Today we’re returning to where it starts for many collectors. 1948 Bowman…the first major set dedicated solely to basketball! And it stands alone until Topps arrived with its 1957-58 basketball set. This is the first basketball play card that we’ve looked at. They’re a really unique feature of this set, and are worth a lot if they’re in great condition. This one isn’t! In fact, it shows just how rough these cards can be when you finally locate them. I have no idea how the bottom edge got this bad. Hand cut maybe? This particular card appears early in Series II, cards #37-72, and these were produced in fewer quantities. So I’m just happy to have this card regardless. It shows a double screen, particularly as it says on the back, a “Double Screen with Center Court Kept Open.”
These cards are really fun to look at, especially for those of us who played. I wasn’t that good, but it still takes me back to junior high and high school when we would memorize and practice some of these fundamental plays. On these cards, offense is the squares and defense is the football-shaped ovals. So this double screen starts with three players on offense well above the key. C runs to screen E’s defender. E’s open now, and he runs into the paint getting the pass from A. (The dotted line is a pass). While this is going on, B is setting up a screen on D’s defender on the other side. At this point, I’m thinking E needs to just drive or shoot that ball! But we’re going to get more complicated.
E is going to dribble towards that screen and basically do what the card calls a “short shuttle pass” which is just basically a little handoff to the open Player D. Player D can now drive and score! The wavy lines are dribbling by the way. So there you have it…basically a couple of screens, a pass, a handoff and a drive. Exciting action from the late 1940’s.
Bowman produced plenty of baseball cards in the late 40’s into the 50’s, but the 1948 Bowman basketball set is their only complete basketball run until the 1996-97 Bowman’s Best set. (These were actually produced by Topps who purchased Bowman way back in 1956). Also, to give more context, this 1948 Bowman set features BAA basketball players. This was the Basketball Association of America. It’s final season was 1948-49 after which it merged with the National Basketball League, the NBL. That formed the NBA. These cards fall into place right during this moment of transition! Right before the creation of the NBA!
If you’ve never seen one of these cards in person, you should. They’re smaller than a standard sports card at 2 1/16″ x 2 1/2″. The #69 George Mikan rookie is the highlight of the set. But you also have “Red” Holzman (a player card of one of the greatest coaches of all time), Joe Fulks (who basically developed the jump shot) and Jim Pollard (known for dunking from the free throw line). The history here is just unbelievable!
But for now, we have our first basketball play card, a nice double screen and some of t he worst edges I’ve ever seen!
You must be logged in to post a comment.