Indianapolis_Kautskys
Indianapolis Jets
Basketball team in Indianapolis, Indiana
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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leagues | NPBL: 1932–1933 MBC: 1935–1937 NBL: 1937–1948 BAA: 1948–1949 | |||
| Founded | 1931 | |||
| Folded | 1949 | |||
| History | Indianapolis Kautskys 1931–1948 Indianapolis Jets 1948–1949 | |||
| Arena | Butler Fieldhouse (15,000) | |||
| Location | Indianapolis, Indiana | |||
| Team colors | Red, navy blue, white | |||
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In 1931, Frank Kautsky, an Indianapolis grocer, formed a professional basketball team and named it the Indianapolis Kautskys. After playing in the National Professional Basketball League (NPBL) in 1932–33[1] and the Midwest Basketball Conference (MBC) in the 1935–36 and 1936–37) seasons,[2] the Kautskys became one of the original members of the newly formed National Basketball League (NBL) in 1937.[3]
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.[3]
Following the 1948–49 season, the Jets folded. This coincided with the BAA and the NBL merging to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). For the 1949–50 season, a new Indianapolis franchise, the Indianapolis Olympians, was created.[3]
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 | |
 |
| 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 |
- "National Basketball League 1932-33". The Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- "Midwest Basketball Conference [1935-36 to 1936-37]". The Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- 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.
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