After college, Opper spent nine years as a professional basketball player, first in the National Basketball League (NBL) and then in the American Basketball League (ABL).
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Bernard "Bernie" Opper (September 1, 1915 – February 24, 2000) was an All-American basketball player at Kentucky and then professional player in the National Basketball League and American Basketball League.
Robinson began her professional career in 1996-97 playing for the Colorado Xplosion in the American Basketball League.
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Crystal Robinson (born January 22, 1974), is a former American Basketball League All-Star for the Colorado Explosion and Women's National Basketball Association player who played for the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty.
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He also began playing professionally in the American Basketball League (ABL) for Kate Smith's Celtics, but the team moved shortly thereafter and became known as the Kingston Colonials.
The top draft choice of the Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers) of the NBA, Barnett played with the team until 1961, when he jumped ship from the NBA to play in the American Basketball League (ABL) with the Cleveland Pipers, who were owned by George Steinbrenner, the future owner of the New York Yankees.
From the 1941–42 season through the 1943–44 one, and again from 1946 to 1949, he played for the NBL's Oshkosh All-Stars (in 1943–44 he also played for the American Basketball League's Brooklyn Indians).
But George Steinbrenner, then the owner of the newly formed American Basketball League's Cleveland Pipers, interested the young star with a contract unlike any in sports.
Cleveland Pipers General Manager Mike Cleary hired him in 1962 to be the head coach of the American Basketball League team which was owned by George Steinbrenner.
A 5'11" guard/forward, Hickey played during the 1920s through 1940s as a member of multiple professional teams, including the Cleveland Rosenblums of the American Basketball League and the Pittsburgh Raiders, Indianapolis Kautskys, and Tri-Cities Blackhawks of the National Basketball League.
In 1960, Tuck Tape owner Paul Cohen moved the Tapers to Washington and joined the fledgling American Basketball League of Abe Saperstein as the "Washington Tapers".
He also starred for the Philadelphia/Washington/New York Tapers of the professional American Basketball League.