1949–50 Indianapolis Olympians season

The 1949–50 NBA season was the first season for the Indianapolis Olympians in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Despite them being an expansion franchise, the Olympians would end up being the champions of the Central Division, though they would be eliminated from the playoffs by the Anderson Packers. By the end of the season, the Olympians would join the Tri-Cities Blackhawks as the only other Central Division team to play in the NBA beyond this current season, as the other four Central Division teams would defect from the NBA to create a short-lived rivaling professional basketball league to compete against the NBA called the National Professional Basketball League.

1949–50 Indianapolis Olympians season
Division champions
Head coach	Cliff Barker
Arena	Hinkle Fieldhouse
Results
Record	39–25 (.609)
Place	Division: 1st (Western)
Playoff finish	Division finals (eliminated 1-2)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Radio	WXLW
1950–51 >

NBA draft

Main article: 1949 BAA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	2	Alex Groza	C	United States	Kentucky
2	–	Leo Barnhorst	F/G	United States	Notre Dame
3	–	Mac Otten	F/C	United States	Bowling Green
4	–	Bob Evans	G	United States	Butler
6	–	Don Boven	F/G	United States	Western Michigan

Roster

Indianapolis Olympians 1949–50 roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. From G 10 Cliff Barker 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Kentucky G 12 Ralph Beard 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Kentucky G 9 Bob Evans 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Butler C 15 Alex Groza 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 218 lb (99 kg) Kentucky G/F 7 Bruce Hale 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Santa Clara F 19 Marshall Hawkins 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Tennessee F 14 Joe Holland 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Kentucky F 17 Wallace Jones 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Kentucky F/C 16 Mal McMullen 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Xavier G 5 Jack Parkinson 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 174 lb (79 kg) Kentucky G/F Carl Shaeffer 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Alabama F/C 20 Floyd Volker 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Wyoming G/F 5 Paul Walther 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Tennessee	Head coach Cliff Barker Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Western Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
x-Indianapolis Olympians	39	25	.609	–	24–7	12–16	3–2	26–9
x-Anderson Packers	37	27	.578	2	22–9	12–18	3–0	25–12
x-Tri-Cities Blackhawks	29	35	.453	10	20–13	6–20	3–2	20–17
x-Sheboygan Red Skins	22	40	.355	17	17–14	5–22	0–4	15–20
Waterloo Hawks	19	43	.306	20	16–15	2–22	1–6	13–22
Denver Nuggets	11	51	.177	28	9–16	1–25	1–10	8–27

Record vs. opponents

1949–50 NBA records
Team	AND	BAL	BOS	CHI	DEN	FWP	IND	MIN	NYK	PHI	ROC	SHE	STL	SYR	TCB	WAS	WAT
Anderson	—	1–1	0–2	1–1	4–3	1–1	2–5	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	5–2	2–0	3–4	7–2	1–1	7–0
Baltimore	1–1	—	2–4	1–5	1–1	3–3	1–1	1–5	1–5	3–3	3–3	2–0	3–3	0–2	0–2	2–4	1–1
Boston	2–0	4–2	—	0–6	1–1	2–4	1–1	1–5	1–5	3–3	0–6	1–1	2–4	0–2	0–2	3–3	1–1
Chicago	1–1	5–1	6–0	—	2–0	2–4	1–1	2–4	2–4	4–2	2–4	2–0	5–1	0–2	1–1	3–3	2–0
Denver	3–4	1–1	1–1	0–2	—	0–2	0–7	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–4	0–2	1–6	0–7	0–2	2–5
Fort Wayne	1–1	3–3	4–2	4–2	2–0	—	1–1	2–4	4–2	4–2	3–3	2–0	5–1	0–2	2–0	2–4	1–1
Indianapolis	5–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	7–0	1–1	—	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	5–2	1–1	2–7	4–3	1–1	5–2
Minneapolis	1–1	5–1	5–1	4–2	2–0	4–2	1–1	—	5–1	4–2	3–3	1–1	5–1	1–1	2–0	6–0	2–0
New York	1–1	5–1	5–1	4–2	2–0	2–4	1–1	1–5	—	1–5	1–5	1–1	4–2	0–2	1–1	5–1	2–0
Philadelphia	1–1	3–3	3–3	2–4	2–0	2–4	0–2	2–4	1–5	—	1–5	2–0	2–4	0–2	1–1	2–4	2–0
Rochester	2–0	3–3	6–0	4–2	2–0	3–3	1–1	3–3	5–1	5–1	—	1–1	5–1	1–1	2–0	6–0	2–0
Sheboygan	2–5	0–2	1–1	0–2	4–3	0–2	2–5	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	—	0–2	1–6	3–4	2–0	4–3
St. Louis	0–2	3–3	4–2	1–5	2–0	1–5	1–1	1–5	2–4	4–2	1–5	2–0	—	1–1	2–0	0–6	1–1
Syracuse	4–3	2–0	2–0	2–0	6–1	2–0	7–2	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	6–1	1–1	—	6–1	1–1	6–1
Tri-Cities	2–7	2–0	2–0	1–1	7–0	0–2	3–4	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	4–3	0–2	1–6	—	1–1	4–3
Washington	1–1	4–2	3–3	3–3	2–0	4–2	1–1	0–6	1–5	4–2	0–6	0–2	6–0	1–1	1–1	—	1–1
Waterloo	0–7	1–1	1–1	0–2	5–2	1–1	2–5	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–4	1–1	1–6	3–4	1–1	—

Game log

1949–50 game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	November 1	Denver	71–64	Alex Groza (19)	1–0
2	November 8	New York	64–79	Alex Groza (18)	1–1
3	November 9	at Syracuse	73–103	Alex Groza (24)	1–2
4	November 10	at New York	83–79	Alex Groza (41)	2–2
5	November 11	at Philadelphia	91–84	Ralph Beard (20)	3–2
6	November 12	St. Louis	94–71	Alex Groza (26)	4–2
7	November 13	at Sheboygan	101–104	Alex Groza (30)	4–3
8	November 15	Anderson	72–83	Alex Groza (22)	4–4
9	November 17	at Boston	68–90	Alex Groza (21)	4–5
10	November 19	Waterloo	106–74	Ralph Beard (27)	5–5
11	November 20	at Minneapolis	95–121	Ralph Beard (24)	5–6
12	November 22	Rochester	80–74	Alex Groza (43)	6–6
13	November 23	at Chicago	72–92	Wallace Jones (22)	6–7
14	November 26	Sheboygan	85–59	Alex Groza (20)	7–7
15	November 27	at Tri-Cities	88–104	Alex Groza (21)	7–8
16	November 29	Tri-Cities	92–76	Alex Groza (28)	8–8
17	December 1	Minneapolis	86–68	Alex Groza (38)	9–8
18	December 3	at Rochester	77–99	Alex Groza (21)	9–9
19	December 4	at Syracuse	61–67	Alex Groza (26)	9–10
20	December 6	Boston	93–82	Alex Groza (22)	10–10
21	December 8	at Anderson	72–69	Alex Groza (30)	11–10
22	December 9	Denver	78–75	Alex Groza (18)	12–10
23	December 11	at Fort Wayne	74–90	Alex Groza (22)	12–11
24	December 13	Tri-Cities	84–63	Alex Groza (21)	13–11
25	December 16	at Denver	81–79	Alex Groza (29)	14–11
26	December 18	at Denver	83–79	Alex Groza (22)	15–11
27	December 20	Baltimore	79–88	Alex Groza (27)	15–12
28	December 22	Chicago	104–92	Alex Groza (42)	16–12
29	December 25	at Waterloo	93–97	Alex Groza (28)	16–13
30	December 27	Anderson	89–82	Bruce Hale (17)	17–13
31	January 1	at Sheboygan	89–75	Alex Groza (27)	18–13
32	January 3	Tri-Cities	78–76	Wallace Jones (24)	19–13
33	January 7	at Baltimore	85–61	Alex Groza (22)	20–13
34	January 10	Sheboygan	107–77	Alex Groza (25)	21–13
35	January 13	Waterloo	80–64	Alex Groza (28)	22–13
36	January 15	at Syracuse	69–82	Alex Groza (24)	22–14
37	January 17	Denver	101–81	Bruce Hale (23)	23–14
38	January 19	vs Waterloo	104–87	Alex Groza (30)	24–14
39	January 21	Fort Wayne	112–94	Ralph Beard (31)	25–14
40	January 24	Waterloo	107–69	Alex Groza (28)	26–14
41	January 27	at Anderson	91–78	Groza, Jones (23)	27–14
42	January 28	at Tri-Cities	81–97	Alex Groza (20)	27–15
43	January 30	vs Syracuse	75–91	Alex Groza (19)	27–16
44	February 2	Syracuse	67–73	Alex Groza (20)	27–17
45	February 5	at St. Louis	64–76	Wallace Jones (18)	27–18
46	February 7	Washington	88–81	Wallace Jones (18)	28–18
47	February 10	Anderson	76–107	Alex Groza (25)	28–19
48	February 12	at Tri-Cities	95–89	Alex Groza (25)	29–19
49	February 14	Philadelphia	86–67	Alex Groza (22)	30–19
50	February 15	at Waterloo	74–76	Ralph Beard (21)	30–20
51	February 18	at Washington	79–81	Alex Groza (26)	30–21
52	February 19	at Syracuse	78–82	Alex Groza (22)	30–22
53	February 21	Sheboygan	78–83	Groza, Jones (17)	30–23
54	February 24	vs Syracuse	67–72	Ralph Beard (18)	30–24
55	February 26	at Sheboygan	107–86	Ralph Beard (34)	31–24
56	February 28	Syracuse	110–72	Alex Groza (29)	32–24
57	March 3	Tri-Cities	83–96	Wallace Jones (32)	32–25
58	March 5	at Sheboygan	92–87	Alex Groza (31)	33–25
59	March 7	Anderson	107–93	Ralph Beard (30)	34–25
60	March 9	at Anderson	97–90	Barker, Groza (19)	35–25
61	March 12	Waterloo	90–89	Alex Groza (29)	36–25
62	March 14	Syracuse	68–65	Alex Groza (28)	37–25
63	March 16	vs Denver	111–99	Alex Groza (36)	38–25
64	March 18	vs Denver	110–73	Ralph Beard (23)	39–25

Playoffs

West Division Semifinals

(1) Indianapolis Olympians vs. (4) Sheboygan Red Skins: Olympians win series 2-1

• Game 1 @ Indianapolis (March 21): Indianapolis 86, Sheboygan 85
• Game 2 @ Sheboygan (March 23): Sheboygan 95, Indianapolis 85
• Game 3 @ Indianapolis (March 25): Indianapolis 91, Sheboygan 84

This was the first and only playoff meeting between the Olympians and Red Skins.

West Division Finals

(1) Indianapolis Olympians vs. (2) Anderson Packers: Packers win series 2-1

• Game 1 @ Indianapolis (March 28): Indianapolis 77, Anderson 74
• Game 2 @ Anderson (March 30): Anderson 84, Indianapolis 67
• Game 3 @ Indianapolis (April 1): Anderson 67, Indianapolis 65

This was the first and only playoff meeting between the Olympians and Packers.