Norm Baker (1991)
Norm Baker, as a sixteen year old, led the Victoria Dominoes
basketball team to a victory over the Harlem Globetrotters. Their
originator, the legendary Abe Saperstein, called Norm "one of the
greatest natural players I have ever seen." In 1950 he was named
Canada's basketball player of the half-century and later that year
he was the only non-US player selected to the Stars of the World
team (the best pros and college players of the day) that toured
Europe. Norm played four years as a pro in the old American
Basketball Association including a contract with the Boston Whirly
Birds, the forerunners of the Boston Celtics. His career included
playing for the New Westminster 1947 Mann Cup national lacrosse
team, four-time Canadian national champion Victoria Dominoes
basketball team, and the national Air Force champion Pat Bay
Gremlins. He is a member of the Canadian and BC Sports Halls of
Fame.