Buddy Jeannette

Harry Edward "Buddy" Jeannette (September 15, 1917 – March 11, 1998) was an American professional basketball player and coach who was widely regarded as the premier backcourt player between 1938 and 1948. He was named to the First Team of the National Basketball League four times.

Jeannette won NBL titles with the Sheboygan Red Skins in 1943 and the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1944 and 1945, and added a title with the American Basketball League's Baltimore Bullets in 1948. Most of his playing career came before the formation of the modern National Basketball Association, in its predecessor leagues, the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America. This included three years as a player-coach for the original Baltimore Bullets of the BAA. In the 1948 BAA playoffs, he became the first player-coach to win a professional championship.

After his playing career ended in 1950, Jeannette coached the original Bullets for one more season. He then became the head coach at Georgetown University for four seasons, leading the team to an appearance in the 1953 National Invitation Tournament.