HARRY JEANNETTE

From 1938 to 1948 “Buddy” was regarded as professional basketball’s top backcourt player. His adept passing, clutch shooting and hard nosed defense earned him four Most Valuable Player Awards, three in the old National Basketball League and one in the American Basketball League. He also played on five championship teams in three different cities, Sheboygan, Fort Wayne and Baltimore. As one of basketballs early pioneers, Jeannette played professionally in three different leagues, the NBL, ABL and the Basketball Association of America, the forerunner to the NBA.

A graduate of New Kensington High School and Washington & Jefferson College, he made his way to the top of the basketball world. He was an outstanding four-year player for W&J College. He led the Presidents to a 41 -19 mark during his career. In 1937 he was named to Chuck Taylor’s All-American Team, a remarkable feat for a player from a college with only 600 students. In 1938 he began a marvelous ten-year professional career, sharing Rookie of the Year Honors with Lou Boudreau. From 1941 to 1948 Jeannette won five straight championships. In 1947 he became the first ever player/coach to win a professional championship with the Baltimore Bullets of the ABL and repeated the feat the following year with the Bullets in the new BAA. Jeannette retired as a player in 1950.

He coached collegiately at Georgetown, professionally with the Baltimore Bullets. Jeannette was inducted into the Washington & Jefferson College Hall of Fame, Class 2001.