Buddy Jeannette
From Hoopedia
Harry Edward "Buddy" Jeannette (b. September 15, 1917 in New Kensington, Pennsylvania – d. March 11, 1998 in Nashua, New Hampshire) was a former professional player and coach. Jeannette starred in basketball at Washington & Jefferson College, in Washington, Pennsylvania. He was an Honorable Mention All-American his senior year.
Jeannette was widely regarded as the premier backcourt player between 1938 and 1948. He was named to the First Team of the National Basketball League (NBL) four times, and won titles with the NBL's Sheboygan Red Skins (1943) and Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1944, 1945). Jeannette also won a title with the American Basketball League Baltimore Bullets in 1947.
In 1941 (when he was with the Detroit Eagles and 1945 (Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons) Jeannette's teams won the World Professional Basketball Tournament in Chicago. In both instances he was named Tournament MVP.
Most of his playing career came prior to the formation of the modern NBA or its predecessor leagues; however Jeanette did serve three years as a player-coach for the original Baltimore Bullets of the Basketball Association of America. In the 1948 BAA playoffs, he became the first player-coach to win a professional championship.
After his playing career ended, he coached the original Bullets for one more season. He then became the head coach at Georgetown University for four seasons.
Jeannette returned to the ranks of professional coaching to lead the modern Baltimore Bullets twice, once for a full season and once as an interim coach. He later would coach the ABA's Pittsburgh Pipers. He also coached in the Eastern League.
In 1994, Jeannette was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
