Lon Darling
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Oshkosh, Wisconsin,U.S. | June 25, 1902
Died | April 19, 1951 Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S. | (aged 48)
Career history | |
As coach: | |
1929–1936, 1941–1949 | Oshkosh All-Stars |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Alonzo Lewis "Lon" Darling(June 25, 1902 – April 19, 1951) was an early influencer in American professionalbasketball,having created thebarnstormingteam theOshkosh All-Stars,is credited with being the organizer of theNational Basketball League(NBL), and was a two-timeNBL Coach of the Year.[1][2]The Oshkosh All-Stars saw great success over their twelve-year tenure in the NBL, winning the Western Division six times and the league championship twice, in 1941 and 1942.[3]The All-Stars also won theWorld Professional Basketball Tournamentin 1942.[4]
National Basketball League
[edit]- Formation
At age 20, Darling began work as a seed distributor, first with the Oshkosh Seed Company, then as an Oshkosh-area distributor for theMilwaukee-based firm Hunkel Seed Co.[5]Since the seed work was seasonal, Darling sought work during its off-season.[5]His solution to this was to create a new professional basketball team, the Oshkosh All-Stars, in 1929.[5]According to the Oshkosh Public Museum, "Barring a down period during theGreat Depression,manager/coach Darling's All-Stars met great success and in 1937, he founded the National Basketball League, a precursor to the current-day NBA, in which the All-Stars were included alongside former members of aregional professional league,for formally-structured league play. "[5][1]
- Disbanding
Despite the success that Darling established with the Oshkosh All-Stars and the NBL, he is also cited as a key figure in the NBL's disbanding after the 1948–49 season.[3]Bitter that the All-Stars were not invited to join the rival league of the day—theBasketball Association of America,whose teams enjoyed bigger arenas and more funding—Darling accused theMinneapolis Lakersof being "trouble makers" by switching leagues and incited a feud.[1][3]Darling had been coaching the All-Stars but resigned prior to the conclusion of the 1948–49 season, causing playersGene EnglundandEddie Riskato become interim head coaches.[1]Due to insufficient funding, the team disbanded after 1948–49, which trickled to the remaining teams and thus caused the whole league to disband shortly thereafter.[1]The Oshkosh All-Stars were one of few teams to not have been absorbed by the BAA upon the NBL's dissolution.[1]
Personal
[edit]Darling was born on June 25, 1902, inOshkosh, Wisconsin.[5]He attendedRipon College.[1][6]Lon's brother wasBernard "Boob" Darling,a professional football player for theGreen Bay Packerswho spent his entire five-year career with the organization.[7]Boob is a member of theGreen Bay Packers Hall of Fame.[7]
On April 19, 1951, Darling died at age 48 in his lifelong hometown of Oshkosh.[3]The cause of death was amyocardial infarction(heart attack).[3]
Head coaching record
[edit]The below season records reflect Darling's tenure as head coach when the Oshkosh All-Stars were in the NBL. Their years spent barnstorming are not counted toward official coaching records.[1]
Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oshkosh | 1941–42 | 24 | 20 | 4 | .833 | 1st | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | Won NBL Championship |
Oshkosh | 1942–43 | 23 | 11 | 12 | .478 | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lost in Semifinals |
Oshkosh | 1943–44 | 22 | 7 | 15 | .318 | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Lost in Semifinals |
Oshkosh | 1944–45 | 30 | 12 | 18 | .400 | 3rd in Western | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
Oshkosh | 1945–46 | 34 | 19 | 15 | .559 | 2nd in Western | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost in Division Semifinals |
Oshkosh | 1946–47 | 44 | 28 | 16 | .636 | 1st in Western | 7 | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in Division Semifinals |
Oshkosh | 1947–48 | 60 | 29 | 31 | .483 | 3rd in Western | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | Lost in Division Semifinals |
Oshkosh | 1948–49 | 60 | 34 | 26 | .567 | 1st in Western | N/A[n 1] | N/A[n 1] | N/A[n 1] | N/A[n 1] | N/A[n 1] |
Total | 297 | 160 | 137 | .539 | 26 | 11 | 15 | .423 |
- ^abcdeDarling resigned prior to the playoffs. Players Gene Englund and Eddie Riska coached the team to a 3–4 record in the postseason. They won the Western Division Finals 3–1 over theTri-Cities Blackhawks,then lost the NBL Championship series 0–3 to theAnderson Duffey Packers.[1][8]
References
[edit]- ^abcdefghiMarcus, Jeff (2003).A Biographical Directory of Professional Basketball Coaches.Lanham, Maryland:Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 97–98.ISBN0-8108-4007-3.
- ^"Darling selected 'Coach of Year'".The Oshkosh Northwestern.26 March 1947. p. 15.Retrieved7 April2022– viaNewspapers.
- ^abcde"Darling, Former Oshkosh All-Star Cage Coach, Dies".Janesville Daily Gazette.Newspapers. April 19, 1951.RetrievedMay 23,2019– viaNewspapers.
- ^"Lonnie Darling, All Stars founder, succumbs suddenly".The Oshkosh Northwestern.19 April 1951. p. 4.Retrieved7 April2022– viaNewspapers.
- ^abcde"Lonnie Darling Photo Record".Oshkosh.PastPerfectOnline.Oshkosh Public Museum. 2016.RetrievedMay 23,2019.
- ^"Lon Darling".ProBasketballEncyclopedia.RetrievedMay 23,2019.
- ^ab"Bernard" Boob "Darling".Packers.Green Bay Packers.RetrievedMay 23,2019.
- ^"National Basketball League: 1948–49".ProBasketballEncyclopedia.RetrievedMay 23,2019.