Norm Baker

Baker started his career at the age of ten while playing for the Nanaimo Mosquitoes.^[1] He became the youngest player to win a Canadian senior national championship as the team won in 1939.^[1] As a sixteen-year-old, Baker led the Mosquitoes to a win over the Harlem Globetrotters and was called "one of the greatest natural players I have ever seen" by Globetrotters founder Abe Saperstein.^[2]

Baker won two more championships with the Mosquitoes in 1942 and 1946.^[1] While serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force, he won another championship in 1943 for the Pat Bay Gremlins.^[1] Baker set a league scoring record with the Gremlins when he posted 38 points in a game against Windsor.^[1]

Baker became professional in 1946 when he played for the Chicago Stags of the Basketball Association of America (BAA).^[1] He was released after only four games with the team.^[3] Baker stated that the main reason he did not stay was because he had trouble with his contract and was only offered $900 a month.^[4]

Baker played lacrosse for the Westminster Adanacs in 1947.^[1]

Baker played 70 games for the Vancouver Hornets of the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League from 1947 to 1948 and averaged 28.0 points per game.^[1] He joined the New York Celtics, Stars of America and Boston Whirlwinds as the touring opponent of the Harlem Globetrotters.^[4] He played for the Whirlwinds in the 1950–51 and 1952–53 seasons.^[1]

Baker was the only non-American player on a basketball team billed as "The Stars of the World" that toured thirteen countries in Europe and Africa in 1950.^[1]

After his playing career ended, Baker worked as a police officer.^[3] He coached basketball and lacrosse.^[3]

Baker was voted as Canada's "Most Outstanding Player of the Century" in 1950.^[1]

He was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1966,^[1] Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1978,^[4] Canada Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979,^[5] and Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.^[2]