Why was the New York Rens' 1939 championship considered the first professional basketball world championship?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

The New York Rens' 1939 championship is considered the first professional basketball world championship because it was the inaugural World Professional Basketball Tournament.

Sponsored by the Chicago Herald-American, this tournament was significant for being the first to invite the best professional teams to compete without racial restrictions. While previous professional basketball was often segregated, this event allowed Black and white teams to face one another for the title of the world's best team. After defeating the Harlem Globetrotters in the third round, the Rens faced the Oshkosh All-Stars—the reigning champions of the whites-only National Basketball League—in the finals. By winning that game 34–25, the Rens secured the first-ever professional basketball world championship title.1