Pop Gates
Inducted:
1989
Player Stats
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
Born
August 30, 1917
Decatur, Alabama, U.S.
Died
December 1, 1999
New York City, New York, U.S.
Position
Guard
Coach
College
NA
William "Pop" Gates was a true pioneer of the "cage" era and one of the most versatile athletes to ever step onto a basketball court. Known for his incredible speed, rebounding, and defensive tenacity, Gates achieved the rare feat of jumping directly from a high school championship at Benjamin Franklin in Harlem to a World Professional Championship with the New York Renaissance in 1939. He was a cornerstone of the legendary "Rens," contributing to their historic 68-game winning streak.
Beyond his physical dominance, Gates was a trailblazer for integration; in 1946—seven months before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball—he became one of the first African American players to sign with the National Basketball League (NBL), playing for the Buffalo Bisons (later the Tri-Cities Blackhawks). He later transitioned into a player-coach role for the Dayton Rens and the Harlem Globetrotters, becoming one of the first Black coaches in major professional basketball. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989.
Gates' Awards and Honors
- NBL All-Time Team
- 2x WPBT Champion (1939, 1943)
- 2× All-WPBT Team (1940, 1943)
- ABL champion (1950)
- 8× World Tournament All-Pro Selection
- Only player to appear in every World Professional Tournament
NBL Teams
Buffalo Bisons (1946–1947)
Dayton Rens (1948–1949)
NBL Stats
NBL Games Played:
81
Points:
758 (NBL specific)
Points Per Game:
9.4 (NBL specific)
Professional Games Played:
1,500+ (Estimated total career)
Career Scoring Average:
~14.0 PPG (Across all professional play)
World Professional Tournament Appearances:
10