Robert "Bobby" McDermott enshrined as player in 1988

Robert "Bobby" McDermott

Enshrined 1988
Born: January 7, 1914
Whitestone Queens, NY
Died: October 3, 1963

Dazzling Bobby McDermott had the raw athletic ability to score and dominate from anywhere inside halfcourt and, for his time, owned basketball's best two-handed set shot. In fact, the five-foot-eleven guard was voted the Greatest Player of All-Time in 1946 by National Basketball League coaches, players, and sports editors. McDermott turned professional after just one year of high school and led three different leagues in scoring. McDermott starred in the American Basketball League and NBL for seventeen years. He led the Brooklyn Visitations to the ABL title (1935) and played with the Original Celtics for five seasons. In five seasons with the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, McDermott headlined a dominant, championship club. At a time when teams played deliberate, slowdown basketball, McDermott became the first player in NBL history to average 20 points a game.