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| Waterloo Hawks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Division | Western (1949–1950) |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Folded | 1951 |
| Arena | The Hippodrome |
| Location | Waterloo, Iowa |
| Team colors | Black, Gold, and White |
| Head coach | Charley Shipp (1948–1950) Jack Smiley (1950–1951) |
| Ownership | P. L. "Pinkie" George |
TheWaterloo Hawks were aNational Basketball League andNational Basketball Association team based inWaterloo, Iowa. The Hawks remain the only sports franchise ever based inIowa from any of the currentBig Four Leagues. They are not affiliated with and have no relation to the fellow NBL turned NBA team known then (1946-1951) as theTri-Cities Blackhawks, who are presently theAtlanta Hawks.
The Waterloo Hawks were founded in 1948, playing in theNational Basketball League. In 1949, the National Basketball League was absorbed by its rival, theBasketball Association of America, forming theNational Basketball Association; the Hawks were thus a founding member of the NBA. When the Hawks joined the NBA properly, their roster consisted of players that previously played for theHammond Calumet Buccaneers in the previous and final season of the NBL.[1] In the 1949–1950 season, their first and only one in the NBA, they finished 19–43, fifth out of six in the Western Division. The Waterloo Hawks are of no relation to the current-dayAtlanta Hawks franchise; at the time of Waterloo's existence in the NBA, the latter franchise was based inMoline, Illinois as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (and moved to Milwaukee when Waterloo's franchise folded).
TheNational Basketball Association contracted after the 1949–1950 season. The league went from 17 teams to 11 before the 1950–1951 season started. Midway through the 1950–1951 season, theWashington Capitols folded as well, bringing the number of teams in the league down to ten.[2]
Meanwhile, the National Professional Basketball League was formed around the former NBA teams, with teams added in new larger markets. The charter teams were the East Division:Sheboygan Redskins (Former NBA),Anderson Packers (Former NBA),Louisville Alumnites andGrand Rapids Hornets. West Division:Denver Refiners/Evansville Agogans,Saint Paul Lights,Kansas City Hi-Spots and Waterloo Hawks (Former NBA).[3]
The Waterloo Hawks played atThe Hippodrome. The arena is still in use today and is located at 250 Ansborough Ave, Waterloo, IA 50701.
When the NBA played in Waterloo the arena is often referred to as McElroy Auditorium. The confusion stems from an NBA publication from the 1960s which erroneously listed the current name of the arena and not its historical name.[4]
| NBL champions | NBA champions | Division champions | Playoff berth |
| Season | League | Division | Finish | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | Playoffs | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948–49 | NBL | Western | 4th | 30 | 32 | .484 | 6 | ||
| 1949–50 | NBA | Western | 5th | 19 | 43 | .306 | 20 | ||
| 1950–51 | NPBL | Western | 1st | 32 | 24 | .571 | — | — |
| Player | No. | Position | Years for Hawks | School/club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Boykoff | 13 | Center | 1949–50 | St. John's |
| Don Boven | 12 | Forward | 1949–50 | Western Michigan |
| Paul Cloyd | 12 | Guard/Forward | 1949–50 | Wisconsin |
| Elmer Gainer | 14 | Forward/Center | 1949–50 | DePaul |
| Ward "Hoot" Gibson | 14 | Forward/Center | 1949–50 | Creighton |
| Dale Hamilton | 14 | Guard/Forward | 1949–50 | Franklin College |
| Leo Kubiak | 4 | Guard | 1949–50 | Bowling Green |
| Richard "Dick" Mehen | 7 | Forward/Center | 1949–50 | Tennessee |
| Ken Menke | ?? | Guard | 1949–50 | Illinois |
| Al Miksis | 10 | Center | 1949–50 | Western Illinois |
| Gene Ollrich | 3 | Guard | 1949–50 | Drake |
| Johnny Orr | 9 | Forward | 1949–50 | Beloit College |
| Stan Patrick | 8 | Guard/Forward | 1949–50 | Illinois |
| Johnny Payak | 5 | Guard/Forward | 1949–50 | Bowling Green |
| Jack Phelan | 9 | Forward | 1949–50 | DePaul |
| John Pritchard | 11 | Center | 1949–50 | Drake |
| Wayne See | 6 | Guard | 1949–50 | Northern Arizona |
| Charley Shipp | 5 | Guard/Forward | 1949–50 | Catholic |
| Jack Smiley | 10 | Guard/Forward | 1949–50 | Illinois |
| Gene Stump | ?? | Guard/Forward | 1949–50 | DePaul |
| Robert "Bob" Tough | 3 | Guard/Forward | 1949–50 | St. John's |