Midwest Basketball Conference History

The Midwest Basketball Conference (MBC) was a predecessor to the much more successful National Basketball League, which itself became an important predecessor of today's National Basketball Association. The MBC represented another major attempt to organize professional basketball into a structured league after the earlier American Basketball League.

The teams of the MBC were a mixture of corporate-sponsored clubs and independent basketball teams. This reflected the structure of professional basketball during the 1930s, when many of the strongest teams were financed by companies that used basketball both as advertising and as recreation for employees.

The success of the MBC can be difficult to measure because the league existed for only two seasons. Its historical importance, however, is much greater than its short lifespan suggests. Several MBC clubs later played in the National Basketball League, creating a direct connection between the MBC and the professional leagues that followed it.

The Indianapolis Kautskys provide one of the clearest links. Indianapolis later competed in the NBL and eventually entered the Basketball Association of America as the Indianapolis Jets, connecting the MBC era to the early history of the NBA.

The league was created largely through the efforts of Frank Kautsky and Paul Sheeks, two businessmen from the American Midwest. Kautsky owned the Indianapolis Kautskys, while Sheeks was associated with the Akron Firestone team.

Kautsky and Sheeks encouraged companies throughout the region to support professional basketball clubs and participate in the new league. Corporate sponsors included Cooper Buses, U.S. Tire, Hyvis Oil and Duffy Floral, among others.

Independent clubs also participated. Teams such as the Whiting All-Americans, Buffalo Bisons and Dayton Metropolitans joined the corporate-sponsored clubs in the conference.

For a short time, the Rochester Seagrams, a team that would eventually become part of the franchise history leading to the Sacramento Kings, considered joining the league. Rochester ultimately decided that travel between upstate New York and the Ohio Valley region would be too difficult.

Most MBC teams were concentrated around the Great Lakes and the industrial Midwest. League cities included Detroit, Buffalo, Chicago, Akron, Indianapolis, Dayton and Fort Wayne, along with Warren and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.

That geography closely resembled the early National Basketball League, which later featured teams in many of the same industrial cities. The regional concentration helped control travel expenses at a time when professional basketball teams often operated on very small budgets.

Life was difficult for MBC players. Salaries were small, travel could be exhausting and playing conditions were often rough. Road trips frequently involved long bus rides over rural roads, many of which were still unpaved. Bus breakdowns were common, and players sometimes had to arrange their own transportation to games.

During one playoff situation, Dayton player Norm Wagner drove his own car from Dayton to Fort Wayne only to discover that the game had been cancelled.

Physical play was also common. In one well-known incident, Indianapolis Kautskys guard Frank Baird suffered a dislocated elbow after being pushed into metal bleachers during a game against Detroit. A spectator who happened to be a doctor came from the stands and reset Baird's elbow.

One of the early recorded basketball brawls also occurred during an MBC game between Buffalo and Dayton. Unlike the modern game, where a punch normally results in an immediate ejection, officials of the era often allowed play to continue after physical confrontations. Multiple fights could occur during the same game.

The MBC's rules reflected the still-developing nature of professional basketball. Teams were generally responsible for arranging their own schedules, but league rules established a minimum number of conference games and required a portion of those games to be played on the road.

At one point, teams were required to play at least 10 league games, with at least four on the road. A team could not count more than four games against the same opponent toward its league schedule. Enforcement of these scheduling rules, however, was inconsistent.

The home team could choose whether a game would be played using four 10-minute quarters or three 15-minute periods.

The league also played under rules that required a jump ball after every made basket, a major difference from modern basketball.

Player compensation varied considerably depending on a player's ability and the financial strength of the club's sponsor. Some corporate teams did not pay traditional basketball salaries. Instead, players were given jobs with the sponsoring company, with their employment closely connected to their basketball ability.

A typical player could earn approximately $5 to $10 per game. Bonuses were occasionally offered, and some were substantial by the standards of the time.

One famous example involved John Wooden. The owner of a Hammond team reportedly handed Wooden a $100 bill during a game after Wooden reached 100 consecutive made free throws. Wooden's wife took possession of the money.

During the first MBC season in 1935-36, the league required teams to play a minimum number of games against other conference members. The intended playoff format called for the top teams from each division to qualify.

Based on the league standings and scheduling requirements, the leading qualifiers included the Indianapolis Kautskys, Pittsburgh Y.H.M.A., Akron Firestone Non-Skids and Detroit Hed-Aids.

The situation became controversial when the league instead allowed the Chicago Duffy Florals into the postseason even though Chicago had played only five league games. The MBC justified the decision in part because Chicago had defeated Detroit convincingly in their only meeting.

Financial considerations may also have influenced the decision. Detroit was experiencing serious financial difficulties, while playing the postseason in Chicago offered the possibility of larger crowds and greater revenue.

Chicago took advantage of the opportunity. The Duffy Florals upset the favored Akron Firestone Non-Skids 33-30 in the semifinals. In the other semifinal, Indianapolis defeated Pittsburgh.

Chicago then defeated Indianapolis 39-35 in the championship game to win the first MBC title. Akron defeated Pittsburgh 33-29 in the third-place game.

The playoff format was expanded for the 1936-37 season, with the semifinals and championship series moving to a best-of-three format. The required number of league games was also reduced.

In the Eastern Division, the two strongest clubs were Akron's two corporate powers: the Firestone Non-Skids and Goodyear Wingfoots. Goodyear advanced to the championship round.

In the Western Division, the leading teams were the Dayton London Bobbys and Fort Wayne General Electrics. Each team won a home game, but the deciding contest was never played after Dayton forfeited and failed to appear. Fort Wayne therefore advanced to the finals.

The Akron Goodyear Wingfoots defeated the Fort Wayne General Electrics two games to none to capture the 1937 MBC championship. Akron won Game 1 by a score of 28-22 and Game 2 by 27-24.

In October 1937, league owners changed the organization's name from the Midwest Basketball Conference to the National Basketball League. One concern was that the name "Midwest Conference" sounded too much like a college athletic conference, particularly the Big Ten, to sports readers of the era.

The name change marked the beginning of a more important chapter in professional basketball history. Several MBC franchises entered the NBL, and teams such as the Akron Goodyear Wingfoots, Akron Firestone Non-Skids, Fort Wayne General Electrics, Indianapolis Kautskys, Pittsburgh club and others helped provide continuity between the two leagues. The surviving team histories are catalogued on the site's MBC teams page.