Bernard Opper
Encyclopedia
Bernard "Bernie" Opper was an All-America
n basketball player at Kentucky
and then professional player in the National Basketball League
and American Basketball League.
Opper was a native of the Bronx, New York
, and attended Morris High School
from 1931 to 1935. He went on to play college basketball at the University of Kentucky
from 1936 to 1939.
honors in all three varsity seasons he played. He helped guide Kentucky to the 1937 SEC Tournament championship and then the 1938 regular season title. As a senior
in 1938–39, he was named a Consensus Second Team All-American
. Opper finished his 59-game Kentucky career with 265 points.
(NBL) and then in the American Basketball League (ABL).
of the NBL and averaged almost four points per game. He played in 27 games on a team that finished 17–10 and second place in the Eastern Division. They would lose to the Akron Goodyears in the playoffs. In his second season with the Eagles, he played in five games before switching teams by joining the Philadelphia Sphas
who played in the ABL. "Sphas" was an acronym that stood for South Philadelphia Hebrew Association.
4–3 in the finals during the 1943–44 season, and then lost 4–1 to the Baltimore Bullets in 1945–46.
After finishing with a career-high 347 points in 1946–47, which was second on the team in scoring, he moved on to the Jersey City Atoms for one season, where he would end his professional basketball career after 1947–48.
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n basketball player at Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
and then professional player in the National Basketball League
National Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
and American Basketball League.
Opper was a native of the Bronx, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and attended Morris High School
Morris High School (Bronx, New York)
Morris High School was a high school in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. It was built in 1897. It was the first high school built in the Bronx...
from 1931 to 1935. He went on to play college basketball at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
from 1936 to 1939.
College
A guard, Opper earned All-Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
honors in all three varsity seasons he played. He helped guide Kentucky to the 1937 SEC Tournament championship and then the 1938 regular season title. As a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
in 1938–39, he was named a Consensus Second Team All-American
1939 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The Consensus 1939 College Basketball All-American team, as determined by aggregating the results of four major All-American teams. To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors from a majority of the following teams: the Helms Athletic Foundation, Converse, Collyer's News Bureau, and...
. Opper finished his 59-game Kentucky career with 265 points.
Professional
After college, Opper spent nine years as a professional basketball player, first in the National Basketball LeagueNational Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
(NBL) and then in the American Basketball League (ABL).
National Basketball League
In his first professional season, Opper joined the Detroit EaglesDetroit Eagles
The Detroit Eagles were a professional basketball team based in Detroit, Michigan. Managed by Dutch Dehnert, they played in the National Basketball League from 1939 to 1941, then became a barnstorming team...
of the NBL and averaged almost four points per game. He played in 27 games on a team that finished 17–10 and second place in the Eastern Division. They would lose to the Akron Goodyears in the playoffs. In his second season with the Eagles, he played in five games before switching teams by joining the Philadelphia Sphas
Philadelphia Sphas
The Philadelphia Sphas, also written SPHAs and SPHAS, were a team that competed in the Eastern Basketball League and then the American Basketball League 1925-55. They played their home games in social halls and, from 1938, in the ballroom of the Broadwood Hotel...
who played in the ABL. "Sphas" was an acronym that stood for South Philadelphia Hebrew Association.
American Basketball League
Opper spent the next seven seasons with the Sphas. During that time, he played on two championship-winning teams in 1943 and 1945. The Philadelphia Sphas were one of the most dominant ABL teams in the 1930s and 1940s, winning seven championships in 15 years. Opper came close to being part of a "four-peat" (winning four titles in successive years) but the Sphas lost to the Wilmington BombersWilmington Bombers
-Wilmington Blue Bombers:The Wilmington Blue Bombers were an American basketball team based in Wilmington, Delaware that was a member of the American Basketball League.-Year-by-year:-Wilmington Bombers:...
4–3 in the finals during the 1943–44 season, and then lost 4–1 to the Baltimore Bullets in 1945–46.
After finishing with a career-high 347 points in 1946–47, which was second on the team in scoring, he moved on to the Jersey City Atoms for one season, where he would end his professional basketball career after 1947–48.