Cumberland Posey

Regarded as one of the greatest athletes of his time, Cumberland Posey may be best known for his time in baseball, but he was also a top-notch basketball player during his day. Posey led Homestead High School to the Pittsburgh City championship in 1908. Then in 1909, with his brother by his side, Posey founded the Monticello Athletic Association, a semi-professional all-black basketball team. Monticello went on to win the Colored Basketball World Championship in 1912. The team was later renamed Loendi Big Five after their sponsor and went on to win four consecutive Colored Basketball World Championships solidifying the squad as one of the most dominate teams of the era. At just 5-feet-4 inches tall, Posey floated quickly and gracefully around the perimeter where he scored most of his points. Posey played collegiately at Penn State, the University of Pittsburgh, and Duquesne University where he deployed his long-range shooting for big numbers. For the city of Pittsburgh, Cumberland Posey was their first and most prolific superstar athlete.