All-National Basketball League (United States) Team

National Basketball League awards and honors
Championship
Individual awards
Honors

The All-National Basketball League Team was an annual National Basketball League (NBL) honor bestowed upon the best players in the United States league following the NBL season. The team was selected every season of the league's existence, from 1937–38 through 1948–49.

Nine players earned at least four total selections, three of whom have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame – Bobby McDermott (1988),[1] Buddy Jeannette (1994),[2] and Al Cervi (1985).[3] In addition to them, six other players who had earned three or less All-NBL First Team and/or Second Team honors have also entered the Basketball Hall of Fame as well, although two players did so with the honor of making it as a head coach later in their careers either instead of or alongside their time spent as players – John Wooden (once in 1960 as a player and again in 1973 as a head coach for college basketball),[4][5] Red Holzman (1986 as a head coach in the NBA),[6] Bob Davies (1970),[7] Arnie Risen (1998),[8] George Mikan (1959),[9] and Jim Pollard (1978).[10]

Key

* Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Player (X) Denotes the number of times the player has been selected
Player
(in bold text) 		Indicates the player who won the NBL Most Valuable Player in the same year

Annual selections

Season First Team Second Team
Players Teams Players Teams
1937–38[11] Scott Armstrong Fort Wayne General Electrics Soup Cable Akron Firestone Non-Skids
Chuck Bloedorn Akron Goodyear Wingfoots Robert Kessler Indianapolis Kautskys
Leroy Edwards Oshkosh All-Stars Vince McGowan Whiting Ciesar All-Americans
Charley Shipp Akron Goodyear Wingfoots Jack Ozburn Akron Firestone Non-Skids
John Wooden* Whiting Ciesar All-Americans Bart Quinn Fort Wayne General Electrics
1938–39[12] Paul Birch Pittsburgh Pirates Chuck Bloedorn (2) Akron Goodyear Wingfoots
Jerry Bush Akron Firestone Non-Skids John Moir Akron Firestone Non-Skids
Soup Cable (2) Akron Firestone Non-Skids Jack Ozburn (2) Akron Firestone Non-Skids
Leroy Edwards (2) Oshkosh All-Stars Charley Shipp (2) Akron Goodyear Wingfoots
John Sines Indianapolis Kautskys Jewell Young Indianapolis Kautskys
1939–40[13] Soup Cable (3) Akron Firestone Non-Skids Ernie Andres Indianapolis Kautskys
Leroy Edwards (3) Oshkosh All-Stars Nat Frankel Detroit Eagles
Wibs Kautz Chicago Bruins Otto Kolar Sheboygan Red Skins
Charley Shipp (3) Oshkosh All-Stars Rube Lautenschlager Sheboygan Red Skins
Ben Stephens Akron Goodyear Wingfoots Jack Ozburn (3) Akron Firestone Non-Skids
1940–41[14] Leroy Edwards (4) Oshkosh All-Stars Bob Calihan Detroit Eagles
Buddy Jeannette* Detroit Eagles Bill Hapac Chicago Bruins
Jack Ozburn (4) Akron Firestone Non-Skids Wibs Kautz (2) Chicago Bruins
Ed Sadowski Detroit Eagles Bobby Neu Hammond Ciesar All-Americans
Charley Shipp (4) Oshkosh All-Stars Jake Pelkington Akron Goodyear Wingfoots
Ben Stephens (2) Akron Goodyear Wingfoots Ralph Vaughn Hammond Ciesar All-Americans / Chicago Bruins
1941–42[15] Chuck Chuckovits Toledo Jim White Chevrolets Ed Dancker Sheboygan Red Skins
Leroy Edwards (5) Oshkosh All-Stars George Glamack Akron Goodyear Wingfoots
Bobby McDermott* Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons Herm Schaefer Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
Charley Shipp (5) Oshkosh All-Stars Ralph Vaughn (2) Chicago Bruins
Ben Stephens (3) Akron Goodyear Wingfoots Jewell Young (2) Indianapolis Kautskys
1942–43[16] Curly Armstrong Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons Sonny Boswell Chicago Studebaker Flyers
Ed Dancker (2) Sheboygan Red Skins Jerry Bush (2) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
Bobby McDermott* (2) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons Leroy Edwards (6) Oshkosh All-Stars
Charley Shipp (6) Oshkosh All-Stars Buddy Jeannette* (2) Sheboygan Red Skins
Ralph Vaughn (3) Oshkosh All-Stars Ken Suesens Sheboygan Red Skins
1943–44[17] Ed Dancker (3) Sheboygan Red Skins Jerry Bush (3) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
Buddy Jeannette* (3) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons Rube Lautenschlager (2) Sheboygan Red Skins
Bobby McDermott* (3) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons Jake Pelkington (2) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
Mel Riebe Cleveland Chase Brassmen Charley Shipp (7) Oshkosh All-Stars
Clint Wager Oshkosh All-Stars Ken Suesens (2) Sheboygan Red Skins
1944–45[18] Leroy Edwards (7) Oshkosh All-Stars Jerry Bush (4) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
Buddy Jeannette* (4) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons Ed Dancker (4) Sheboygan Red Skins
Bobby McDermott* (4) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons Huck Hartman Pittsburgh Raiders
Stan Patrick Chicago American Gears Jake Pelkington (3) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
Mel Riebe (2) Cleveland Allmen Transfers Dick Triptow Chicago American Gears
1945–46[19] Bob Carpenter Oshkosh All-Stars Frank Baumholtz Youngstown Bears
Ed Dancker (5) Sheboygan Red Skins Bob Calihan (2) Chicago American Gears
George Glamack (2) Rochester Royals Al Cervi* Rochester Royals
Red Holzman* Rochester Royals Leroy Edwards (8) Oshkosh All-Stars
Buddy Jeannette* (5) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons Mike Novak Sheboygan Red Skins
Bobby McDermott* (5) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons Jerry Steiner Indianapolis Kautskys
1946–47[20] Al Cervi* (2) Rochester Royals Bob Calihan (3) Chicago American Gears
Bob Davies* Rochester Royals Bob Carpenter (2) Oshkosh All-Stars
Fred Lewis Sheboygan Red Skins Red Holzman* (2) Rochester Royals
Bobby McDermott* (6) Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons / Chicago American Gears Arnie Risen* Indianapolis Kautskys
George Mikan* Chicago American Gears Hal Tidrick Toledo Jeeps
1947–48[21] Al Cervi* (3) Rochester Royals Frank Brian Anderson Duffey Packers
Red Holzman* (3) Rochester Royals Bob Calihan (4) Flint/Midland Dow A.C.'s
George Mikan* (2) Minneapolis Lakers Bob Davies* (2) Rochester Royals
Jim Pollard* Minneapolis Lakers Bobby McDermott* (7) Sheboygan Red Skins / Tri-Cities Blackhawks
Mike Todorovich Sheboygan Red Skins Don Otten Tri-Cities Blackhawks
1948–49[22] Frank Brian (2) Anderson Duffey Packers Bill Closs Anderson Duffey Packers
Al Cervi* (4) Syracuse Nationals Hoot Gibson Tri-Cities Blackhawks / Denver Nuggets
Gene Englund Oshkosh All-Stars Boag Johnson Anderson Duffey Packers
Dick Mehen Waterloo Hawks Mike Todorovich (2) Sheboygan Red Skins
Don Otten (2) Tri-Cities Blackhawks Whitey Von Nieda Tri-Cities Blackhawks

Most selections

The following table only lists players with at least four total selections.

Player Total First Team Second Team MVP Seasons played
Leroy Edwards 8 6 2 3 12
Bobby McDermott* 7 6 1 4 8
Charley Shipp 7 5 2 0 12
Ed Dancker 5 3 2 0 11
Buddy Jeannette* 5 4 1 0 7
Jerry Bush 4 1 3 0 9
Bob Calihan 4 0 4 0 5
Al Cervi* 4 3 1 0 5
Jack Ozburn 4 1 3 0 5

All-Time NBL Team

* Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player

While most information regarding the creation of the All-Time NBL Team is unknown as of 2025, what is known is that sometime during the late 20th century (or even the early 21st century, although that point would be highly unlikely), the ranking for what was considered the NBL's twenty best all-time players was voted by members of the print and broadcast news media that would have reported on and announced games for the NBL, including statisticians. It's unknown if the ranking was done similarly to what occurred with the ABA All-Time Team or if its ranking was done before the ABA All-Time Team was done. Regardless, this team consists of the twenty best and most influential players of the NBL during its twelve seasons of existence after previously starting out as the Midwest Basketball Conference amateur or semipro basketball league back in 1935, with respect not only to performance at the professional level, but in consideration of sportsmanship, team leadership, and contributions to the growth of the league and the sport of basketball, and irrespective of positions played.

The following information for the All-Time NBL Team is found in the referenced archive link.[23]

Name Position Team(s) played for (years) Championships won Award(s) won[24] Year of
Hall of Fame
induction
as player 		Ref.
Jerry Bush F/C Akron Firestone Non-Skids (1938–1941)
Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1941–1947)
Anderson Duffey Packers (1946–1947)
Toledo Jeeps (1947–1948) 		1939, 1940, 1944, 1945 All-NBL First Team (1939)
All-NBL Second Team (1943–1945) 		— [25]
Bob Carpenter F/C Oshkosh All-Stars (1940–1941, 1945–1948, 1949)
Hammond Calumet Buccaneers (1948–1949) 		1941 NBL scoring leader (1946)
All-NBL First Team (1946)
All-NBL Second Team (1947) 		— [26]
Al Cervi G/F Buffalo Bisons (1937–1938)
Rochester Royals (1945–1948)
Syracuse Nationals (1948–1949) 		1946 NBL scoring leader (1947)
All-NBL First Team (1947–1949)
All-NBL Second Team (1946) 		1985 [27]
Chuck Chuckovits F/G Hammond Ciesar All-Americans (1939–1940)
Toledo Jim White Chevrolets (1941–1942) 		None NBL scoring leader (1942)
All-NBL First Team (1942) 		— [28]
Ed Dancker C/F Sheboygan Red Skins (1938–1948)
Oshkosh All-Stars (1948–1949) 		1943 All-NBL First Team (1943–1944, 1946)
All NBL Second Team (1942, 1945) 		— [29]
Bob Davies G/F Rochester Royals (1945–1948) 1946 NBL MVP (1947)
All-NBL First Team (1947)
All-NBL Second Team (1948) 		1970 [30]
Leroy Edwards C/F Oshkosh All-Stars (1937–1949) 1941, 1942 NBL MVP (1938–1940)
NBL scoring leader (1938–1940)
All-NBL First Team (1938–1942, 1945)
All-NBL Second Team (1943, 1946) 		— [31]
Gene Englund F/C Oshkosh All-Stars (1941–1949) 1942 All-NBL First Team (1949) — [32]
Pop Gates F/G Buffalo Bisons / Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1946–1947)
Dayton Rens (1948–1949) 		None None 1989 [33]
George Glamack C/F Akron Goodyear Wingfoots (1941–1942)
Rochester Royals (1945–1947)
Indianapolis Kautskys (1947–1948)
Hammond Calumet Buccaneers (1948–1949) 		1946 NBL Rookie of the Year (1942)
All-NBL First Team (1946)
All-NBL Second Team (1942) 		— [34]
Buddy Jeannette G Warren Penns / Cleveland White Horses (1938–1939)
Detroit Eagles (1939–1941)
Sheboygan Red Skins (1943)
Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1943–1946) 		1943, 1944, 1945 All-NBL First Team (1941, 1944–1946)
All-NBL Second Team (1943) 		1994 [35]
Bobby McDermott G Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1941–1946)
Chicago American Gears (1946–1947)
Sheboygan Red Skins (1947)
Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1947–1948)
Hammond Calumet Buccaneers (1948–1949) 		1944, 1945, 1947 NBL MVP (1942–1946)
NBL scoring leader (1943)
All-NBL First Team (1942–1947)
All-NBL Second Team (1948) 		1988 [36]
George Mikan C Chicago American Gears (1946–1947)
Minneapolis Lakers (1947–1948) 		1947, 1948 NBL MVP (1948)
NBL scoring leader (1948)
All-NBL First Team (1947–1948) 		1959 [37]
Mike Novak C/F Chicago Bruins (1939–1942)
Chicago Studebaker Flyers (1942–1943)
Sheboygan Red Skins (1943–1946)
Syracuse Nationals (1946–1948) 		None All-NBL Second Team (1946) — [38]
Don Otten C Buffalo Bisons / Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1946–1949) None NBL MVP (1949)
NBL scoring leader (1949)
All-NBL First Team (1949)
All-NBL Second Team (1948) 		— [39]
Mel Riebe G/F Cleveland Chase Brassmen / Allmen Transfers (1943–1946) None NBL Rookie of the Year (1944)
NBL scoring leader (1944–1945)
All-NBL First Team (1944–1945) 		— [40]
Arnie Risen C/F Indianapolis Kautskys (1945–1948)
Rochester Royals (1948) 		None All-NBL Second Team (1947) 1998 [41]
Charley Shipp G/F Akron Goodyear Wingfoots (1937–1939)
Oshkosh All-Stars (1939–1944)
Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1944–1946)
Anderson Duffey Packers (1946–1948)
Waterloo Hawks (1948–1949) 		1938, 1941, 1942, 1945 All-NBL First Team (1938, 1940–1943)
All-NBL Second Team (1939, 1944) 		— [42]
Ben Stephens G/F Akron Goodyear Wingfoots (1939–1942) None NBL Rookie of the Year (1940)
NBL MVP (1941)
NBL scoring leader (1941)
All-NBL First Team (1940–1942) 		— [43]
Mike Todorovich F/C Sheboygan Red Skins (1947–1949) None NBL Rookie of the Year (1948)
All-NBL First Team (1948)
All-NBL Second Team (1949) 		— [44]

In addition to those twenty voted players, media voting also gave special voting for the honor of the All-Time Greatest NBL Player from the assorted group as well, with the honor being given out to Bobby McDermott, with votes also being given out to Leroy Edwards as well.[23]

See also

References

General
  • "All-NBL Teams". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
Specific
  1. ^ "Bobby McDermott". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  2. ^ "Buddy Jeannette". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  3. ^ "Al Cervi". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  4. ^ "John Wooden". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  5. ^ "John Wooden". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  6. ^ "Red Holzman". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  7. ^ "Bob Davies". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  8. ^ "Arnie Risen". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  9. ^ "George Mikan". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  10. ^ "Jim Pollard". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  11. ^ "1937–38 NBL Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  12. ^ "1938–39 NBL Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  13. ^ "1939–40 NBL Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  14. ^ "1940–41 NBL Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  15. ^ "1941–42 NBL Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  16. ^ "1942–43 NBL Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  17. ^ "1943–44 NBL Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  18. ^ "1944–45 NBL Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  19. ^ "1945–46 NBL Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  20. ^ "1946–47 NBL Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  21. ^ "1947–48 NBL Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  22. ^ "1948–49 NBL Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  23. ^ Voting undertaken by news media covering the NBL was used to compile, after each regular season period, two teams, each comprising what was usually (but not always) two forwards, two guards, and one center, with the first to be composed of the best players at their respective positions and the second to be composed of the next best players, as well as MVP and Rookie of the Year honors.
  24. ^ "Jerry Bush NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  25. ^ "Bob Carpenter NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  26. ^ "Al Cervi NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  27. ^ "Chuck Chuckovits NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  28. ^ "Ed Dancker NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  29. ^ "Bob Davies NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  30. ^ "Leroy Edwards NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  31. ^ "Gene Englund NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  32. ^ "Pop Gates NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  33. ^ "George Glamack NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  34. ^ "Buddy Jeannette NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  35. ^ "Bobby McDermott NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  36. ^ "George Mikan NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  37. ^ "Mike Novak NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  38. ^ "Don Otten NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  39. ^ "Mel Riebe NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  40. ^ "Arnie Risen NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  41. ^ "Charley Shipp NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  42. ^ "Ben Stephens NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  43. ^ "Mike Todorovich NBL Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
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