NBA All-Decade Teams: 1940s

I am a huge fan of basketball history. I am that the guy in 2K who adds all the stars the development team forgot. I wanted to do a series on All NBA teams but wanted to do things a little differently. I wanted to do an all time All NBA team. But let’s be honest that’s too easy so first I’m going to go with an All NBA team from each decade then compile my all time one.

Something to note, I am using positions but I will fudge them a bit if I have to. Also, I am only doing the first team. Players will not be allowed to be on more than one decades team.

Let’s start with the very first decade of the NBA. I’m going to take guys from the two leagues that merged to become the NBA. I am talking about the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Basketball Association of America (BAA) now the NBA only counts the stats of the BAA players but honestly in the beginning the NBL had much better players. So let’s get this show on the road with my list.

40s

G- Bobby McDermott

G- Bob Davies

F- Al Cervi

F- Joe Fulks

C- Arnie Risen

Let’s start with Bobby McDermott, first off let’s point out that he never played in the NBA, his entire career was in the NBL. The point totals aren’t super impressive (12 per game) but in an era without a shot clock this was nice. Let’s also face an elephant in the room, I was not alive in the 40s and there is limited tape on these guys I’m going by google for the 40s so it’s a little rough. Basketball reference just says he’s a guard, doesn’t even give his height, Wikipedia says 5’11 so take that for what it’s worth. It seems he was a lead guard and was considered the best player in the NBL.

Bob Davies: he was a Seton Hall point guard know for his passing and the fact that his career didn’t start till later because of being in the Navy. A 6’1 hall of fame point guard who led the Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) to a championship. He later went back to Seton Hall as a coach.

Al Cervi: this is where the 40s were weird. Al was a 5’11 Forward. Basketball reference doesn’t show his NBL stats unless you look for them a different way but “Digger” was considered one of the best defenders in the NBL, his NBA Career lasted for only four season when he retired at the age of 35.

“Jumping" Joe Fulks: most people think of the early days of the NBA as a time of unathletic white guys throwing the ball to a big man and letting him score all the points. While that might make sense from one point of view there were some superstars from the 40s that get very little respect for the amazing things they did to create the sport we love. Joe Fulks was the best player of the Decade and was a 6’5 Forward known for popularizing the Jump Shot and for being the best scorer in the early years of the NBA.

Arnie Risen was a 6’9 center who basically makes this team because the best center in the 40s is also the best in the 50s. Risen was good he even won 2 rings one with Rochester and one in Boston.

And that’s your team of the 40s. Most other teams will have some honorable mentions but the 40s was pretty weak. Join me later on in the series as I break down each decade, and finally my all time, All NBA Team.

-Jordan Ennis

All stats from BasketballReference.com unless otherwise stated.