David "Big Dave" DeJernett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David "Big Dave" DeJernett
Born	February 22, 1912 Garfield, Kentucky
Died	August 4, 1964

David "Big Dave" DeJernett (February 22, 1912 – August 4, 1964) was a very important person in early basketball in the United States. He helped bring different races together in the sport. He is best known for leading his high school team, the Washington Hatchets, to win the Indiana state championship in the 1929–30 season. This was special because his team included both black and white players.

Early Life and School Days

David DeJernett was born in Garfield, Kentucky, on February 22, 1912. When he was a baby, his family moved to Indiana. He went to DunBar Elementary, a school just for black students in Washington, Indiana. Later, he went to the public junior high school.

When David was in seventh grade, a new coach named Burl Friddle joined the school. Coach Friddle was a famous player from the Franklin Wonder Five team. He became the coach for the Hatchets. Coach Friddle later helped two teams win state championships and even coached a professional NBA team, the Indianapolis Jets.

High School Basketball Star

In 1928, when David was 16, Coach Friddle noticed how big and talented he was. David was 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 230 pounds! Coach Friddle put him on the main varsity team. David quickly got better during his sophomore year. After his team lost in the 1929 state finals, he was chosen for the All-State team.

Winning the State Championship

In 1930, David DeJernett made history. He became the first African-American player to lead a mixed-race basketball team to win a major tournament in the United States. His Hatchets team won a competition with 800 schools! They beat the Muncie Central Bearcats 32–21 in the state final. About 15,000 excited fans watched the game at Butler Fieldhouse, which was the biggest basketball place in the USA at the time.

The Muncie team also had a black player named Jack Mann, who was 6 feet 6 inches tall. But David was able to outjump him for the ball at the start of each play. This helped his team win a lot. News about David's amazing win was printed in newspapers all over the country, from New York to Nevada. His picture even appeared in a newspaper in China!

Becoming "World" Champions

After winning the state title, Coach Friddle's team was challenged by Coach Jimmy Kitts of the Athens Hornets from Texas. The Hornets had won two national tournaments in Chicago. Back then, the national tournament only allowed white teams. Indiana champions usually didn't go to this "national" competition.

There were many racial tensions in those days. But David's team played the Athens Hornets. The Texans had probably never played against a black player before. David tied the Hornets' star player, Freddie Tompkins, with 11 points. His Hatchets won the "world" title with a thrilling 28–26 victory!

Facing Threats and Showing Courage

The next year, in 1931, David's Hatchets were expected to win another championship. But things got tough. The day before an important game against their rival, Vincennes, David received a scary letter. It was signed by a group called the "Committee of Fourteen, KKK". The letter threatened his life if he even touched a white player from the other team.

But "Big Dave" was brave. He ignored the threat and scored 14 points! His team won 22–19 against Vincennes. The local newspaper even joked that it was "too bad the Committee didn't have forty members," because David scored a point for each person who signed the letter.

A few weeks later, to show support against the Klan, famous football coach Knute Rockne and basketball star Griz Wagner spoke at a special dinner. This dinner honored both David's champion Hatchets and another local team. After his speech, Rockne shook hands with all the players. David thought Rockne might not want to shake his hand because he was black, so he walked past. But Rockne made a point to grab David's hand and shake it firmly. This was a great moment, and sadly, Rockne died in a plane crash just two days later.

College Basketball Star

David DeJernett was chosen for the All-State team for the third year in a row. But his Hatchets lost in the state finals to Jack Mann's Muncie team, which then won the title. David and Mann were known for their exciting games against each other.

From 1931 to 1935, David played for the integrated Indiana Central College team, now called the University of Indianapolis Greyhounds. He became Indiana's first black college basketball star. In 1934, his team had a great record of 16 wins and only 1 loss. In his last year of college, David was the team captain. A young player named Ray Crowe joined the team that year. Ray Crowe looked up to David as a hero. Ray Crowe later coached the famous Oscar Robertson and the Crispus Attucks team in Indianapolis. David's example also inspired Ray Crowe's brother, George, who became Indiana's first "Mr. Basketball."

Professional Basketball Career

David had a chance to play professionally for the famous New York Renaissance team in 1933, but he chose to stay in school. In 1935, he started his professional career with one of the first mixed-race traveling basketball teams in US history, the ICC AllStars. This team included his former coach Friddle and some of his college and high school teammates. David went back to school for another semester before finally joining the New York Renaissance in January 1936.

David was one of the first top college stars to play all four years of college basketball before turning pro. Before him, no other African-American college star had done this. His choice to stay in school became a common path for black college players later on.

After playing for the Renaissance, David played center for the Chicago Crusaders from 1936 to 1941. This was an all-black traveling team that was connected to the famous Harlem Globetrotters. He also played for the Chicago Collegians. In the 1940–41 season, the Crusaders (sometimes called the Savoy Big Five) traded players with the Globetrotters. Big Dave also played for the Harlem Globetrotters during the 1941-42 season before he joined the military. His Hall of Fame plaque at the University of Indianapolis mentions that he played for the Globetrotters, Crusaders, and Rens, showing how important he was in professional basketball.

World War II and Later Life

In the summer of 1942, David was drafted into the military for World War II. He served as a Sergeant in North Africa, Southern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe. He won a bronze battle star for each of these four campaigns.

He returned to the United States in August 1945 and lived in Indianapolis. He stopped playing basketball. David passed away suddenly from a heart attack on August 4, 1964, at the age of 52. His obituary said that he was "almost forgotten after one of the most brilliant careers in Indiana basketball."

In 1976, he was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Even the famous heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis, who had managed his own basketball teams, said that Big Dave was one of the most amazing basketball stars he had ever seen play.

Images for kids

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  David DeJernett in his 1929 yearbook.