The Cleveland Rebels were a basketball team in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), a forerunner of the modern National Basketball Association (NBA), based in Cleveland. Franchise history The Rebels were an inaugural franchise in the BAA's first season. In their only season, the team went 30–30, finishing 3rd in the Western Division and losing in the first round of the playoffs, two games to one to the New York Knickerbockers, in its only season before going out of business. The Rebels included notable early pro stars Big Ed Sadowski and Kenny Sailors. Cleveland would not have another team in what would become the NBA until the Cavaliers joined the league in 1970. |- !colspan=6| Cleveland Rebels (BAA) |- |1946–47 || 30 || 30 || .500 || Lost First Round || New York 2, Cleveland 1 |- All-time roster The following players are the all-time roster of the Cleveland Rebels. Frank Baumholtz Leon Brown Ken Corley Ned Endress Bob Faught Kleggie Hermsen Pete Lalich Hank Lefkowitz Leo Mogus George Nostrand Mel Riebe Irv Rothenberg Ed Sadowski Kenny Sailors Ben Scharnus Dick Schulz Nick Shaback Ray Wertis Coaches and others The following two coaches are the only two coaches of the Cleveland Rebels. Roy Clifford Dutch Dehnert See also List of defunct National Basketball Association teams References Rebels Defunct National Basketball Association teams Basketball Association of America teams Basketball teams established in 1946 Basketball teams disestablished in 1947 1946 establishments in Ohio 1947 disestablishments in Ohio