John Isaacs

Who was John Isaacs?

John Isaacs was an early African-American professional basketball player. Born in Panama but raised in New York City, he was a member of the New York Renaissance, the Washington Bears, and various other teams.

Isaacs was born in 1915 in Panama, his father from Jamaica and his mother a Panamanian. He grew up in Harlem, speaking both English and Spanish. Isaacs was a 6-foot, one-inch, 190 pound guard who led the basketball team at Textile High School to a title in the 1935 New York City High School Basketball championship with all-City honors for himself. Offered a professional contract by Bob Douglas, owner of the Harlem-based, all-African American New York Renaissance basketball team, he accepted the offer, but only after getting approval from his mother.

With the Rens, Isaacs led the team to season records of 122-19, 121-19, and 127-15. The team won the first World Professional Basketball Tournament, held in 1939 at Chicago Stadium and sponsored by the Chicago Herald American, with the team making it to the finals by beating the Harlem Globetrotters of Chicago 27–23, to face the Oshkosh All-Stars, who lost to the Rens 34–25 in the tournament final.