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6. Mel Reibe

Riebe, a 5'11 guard from College of Wooster is widely considered to be the greatest player in both the Cleveland Chase Brassmen and Cleveland Allman Transfers history. Riebe played for the Cleveland teams from 1943 until they folded in 1947, he would than go and join the Boston Celtics.

With the Allman Transfers, Riebe would lead the NBL in scoring in 1944 and 1945, and would become the first player in league history to average over 20 points a game, which he did in 1945 when he averaged 20.2 points per game. Riebe was a scoring machine in his early days, but he lacked other fundamentals which set him apart from others like McDermott and Edwards and is likely the reason he is lesser remembered than the other two.

When the NBL and BAA merged in 1947 Riebe once again joined a Cleveland franchise: The Rebels. But aging and increased talent level was to much as Riebe began to slow down. After the 1946-47 season Riebe would leave Cleveland join up with the Boston Celtics. Riebe would play a season and a half with the Celtics before finishing his career with the Providence Steamrollers.

Riebe died in 1977 never having made the Basketball hall of fame, he is one of only a few of the early stars not to be enshrined in Springfield.

<--NBL Top 10 #7 | Mel Riebe | NBL Top 10 #5 -->