The first all-Black professional basketball team was organized on Feb. 13, 1923.
The New York Renaissance, commonly called the Rens, become one of the dominant teams of the 1920s and 1930s. The team’s founder was Robert L. Douglas, whose primary objective was to give New York City’s male, Black athletes opportunities to better themselves. In February 1923, Douglas struck an agreement with William Roach, a Harlem-based real estate developer who owned the New Renaissance Ballroom and Casino, and the Rens were born.
With Black players barred from professional basketball leagues, the Rens barnstormed throughout the country, often competing against all-white teams.