Brennan, Joseph R.
Basketball
b. Nov. 15, 1900, Brooklyn, NY
d. May 10, 1989
Though he is unfortunately little-known today, Brennan finished second to Johnny Beckman as the greatest player of his era in a poll of old-time players taken in 1950. He spent much of his career playing for various editions of the Brooklyn Visitation team, which he originally joined in 1919 after graduating from high school.
The 5-foot-10 Brennan was not only a fine scorer, he was usually the team captain at a time when the captain was virtually the coach. In addition to the Visitation team, Brennan played at one time or another for the New York Whirlwinds, the Troy Trojans, the Brooklyn Jewels, and teams in Holyoke, Massachusetts; Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; and Philadelphia.
Brennan scored the winning basket when Brooklyn upset the Original Celtics in a 1925 game in Madison Square Garden. He captained the Visitations when they won American Basketball League championships in 1930 and 1931. The league disbanded for two years but was revived in 1933, and Brennan led Brooklyn to another championship in 1935, a year before retiring as a player.
While working full-time at a bank, as he had throughout his career, Brennan coached St. Francis College from 1941-42 through 1947-48, winning 96 games and losing 46.