Gaza Chizmadia was a player who parlayed great physical strength, personal determination and hustle in to a successful career that spanned over a dozen seasons. Chizmadia began his major league career debut in 1925 with a brief tryout with his hometown Perth Amboy, New Jersey team. Big, strong and awkward, the 19-year-old kid performed without distinction and was released after going scoreless in three games. In 1926, he signed with the Lorain, Ohio team in the Central League. He did little to dispel the notion that his career was going nowhere and was released at mid-season by the last place team. During the next two and half seasons, Chizmadia continued his nomadic pro career with five different American Basketball League teams. Gradually, Chazmadia gained respect with his work ethic and bruising, grinding style of play. In 1929-30, he signed with the Rochester Centrals where he enjoyed a monumental season. He finished second in ABL scoring and was named the league’s MVP. Led by Chizmadia’s heroics, Rochester won the second-half of the split season, but succumbed to Cleveland in the playoffs. In the early 1930s, Chizmadia was in great demand. In 1931-32, he led the Philadelphia Moose to the Eastern League  finals and finished second in league scoring. During the 1932-33 season, Chazmadia finished among the top-ten scorers in three leagues: the Eastern Basketball League , Metropolitan Basketball League and the minor league Pennsylvania State Basketball League. Chizmadia’s major league career drew to a close in the mid-1930s, but he remained a powerful force on minor league and independent teams until late in the decade.

 

GAZA CHIZMADIA		Height:	6:02		Weight:		185		College:		None
Gaza Joseph Chizmadia		Born: Jan 12, 1906			Died:  Apr 23, 1987				Hometown:		Perth Amboy, NJ
			REGULAR SEASON RECORD
Year	Team	League	GA	FGM	FTM	FTA	PCT.	AST	PTS	AVG
1925-26	Perth Amboy	MBL	3	2	1				5	1.7
1926-27	Washington	ABL	8	9	15				33	4.1
1926-27	Lorain	CBL	19	25	55				105	5.5
1927-28	Washington–Detroit– Philadelphia	ABL	37	51	41				143	3.9
1928-29	Fort Wayne–New York	ABL	42	55	67				177	4.2
1929-30	Rochester	ABL	55	113	117				343	6.2
1930-31	Rochester	ABL	2	1	7				9	4.5
1930-31	Bridgeton	TSL	6	12	33				57	9.5
1930-31	Honesdale	PSL	10	13	68				94	9.4
1931-32	Union City	MBL	9	23	19				65	7.2
1931-32	Philadelphia Moose	EBL	38	53	190				296	7.8
1931-32	Tunkhannock	PSL	2	4	12				20	10.0
1932-33	Union City	MBL	36	60	78				198	5.5
1932-33	Philadelphia Moose	EBL	29	46	105				197	6.8
1932-33	Tunkhannock	PSL	18	44	67				155	8.6
1933-34	Union City–NewBritain–Newark	ABL	32	47	119				213	6.7
1933-34	Tunkhannock	PSL	26	52	86				190	7.3
1934-35	Newark–Boston	ABL	36	53	90				196	5.4
1934-35	Tunkhannock	PSL	16	16	58				90	5.6
1934-35	Camden	EBL	5	10	10				30	6.0
1935-36	Paterson/Trenton-Kingston	ABL	11	14	14				42	3.8
1935-36	Nanticoke	PSL	24	34	75				143	6.0
1935-36	Bridgeton	EBL	7	5	11				21	3.0
1936-37	Atlantic City	ABL	1	0	0				0	0.0
1937-38	Brownstown	TCL	14	29	40				98	7.0
1937-38	Trenton	NLNP	11	25	35				85	7.7
	Major League Totals		358	552	918				2022	5.6
				PLAYOFF RECORD
Year	Team	League	GA	FGM	FTM	FTA	PCT.	AST	PTS	AVG
1927-28	Philadelphia	ABL	2	0	4				4	2.0
1929-30	Rochester	ABL	5	4	6				14	2.8
1930-31	Bridgeton	TSL	2	3	7				13	6.5
1930-31	Honesdale	PSL	3	4	23				31	10.3
1931-32	Philadelphia Moose	EBL	4	5	12				22	5.5
1931-32	Tunkhannock	PSL	2	7	7				21	10.5
1932-33	Union City	MBL	2	3	2				8	4.0
1932-33	Tunkhannock	PSL	3	4	10				18	6.0
1933-34	Tunkhannock	PSL	3	5	11				21	7.0
1934-35	Camden	EBL	4	10	11				31	7.8
1935-36	Nanticoke	PSL	3	2	8				12	4.0
1937-38	Brownstown	TCL	3	5	4				14	4.7
1937-38	Trenton	NLNP	6	14	14				42	7.0
	Major League Totals		13	12	24				48	3.7

 

 

GEORGE CHESTNUT		Height:	6:05		Weight:		210		College:		Indiana State’34
George Wallace Chestnut		Born: Sep 27, 1911			Died: Sep 18, 1983				Hometown:		Indianapolis, In.
			REGULAR SEASON RECORD
Year	Team	League	GA	FGM	FTM	FTA	PCT.	AST	PTS	AVG
1930-31	Indiana State (Frosh)	College
1931-32	Indiana State	College
1932-33	Indiana State	College
1933-34	Indiana State	College
1934-35	Indianapolis Kaustkys	Indep
1935-36	Detroit–Indianapolis Kautskys	MBL	8	16	25				57	7.1
1936-37	ndianapolis Kautskys	MBC	7	19	19				57	8.1
1937-38	Indianapolis	NBL	12	15	23				53	4.4
1938-39	Indianapolis Kaustkys	Indep
1939-40	Indianapolis	NBL	21	38	53	65	.815		129	6.1
1939-40	New York Original Celtics	Indep
1940-41	Indianapolis Kaustkys	Indep
19941-45	U.S. Army	Military Service
	Major League Totals		48	88	120				296	6.2

 

JOHN CHANEY		Height:	6:03		Weight:	190			College:		LSU’43
John Louie Chaney		Born:  Feb 29, 1920			Died:  Aug 9, 2004				Hometown:		Zachary, La.
			REGULAR SEASON RECORD
Year	Team	League	GA	FGM	FTM	FTA	PCT.	AST	PTS	AVG
1939-40	L.S.U.(Frosh)	College
1940-41	L.S.U.	College
1941-42	L.S.U.	College
1942-43	L.S.U.	College
1943-46	U.S. Army Air Corp.	Military Service
1946-47	Syracuse	NBL	42	138	86	119	.723		362	8.6
1947-48	Syracuse	NBL	40	107	78	103	.757		292	7.3
1948-49	Syracuse	NBL	59	82	59	88	.670		223	3.8
1949-50	Tri Cities–Sheboygan	NBA	16	25	20	29	.690	20	70	4.4
	Major League Totals		157	352	243	339	.717		947	6.0
				POST SEASON RECORD
Year	Team	League	GA	FGM	FTM	FTA	PCT.	AST	PTS	AVG
1946-47	47Syracuse	NBL	4	12	2	6	.333		26	6.5
1946-47	Syracuse	WBT	1	3	5	5	1.000		11	11.0
1947-48	Syracuse	NBL	3	6	5	11	.455		17	5.7
1948-49	Syracuse	NBL	5	2	2	2	1.000		6	1.2
	Major League Totals		13	23	14	24	.583		60	4.6

 Maurice “Shang” Chadwick played basketball for two years at New Richmond High School in Indiana, before he transferred to Crawfordsville High School. A suspension, however, kept the team from playing state schools, so a schedule was arranged with independent teams from all over the Midwest. Despite the rugged schedule, team went 30-2. After graduating from Crawfordville High School in 1920, Chadwick attended Purdue University for one year before transferring to Wabash College where he earned four letters in basketball. Chadwick played center on Wabash’s “Wonder Five” basketball team that finished 18-1 in 1924-25, losing only to Wisconsin by one point and beating Kentucky 57-10. After a year barnstorming with the New York Celtics, Chadwick played  for six seasons with the Fort Wayne Hoosiers in the American Basketball League. Chadwick was always ranked among the best centers in the league and was instrumental part of Fort Wayne playing in two ABL championship finals. After the demise of the ABL in 1931, Chadwick signed with the Akron Firestone, a Midwest independent powerhouse. The Firestone won the 1932-33 National Professional Basketball League Championship. Chadwick is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame  The Wabash College basketball facility was named Chadwick Court in his honor in 1970.