Kingston Colonials

{{About|the basketball team|the baseball team|Kingston Colonials (baseball)}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} The '''Kingston Colonials''' were an American basketball team, based in Kingston, New Jersey, that was a member of Hudson River League, the New York State League, the Metropolitan Basketball League, and the American Basketball League. The team merged with the Troy Haymakers in the middle of the 1939/40 season to form the Troy Celtics.

== History ==

=== Hudson River League === The Colonials were playing in 1910 in the second of two seasons of the Hudson River League where they were beaten by the Troy Trojans.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Peterson |first=Robert |url=https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Cages_to_Jump_Shots/PgM54Dp2vuoC?hl=fr&gbpv=1&dq=%22Kingston+Colonials%22&pg=PA199&printsec=frontcover |title=Cages to Jump Shots: Pro Basketball's Early Years |date=2002-01-01 |publisher=U of Nebraska Press |isbn=978-0-8032-8772-3 |pages=63, 74 |language=en}}</ref>

=== New York State League === In 1911-12, the Colonials played in the Catskills league.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Thorn |first=John |date=2025-03-28 |title=Hoops, Hebrews, and the Hudson River League |url=https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/hoops-hebrews-and-the-hudson-river-league-c7e3a09b888e |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=Medium |language=en}}</ref> After the league folded in 1912, the team joined the New York State League where they played until 1914-1915.<ref name=":1" />

In 1921-23, the Colonials returned to the New York State League.<ref name=":1" /> In 1923, the team included George 'Babe' Artus, Benny Borgmann, Nick Harvey, Carl and Mickey Husta, and Charles Powers,<ref name=":0" /> with Frank "Pop" Morgenweck as manager/coach.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Kuska |first=Bob |url=https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Hot_Potato/yjGp_ifcLhsC?hl=fr&gbpv=1&dq=%22Kingston+Colonials%22&pg=PA145&printsec=frontcover |title=Hot Potato: How Washington and New York Gave Birth to Black Basketball and Changed America's Game Forever |date=2004-03-29 |publisher=University of Virginia Press |isbn=978-0-8139-2425-0 |pages=145-149 |language=en}}</ref> That year, the team beat the Original Celtics in 2 out of 3 games to win the World Basketball Championships.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=BK Tale of Two Cities |url=https://njsportsheroes.com/bktaleoftwocitie.html |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=njsportsheroes.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Bennie Borgmann |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/bennie-borgmann/ |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=www.hoophall.com |language=en |quote=Bennie Borgmann... in the same year [1923] averaged 11.7 points per game taking the Kingston Colonials to the New York State League title.}}</ref>

=== Metropolitan Basketball League === In 1924-25, the team played in the Metropolitan Basketball League.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> On 10 March, the all-white Colonials played an interracial matchup against the black Renaissance Big Five ("Rens").<ref name=":2" /> Renaissance were up 24-14 at half, but the Colonials made a comeback before losing to Renaissance 39-31.<ref name=":2" />

In 1927, the team included Fritz Knothe and Morgenweck's son Frank Jr was Assistant Manager.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Spring |first=William A. |date=14 Jan 1927 |title=This and That: Many Court Stars |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/676025300/?match=1&terms=%22Kingston%20Colonials%22%20basketball |url-access=subscription |access-date=25 June 2025 |work=Yonkers Statesman |department=Sports |pages=14}}</ref>

The Colonials won the Metropolitan League title in 1928.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Frank Morgenweck |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/frank-morgenweck |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=www.hoophall.com |language=en}}</ref>

=== American Basketball League === From 1935 to 1940, the team played in the American Basketball League from 1935–36.<ref name=":1" /> In 1936-37, the Colonials finished the season 20-17 and did not make the playoffs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rabin, Phil 'Fishy' |url=https://www.jewsinsports.org/basketball_ID_124.html |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=www.jewsinsports.org}}</ref> In 1938-39, the Colonials finished the season in 1st place with a win-loss record of 28-7.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Stark |first=Doug |url=https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/The_SPHAS/k_vKHyyKJB8C?hl=fr&gbpv=1&dq=%22Kingston+Colonials%22&pg=PA254&printsec=frontcover |title=The SPHAS: The Life and Times of Basketball's Greatest Jewish Team |date=2011-05-13 |publisher=Temple University Press |isbn=978-1-59213-633-9 |pages=4, 57, 75, 85, 118, 138, 250, 253-255, 283, 323 |language=en}}</ref> However, they faced, and loss to, the 3rd place Jersey Reds in the playoffs,<ref name=":4" /> who were themselves beaten by the New York Jewels.<ref name=":0" />

During the 1939/40 season, the team was merged with the Troy Haymakers to form the Troy Celtics<ref name=":4" /> on December 19, 1939. The team had an 8-4 win-loss record before the merger<ref name=":4" /> with Phil Rabin led the league in scoring.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 March 1939 |title=Phil Rabin Stays Ahead of League Scoring Ranks |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/526046515/?match=1&terms=%22Kingston%20Colonials%22%20basketball |access-date=25 June 2025 |work=The Paterson Evening News |pages=25}}</ref>

==Year-by-year== {| class="wikitable" !Year !League !Reg. season !Record !Playoffs |- |1935/36 |ABL |5th (1st half); 4th (2nd half) | |''Did not qualify'' |- |1936/37 |ABL |3rd (1st half); 5th (2nd half) | |''Did not qualify'' |- |1937/38 |ABL |6th (1st half); 4th (2nd half) | |''Did not qualify'' |- |1938/39 |ABL |bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st |28-7<ref name=":4" /> |Playoffs |- |1939/40 |ABL |7th | |''N/A'' |}

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:Basketball teams in New Jersey Category:Basketball teams established in 1935 Category:Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1940 Category:1938 establishments in New Jersey Category:1941 disestablishments in New Jersey