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Only The Ball Was Brown ®️ @steveholroyd.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

But you’re free from pronouns in emails now. Small price for such winning.

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

(Note: the NBL had Black players 8 years earlier, but the Association doesn’t talk about that)

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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

In 2020, yes FWIW—NHL doesn’t include WHA records

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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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Reposted by Only The Ball Was Brown ®️

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

Seriously…his base wouldn’t believe the tapes were real, and the rest of us already hate him. He has nothing to lose 😝

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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 · 30/03/2025

Not sure O’Brien would have risked triggering Cooke by endorsing such chicanery Remember…free agency wasn’t a thing yet. If PSCs were a workaround of the reserve clause salaries would have gone even higher than they were with the ABA bidding on players

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Reposted by Only The Ball Was Brown ®️

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

Wilt was game…but Cooke still claimed his rights and wanted a lot in return as compensation

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Reposted by Only The Ball Was Brown ®️

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

She claimed playing on Doors sessions, but didn’t Also claimed a lot of Motown work she wasn’t on Someone did a paper on it, using union records But no one thinks Carol was trying to steal honor…rather, when you play 1000s of sessions you may mix them up once in a while

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

So many great records But not as many as she thinks 😉 But I love Carol…not her fault if she is mixed up sessions, as she’s played on thousands!

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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

Those same people you voted to confirm? Those guys? You need to step down as Senate leader

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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

You’re not wrong…but pro basketball in his era was really player-run, with no GMs yet. Think 1940s instead…

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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?...

youtu.be

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

I think RS said he was a cross between Bob Dylan and Chet Atkins before he decided to yuk it up in Hollywood

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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

Oops. Never mind. I thought this was my “possession” cartoon

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

Truth. In many ways, it was probably like modern soccer (and as even the cartoon hints): serious fans could appreciate the science in maintaining possession (even if little scoring), while the casual fan is bored

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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 · 20/03/2025

Agreed. I bought that issue, and never got the vibe. I was an RS guy…but also *really* liked Trouser Press, and could abide Creem. But SPIN just sucked.

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

Ted still won’t be satisfied, though It’s almost as if it’s always been about him the whole time

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