Akron Firestone Non-Skids

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Akron Firestone Non-Skids
Founded1937
Dissolved1941
LocationAkron, Ohio
OwnershipFirestone Tire and Rubber Company
Championships2 NBL Championship (1939–40)

The Akron Firestone Non-Skids were an American professional basketball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team was one of the thirteen founding members of the National Basketball League (NBL), which formed in 1937.[1] The team was named for the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, which was headquartered in Akron.

Franchise history[]

The team was founded by Firestone as an amateur industrial team. Like other industrial teams of the era, the players were company employees with year-round jobs who were not paid for basketball but owed their jobs to their basketball skills.[2] The Non-Skids first competed professionally in the 1932–33 National Basketball League and defeated the Indianapolis Kautskys in the championship game. In 1935, the Non-Skids joined the Midwest Basketball Conference. In 1937, Firestone, General Electric, and Goodyear created the National Basketball League from company-sponsored teams and independent teams.[3] The Non-Skids were NBL champions in 1939 and 1940, defeating the Oshkosh All-Stars both years in the Finals. Following the 1940–1941 season, the Akron Firestone Non-Skids disbanded, leaving the Akron Goodyear Wingfoots as the only NBL team representing Akron.

Season-by-season records[]

Players of note[]

Coaches[]

References[]

  1. ^ Grasso, John (2010). Historical dictionary of basketball. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810867635.
  2. ^ Peterson, Robert W. (2002). Cages to jump shots : pro basketball's early years. New York: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 9780803287723.
  3. ^ "History of Basketball". SportsKnowHow.com. Retrieved 27 June 2012.

External links[]

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