Dutch Dehnert
(1898-1979)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1969
Card Shown:
1986-2002 Basketball Hall of Fame Metallic
Position: F/C
Height: 6’1″
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Henry “Dutch” Dehnert was a member of the Original Celtics and Cleveland Rosenblums who played basketball in the 1920s and 1930s. Although he did not play basketball in high school or college, Dutch had a knack for the game and started playing professionally at the age of 19. He played for a number of teams in his first five years before signing an exclusive contract with the Original Celtics.
Never a great shooter, Dehnert scored most of his points close to the basket. He was known as a good passer and rebounder and as one of the best defensive players of his day. At 6’1″, Dutch was a sturdy 210 pounds and was one of the first “big men” in the game to have such a strong defensive focus.
Awards and Honors
- Dutch won the Pennsylvania State Basketball League championship in 1920 with the Nanticoke Nans and again in 1921 with the Scranton Miners in 1922.
- Dehnert won two consecutive American Basketball League (ABL) championships with the Original Celtics in 1927 and 1928. Playing alongside him during their championship run were Hall of Famers Joe Lapchick and Nat Holman.
- After the Original Celtics were temporarily disbanded, Dehnert and Lapchick won two more ABL Championships with the Cleveland Rosenblums in 1929 and 1930.
- Dutch and others used the pivot play so effectively that the 3-second rule was instituted to keep players from “camping” in the lane, which gave them an obvious advantage.
Points of Interest
- Dehnert is generally credited with being the originator of “the pivot play,” which has remained a standard part of basketball since he introduced it.
- After acting as player-coach for the Original Celtics, Dutch managed another barnstorming team named the Detroit Eagles from 1939-1941. One of the better players on that team was Press Maravich, the father of legendary basketball player Pete Maravich. The Eagles won the World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1941, defeating the Oshkosh All-Stars.
- Dehnert and the Original Celtics once barnstormed through a 205-game season, finishing with a record of 193-11-1.
- The Original Celtics are also thought to have introduced switching man-to-man defenses and zone defenses to the game of basketball.
- Although he spent most of his career playing for the Original Celtics, Dutch played for at least 22 teams during his basketball career. A few of the teams he played with include the Trenton Tigers, the Utica Utes, the Harrisburg Senators, and the Jersey City Skeeters.
Dutch Dehnert Signed Index Card
