The Providence Steamrollers were a National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 team based in Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

. As of November 2011, the Steamrollers remain the last pro sports franchise from one of the Big Four leagues to be based in Rhode Island

Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

.

Franchise history

The Steamrollers were one of the original eleven NBA franchises (when the league was called the Basketball Association of America). The franchise posted an all-time record of 46-122 (.274) before folding after three seasons.

The Steamrollers still hold the dubious NBA record for least games won in a season with 6, in the 1947-48 season

1947-48 NBA season

The 1947–48 BAA season was the second season of the Basketball Association of America , the league that would eventually become the National Basketball Association...

. (The team does not hold the record for lowest winning percentage – that distinction belongs to the 1972-73

1972-73 NBA season

The 1972–73 NBA season was the 27th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the New York Knicks winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...

 Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...

.) Also during the 1947-48 season, the Steamrollers' Nat Hickey

Nat Hickey

Matthew "Nat" Hickey was an American professional basketball player and coach.A 5'11" guard/forward, Hickey played during the 1920s through 1940s as a member of multiple professional teams, including the Cleveland Rosenblums of the American Basketball League and the Pittsburgh Raiders,...

, at age 46, established a still-standing mark as the oldest player in NBA history.

Players of note

• Ernie Calverley
  Ernie Calverley
  Ernest A. "Ernie" Calverley was an American basketball guard for the University of Rhode Island. His famous "shot heard round the world," a midcourt shot, as time expired at Madison Square Garden in the National Invitation Tournament moved URI past Bowling Green State University into the semifinal...
  
   - Second-team All-NBA and led league in assists during NBA's first season
• George Nostrand
  George Nostrand
  George Thomas Nostrand was an American professional basketball player.A 6'8" forward/center from High Point University and the University of Wyoming , Nostrand played four seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Toronto Huskies, Cleveland Rebels, Providence...
  
   - Tallest player in the NBA's first year
• Howie Shannon
  Howie Shannon
  Howie Shannon was the first overall pick in the 1949 BAA Draft, selected by the Providence Steamrollers. Shannon averaged 13.4 points per game during the 1948–49 BAA season and was named the league's Rookie of the Year — a designation not currently sanctioned by the NBA for that season. He...
  
   - Leading NBA rookie in 1949

Coaches and others

• Robert Morris - 1946
• Hank Soar
  Hank Soar
  Albert Henry Soar was an American football running back and defensive back in the National Football League who went on to have a long career as an umpire in Major League Baseball...
  
   - 1947
• Ken Loeffler
  Ken Loeffler
  Kenneth D. Loeffler was an American collegiate and professional basketball coach. He was mostly known for guiding the La Salle University men's basketball team to the 1954 NCAA Championship and the 1952 National Invitation Tournament Championship.After earning a Bachelor's degree at Pennsylvania...
  
  - 1949

Season-by-season records

|-
!colspan="6"| Providence Steamrollers (BAA)
|-
|1946-47 || 28 || 32 || .467 || ||
|-
|1947-48 || 6 || 42 || .125 || ||
|-
|1948-49 || 12 || 48 || .250 || ||