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Indianapolis Jets

The Indianapolis Jets were a Basketball Association of America (BAA) team based in Indianapolis. They were founded as the Indianapolis Kautskys and used that name until the team joined the BAA. They played for one year in the BAA and then ceased operations due to the formation of the Indianapolis Olympians.

Indianapolis Jets
LeaguesNPBL: 1932–1933
MBC: 1935–1937
NBL: 1937–1948
BAA: 1948–1949
Founded1931
Folded1949
HistoryIndianapolis Kautskys
1931–1948
Indianapolis Jets
1948–1949
ArenaButler Fieldhouse (15,000)
LocationIndianapolis, Indiana
Team colorsRed, navy blue, white
     

Franchise history

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In 1931, Frank Kautsky, an Indianapolis grocer, formed a professional basketball team and named it the Indianapolis Kautskys. Their first game they ever played was on November 24, 1931, which they won 37–18 against the Kokomo 66ers in Kokomo, Indiana. Their first home game would be on December 11, where they'd win 31–17 over the Fort Wayne Firemen.[1] After playing in the National Professional Basketball League (NPBL) in 1932–33[2] and the Midwest Basketball Conference (MBC) in the 1935–36 and 1936–37) seasons,[3] the Kautskys became one of the original members of the newly formed National Basketball League (NBL) in 1937.[4]

The franchise's best season was in 1946–47; led by Arnie Risen, they set the franchise mark for most wins (27) and won the World Professional Basketball Tournament.

With the Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals, and Fort Wayne Pistons, the team moved to the Basketball Association of America (BAA) for the 1948–49 season. At that time the team's name was changed to the Indianapolis Jets because the BAA prevented its teams from having commercial sponsors, similar to how the Fort Wayne Pistons removed the Zollner sponsor from their original name.[4]

Following the 1948–49 season, the Jets folded alongside the Providence Steamrollers on August 3, 1949. This coincided with the BAA and the NBL merging to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).[5] For the 1949–50 season, a new Indianapolis franchise, the Indianapolis Olympians, was created.[4]

Season-by-season records

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Note: W = wins, L = losses, % = win–loss %

Season W L % Playoffs Results
Indianapolis Kautskys (NPBL)
1932–33 7 4 0.636 Did not qualify
Indianapolis Kautskys (MBC)
1935–36 9 3 0.750 Round Robin Tourney
1936–37 2 5 0.286 Did not qualify
Indianapolis Kautskys (NBL)
1937–38 4 9 0.308 Did not qualify
1938–39 13 13 0.500 Did not qualify
1939–40 9 19 0.321 Did not qualify
1941–42 12 11 0.522 0–2
1945–46 10 22 0.312 Did not qualify
1946–47 27 17 0.614 2–3
1947–48 24 35 0.407 1–3
Indianapolis Jets (BAA)
1948–49 18 42 0.300 Did not qualify

Players

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Basketball Hall of Famers

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Indianapolis Jets Hall of Famers
Players
No. Name Position Tenure Inducted
— Arnie Risen C 1945–1948 1998
— John Wooden G 1932–1937
1938–1939		 1960
— Charles "Stretch" Murphy C 1932–1934 1960
— Branch McCracken C/F/G — 1960

References

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  1. ^ Indianapolis Kautskys/Indianapolis Jets History
  2. ^ "National Basketball League 1932-33". The Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  3. ^ "Midwest Basketball Conference [1935-36 to 1936-37]". The Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Biesel, David B. (1991). Can You Name that Team?: A Guide to Professional Baseball, Football, Soccer, Hockey, and Basketball Teams and Leagues. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. pp. 33–34. ISBN 0-8108-2458-2.
  5. ^ Curtis Harris (21 January 2022). "How the NBA's 75th anniversary sweeps away its early history". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 June 2024.


 

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