Cy Kaselman
Philadelphia Warriors Assistant Coach | 1947 BAA Champion | Philadelphia SPHAs Player
Cy Kaselman was born on May 1, 1909, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He became a longtime professional basketball player with the Philadelphia SPHAs, playing under Eddie Gottlieb before the creation of the Basketball Association of America (BAA).
After his playing career and military service during World War II, Kaselman joined Gottlieb’s Philadelphia Warriors coaching staff. He is documented as an assistant coach on the Warriors team that won the first BAA championship in 1947.
Historical assistant-coach records from the league’s earliest years are incomplete and sometimes conflict. Warriors championship material confirms Kaselman in 1946-1947, while other historical staff listings also place him with Philadelphia during the club’s early BAA seasons.
Coach Kaselman passed away on July 3, 1971, at the age of 62.
- Overall Coaching Record: Assistant Coach (No BAA/NBA Head Coaching Record)
Coaching Career
Cy Kaselman served on the Philadelphia Warriors coaching staff under head coach Eddie Gottlieb during the franchise’s early years in the Basketball Association of America.
In the inaugural 1946-1947 season, Philadelphia finished with a 35-25 record and advanced through the playoffs to face the Chicago Stags in the BAA Finals. The Warriors won the series in 5 games to become the first champions in league history.
Kaselman and Gottlieb had worked together for years with the Philadelphia SPHAs before moving into the new league. Several members of the first Warriors team also had connections to the SPHAs.
Available historical sources do not agree on every season Kaselman formally held the assistant coach title. His place on the 1946-1947 championship staff is directly documented, and additional early staff research also identifies him with the Warriors later in the BAA era.
Notable Players Coached
- Joe Fulks
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 1947 BAA champion
- 2× NBA All-Star
- George Senesky
- 1947 BAA champion
- Future 1956 NBA champion as Philadelphia Warriors head coach
- Howie Dallmar
- 1947 BAA champion