“The brackets had been deliberately set up so the Globetrotters and Renaissance couldn’t both make it to the finals,” Abdul-Jabbar said about the 1939 tournament field. “It would’ve been unacceptable to the White audiences, players and owners to have two Black teams eliminate all the White teams. So, having the Renaissance win was a win for Blacks — not just as players, but as management.” Douglas and the Renaissance continued etching their legacies as the 1940s continued. In exhibition games, they made $500 per appearance and earned a gate percentage when playing against newly formed ABL squads. Clifton (Renaissance-high 24 points) and George Mikan (game-high 40) dueled in a hotly contested bout.

Source: CBC News July 06, 2023 06:01 UTC