Howie Shannon was the third #1 overall back in BAA, and the last to be selected under that designation. He is also the first #1 pick to play multiple seasons in the NBA as the previous two had either not played or played only one season. He was also the second player to be selected #1 overall by the Providence Steamrollers who had selected Andy Tonkovich a year earlier #1. This marks the first time in NBA history that a team had the top draft choice back to back, and it has only happened six other times in history.
Shannon was found to be ineligible to play at Kansas State so he signed with the Steam Rollers, but league rules still required them to draft him. it is a bit confusing but league rules state that any player wishing to join the league must go through the draft process before they can be signed as free agents. But the NBA honored the contract and he was able to sign in 1948 and than was drafted in 1949, becoming the only such player to have this happen to him. The NBA since changed the rules to prevent this from happening.
Shannon made his debut for the Steam Rollers on November 4, 1948 against the Washington Capitols. He averaged 14 points a game and played in 55 games and earned rookie of the year honors, but the league does not officially recognize this. But the Rollers were bad, real bad. They won only 12 games and were having financial difficulties. The team folded the after the year, shortly after making Shannon the top pick in the draft.
With the Steam Rollers no longer a team a sort of dispersal draft was held and Shannon's rights were transferred to the Boston Celtics. During the off-season the BAA and NBL merged to form the NBA. During the first full season of the NBA, Shannon averaged 9 points a game an appeared in 67 games for the Celtics.
Shannon left the Celtics after his second season and coached high school basketball.
Year Team GP FG% FT% APG PPG
1948–49 Providence 55 .364 .804 2.3 13.4
1949–50 Boston 67 .344 .786 2.6 8.8
Career 122 .355 .795 2.5 10.8
| 