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NBA Champions ·

1948 Baltimore Bullets

The Baltimore Bullets joined the BAA for the 1947-48 season and won the championship in their first year in the league, beating the Philadelphia Warriors four games to two. Buddy Jeannette ran the team as player-coach, led it in assists, and shot the best field-goal percentage in the league. Kleggie Hermsen, a 6-9 center, was the leading scorer.

Baltimore came over from the American Basketball League and went 28-20, second in the BAA's Western Division. Jeannette coached from the floor as a starting guard, a common setup in the era. The Bullets allowed the fewest points of any contender and graded out as the league's strongest team by point margin.

Hermsen averaged 12.0 points and Chick Reiser 11.5. Jeannette added 10.7 while leading the team in assists and pacing the BAA in shooting accuracy. Rookie Paul Hoffman and Connie Simmons scored inside, and Mike Bloom gave them another big body off the bench.

The Bullets reached the Finals through a division tiebreaker and two playoff rounds, then beat the Warriors four games to two. Simmons turned up in the postseason and led the team in scoring across the run.

No BAA or NBA team has matched it: Baltimore won the title in its very first season in the league. The franchise folded in 1954 and is separate from the later Baltimore Bullets. Jeannette, the player-coach, was elected to the Hall of Fame.

Championship roster

Featured in Ring Holders Club

1948 Baltimore Bullets members featured in Ring Holders Club
PlayerRoleRating
Chuck ReiserSG74
Joe HollandPG73
Don BarksdaleSF80
Paul HoffmanPF76
Connie SimmonsC78
Grady Lewis6th man72
Buddy JeanetteCoach82

Ratings are year-specific curated estimates for Ring Holders Club, not official NBA stats.

Rest of the roster

Other players on the championship roster
PlayerPosNote
Kleggie HermsenCteam's leading scorer at 12.0 a game
Mike BloomF/C
Dick SchulzF
Carl MeinholdG/F
Paul SeymourGrookie, later a Syracuse star and coach
Herm FuetschG