iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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

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 · 31/03/2025

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

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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

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 · 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

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

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

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 · 11/03/2025

My non-basketball section (these are my “yet to read” items; read items are all under the bed 😂)

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

Rare Lefty Topel Spalding sneakers ad from 1928

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

Rochester’s Lefty Topel This chiseled specimen led the ABL in scoring with 438 total points and 8.4 ppg The jersey was gold and the lettering purple #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Today’s Hollander POTD (1928 edition) is Washington Palace Five player/coach Ray Kennedy, who would move with the team to Brooklyn halfway through the 1927-28 season (Apologies to @hoopsanalyst.bsky.social)

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

I was a total geek for the Cincinnati Stingers, and I’m not ashamed

Photo of hockey goalie Mike Liut circa 1979 with the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Rochester Centrals and Philadelphia Warriors warm up together at The Arena in November 1927 #HoopsHistory

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Say what you want…but Doug Neidermeyer could ball at Faber College, where “knowledge is good” #AnimalHouse

Jan 1970 Sports Illustrated cover featuring Doug Collins of Illinois State

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

In 1927, the Fort Wayne Hoosiers signed what was advertised as the American Basketball League’s first seven footer (although he was actually 6’11”) Milas “Slim” Shoun out of Carson & Newman College in Tennessee #HoopsHistory

1920s basketball player Slim Shoun, one of basketball’s first “seven footers” (even though he was only 6’11”)

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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

In 1927, the ABL’s Philadelphia Warriors signed Roman Catholic HS and Notre Dame star Vince McNally McNally was captain and leading scorer for an Irish team that lost only two games in two years You can read the rest… #HoopsHistory

excerpt from an unpublished book about basketball player Vince McNally whose career was cut short after he impaled himself on a fence

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