History of the Ironmen

The Pittsburgh Ironmen were a professional basketball team that played in the National Basketball League (NBL) from 1946-1947. The team was founded by Arthur Buford, who had previously owned the Pittsburgh Pirates of the American Basketball League. The Ironmen were an instant success, finishing with a record of 25 wins and 19 losses in their inaugural season and making it to the playoffs for two consecutive years.

The 1947-48 season saw significant changes for the franchise as they moved to Chicago and became known as “the Stags” due to their new home city's nickname, "Windy City." Despite these changes, they finished second place in both seasons before folding after two short years. During this period, many great players such as George Yardley, Don Otten, and Chuck Cooper played on this squad which made them one of the most successful teams during those times when compared with other NBL franchises like Anderson Packers or Sheboygan Redskins, who folded soon after being established.

Despite having only existed for two short seasons, there is no doubt that during its brief existence, The Pittsburgh Ironmen left an indelible mark on NBA history through its talented roster featuring future Hall Of Famers such as George Yardley while also playing an essential role in helping pave the way towards modern-day basketball by introducing novel concepts into gameplay like zone defense which would later become commonplace throughout league play today.