Pop Gates

Pop Gates

Gates circa 1952
Personal information
Born	(1917-08-30)August 30, 1917 Decatur, Alabama,U.S.
Died	December 1, 1999(1999-12-01)(aged 82) New York City, New York,U.S.
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school	Benjamin Franklin (Harlem, New York)
Position	Guard
Career history
As player:
1937–1938	New York Harlem Yankees
1938–1941, 1942–1946	New York Renaissance
1941–1946	Washington Licthman Bears
1941–1944	Grumman Flyers
1944–1945	Rochester
1944–1946	Long Island Grumman Hellcats
1945–1946	Chicago Monarchs
1946–1947	Tri-Cities Blackhawks
1947–1949	New York Rens
1949	Dayton Rens
1949–1950	Scranton Miners
1950–1957	Harlem Globetrotters
1951–1952	New York Celtics
As coach:
1949	Dayton Rens
1950–1955	Harlem Globetrotters
Career highlights and awards
NBLAll-Time Team 3× All-WPBTTeam (1940, 1942, 1943) ABLchampion (1950)
Basketball Hall of Fame as player

William Penn"Pop"Gates(August 30, 1917 – December 1, 1999) was an American professionalbasketballplayer. Considered one of the top players of his day, he was the firstAfrican Americanplayer signed to theNational Basketball League,the precursor to today'sNational Basketball Association.

Early life

He was born inDecatur, Alabamaand attended high school in New York City. During high school studies he earned All-Conference honors in both 1937 and 1938 and made the All-City first team in 1938, as well as won three All-City titles with YMCA teams.Some later newspaper publications claimed that Gates graduated from Clark College (nowClark Atlanta University), but in fact his professional basketball career started right after graduating fromFranklin High School.

Basketball career

Gates started his professional basketball career with theNew York Renaissance,beginning in 1938–39. "Seven months before Jackie Robinson made his debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers,Leo Ferrishelped usher in a new era of racial integration for professional basketball when he signed Pop Gates, who made his debut for theTri-Cities Blackhawksin October 1946.

Gates, along withWilliam "Dolly" King,were the first two African-American players in theNational Basketball League(NBL) in 1946. "When Leo Ferris came to me, it was like a godsend", Gates was quoted as saying in the book "Pioneers of the Hardwood: Indiana and the Birth of Professional Basketball." "It was a real highlight of my career to be accepted by the NBL as one of only two blacks in the league."

Later Gates played for and coached theHarlem Globetrotters.He is one of the few athletes who went directly from a high school championship team (Benjamin Franklin, New York, 1938) to a world professional champion (New York Rens, 1939).

Awards and honors

Gates was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fameas a player in 1989.

External links

• "William Penn" Pop "Gates"at theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame