

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