Joe Fortenberry

Joe Fortenberry, born on April 1, 1911, was a remarkable American basketball player who made his mark in the sport during the 1936 Summer Olympics. As the captain of the American basketball team, he led his squad to victory, securing the gold medal in the inaugural Olympic basketball competition. Fortenberry's leadership and skill were evident as he played two games in the tournament, including the final, where he emerged as the high scorer with eight points in a decisive 19–8 win.

Before his Olympic success, Fortenberry showcased his talent at the collegiate level and subsequently played for the Ogden Boosters in Utah. He then joined the McPherson Oilers in Kansas, where he contributed to the team's triumph in the AAU National Championship in 1936, just prior to the Olympics. His performance at the Olympics was particularly impressive, as he averaged a tournament-leading fourteen point five points per game, despite the challenging outdoor conditions that made dribbling nearly impossible.

Following his Olympic journey, Fortenberry continued to excel in basketball, playing five seasons with the Phillips 66ers, a dominant force in the AAU league, which was the premier basketball league in the United States before the establishment of the NBA. His tenure with the team spanned from the 1936–1937 season to the 1940–1941 season, during which he helped secure an AAU national championship in 1940.

Fortenberry is also credited with being one of the pioneers of the slam dunk, a feat that was highlighted in a 1936 New York Times article by Pulitzer Prize-winning sports reporter Arthur Daley. Remarkably, he maintained his ability to dunk even at the age of fifty-five, as noted by his son. His Olympic gold medal, a testament to his athletic prowess, was appraised on Antiques Roadshow, with an estimated value ranging from one hundred thousand to one hundred fifty thousand dollars.