24" x 36" Historic Black Basketball Black best Fives Poster

The term Black Fives refers to all black best basketball teams that thrived in the United States between 1904, when basketball was first introduced to African Americans on a large scale organized basis, and 1950, when the National Basketball Association became racially integrated. The period is known as the "Black Fives Era" or "Early Black Basketball" or simply "Black Basketball".

Early basketball teams were often called "fives” in reference to the five starting players. All black teams were known as colored quints, colored fives, Negro fives, or black fives.

Dozens of all black teams emerged during the Black Fives Era, in New York City, Washington, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and other cities. They were sponsored by or affiliated with churches, athletic clubs, social clubs, businesses, newspapers, YMCA branches, and other organizations.