Buffalo Germans
Inducted:
1961
Players
Philip Dischinger
Henry J. Faust
Alfred A. Heerdt (captain)
Edward Linneborn
John I. Maier
Albert W. Manweiler
Edward C. Miller
Harry J. Miller
Charles P. Monahan
George L. Redlein
Edmund Reimann
Williams C. Rhode
George Schell
Head coach
Dr. Fred Burkhardt
The Buffalo Germans were one of the earliest dominant teams in basketball history and are widely regarded as the first great dynasty of the sport. Formed in 1895 by young players at the German department of the Buffalo YMCA, the team developed into a powerful amateur and professional-level basketball organization. The Germans captured the 1901 Pan-American Championship and won the basketball competition at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, an event classified as an Olympic non-medal competition.
From 1908 through 1910, they produced an extraordinary 111-game winning streak, often defeating opponents by more than 30 points. Their most overwhelming victory came in a 134–0 win over Hobart College. The team continued competing until disbanding in 1925, finishing with an astonishing 792–86 overall record. The Buffalo Germans were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961.
Buffalo Germans Team's Awards and Honors
- 1901 Pan-American Championship
- 1904 Olympic Basketball Championship
- 111-game winning streak — 1908–1910
- Five undefeated seasons
- 792–86 overall record
- One of the earliest teams inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a complete team
Team Stats
Founded:
1895
Overall Record:
792–86
Winning Percentage:
.902
1904 Olympic Record:
Undefeated
Longest Winning Streak:
111 games
Years Active:
1895–1925
Pan-American Championship:
1901
Olympic Championship:
1904