Buddy Jeannette
(1917-1998)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1994
Card Shown:
2009-10 Panini Hall of Fame
Position: G
Height: 5’11”
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In the late 1930s and 1940s, Buddy Jeannette was one of the top guards in professional basketball. When he turned pro in 1938 players were often paid about $25 per game. Jeannette played for the love of the game. He always gave 100 percent when he was on the court.
Buddy was a talented passer, shooter, and a hard-nosed defender who led five teams to championships in three different cities. He was a pioneer in the game of professional basketball.
Awards and Honors
- In 1938, Jeannette was named Rookie-of-the-Year, sharing the award with Lou Boudreau.
- Buddy helped lead the Detroit Eagles to the 1941 World Professional Tournament championship in Chicago in 1941. He was selected to the All-Tourney team in 1941 and again in 1942.
- Jeannette led the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Zollner Pistons to the 1943-44 National Basketball League (NBL) championship and later helped the Pistons to win three consecutive World Professional Tournaments from 1944 to 1946.
- During his basketball career Buddy won four Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. Three times he was named MVP in the NBL and once in the ABL.
- Jeannette seemed to win no matter what team he played on. His list of five championship teams that he played on includes the Sheboygan Redskins (1943 NBL), the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (1944 and 1945 NBL), and the Baltimore Bullets (1947 ABL and 1948 BAA).
Points of Interest
- Self-described as too “small and scrawny” to play basketball for his high school team, Jeannette made his college team and averaged 12 points a game during his four years at Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania.
- In 1937, Chuck Taylor (of the iconic shoe) chose Jeannette for his honorable mention All-America team. This was a great honor, especially considering that Buddy played at a college with an enrollment of only 600 students.
- After graduating from college, Buddy thought he would become a high school teacher and coach. However, when he couldn’t find a teaching position he joined the Warren Penns of the NBL.
- Jeannette’s final championship was in 1948 when he served as the player-coach of the Baltimore Bullets. The Bullets defeated the Philadelphia Warriors 4-2 in the finals. Buddy was the fourth leading scorer on his team with 8.8 points per game. The Warriors were led by Joe Fulks who averaged a series-high 23.5 points per game.
- Buddy retired as a player in 1950. He went on to coach at Georgetown University for four years (1952-1956), for the Baltimore Bullets of the NBA for parts of two seasons (1964-65 and 1966-67), and for the Pittsburgh Pipers of the ABA during the 1969-70 season.
Statistics
Buddy Jeannette Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com
Jeannette Signed 1994 Action Packed Card
1994 Hall of Fame Induction Program with Buddy Jeannette
Buddy Jeannette Signed Program
