When Edwards decided to play professional basketball he was considered the premier player in the country. In what was his first season of professional play, Edwards would play for the Indianapolis U.S. Tires (owned by U.S. Tire, Inc.) in the Midwest Basketball Conference (a predecessor to the
National Basketball League, which itself has ties to the modern-day
National Basketball Association), though he would also be loaned out to the inner city rivaling
Indianapolis Kautskys for a few independent matches, notably against barnstorming teams like the
Philadelphia Sphas and a February 1936 game against the
New York Renaissance. In 1936 he signed his first pro contract with the
Oshkosh All-Stars, a team in Wisconsin that played in the
National Basketball League (NBL). This league was the forerunner to the
National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for them from 1936 to 1949. and the latter occurring against the
Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons on March 5, 1942. During Edwards's 12-year career, he was selected to the NBL First Team All-League six times and the Second Team All-League twice. Edwards' team had the best record of all teams that were invited to the World Professional Basketball Tournament, winning 20 games and losing 10. The Oshkosh All Stars were crowned the World Professional Basketball Tournament champions in Chicago in 1942, and Edwards was the all-time leading point scorer in the tournaments history. On February 14, 1945,
United Press International recognized him as one of the Top 5 Basketball Players of All Time.
New York Rens rivalry The
New York Renaissance (Rens, for short) was the best black team of the era 1920–1940s. As in most sports, times were very difficult for black players. Nevertheless, the Rens were an excellent team with quality players; their record for the 1939 season was 112 wins and 7 losses. The epitome of their success came that year in Chicago at the first World Professional Basketball Tournament. The Rens had reached the finals and were playing the Oshkosh All-Stars. Oshkosh was favored because with Edwards at center, the All-Stars had beaten the Rens 7 out of 10 games they had played during the previous two years. That night the Rens beat Oshkosh 34–25. Edwards was the leading scorer of the tournament, scoring 49 points in three games, including a 12-point performance in the final. In total, the New York Rens and Oshkosh All-Stars played each other 33 times, with Oshkosh holding the edge with 17 wins. The entire New York Rens team is in the
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Their team played over 3000 games and won 85% of them.
John Isaacs, a member of the Hall of Fame Rens team, was asked about Edwards. His comments were that Edwards was a great player who could play in any era. Isaacs also said that Edwards never complained to the officials during a game and would play hard. He added that Hall of Famer
Tarzan Cooper and Edwards would talk to each other during the games. He recalled one game when Edwards said something to Cooper about a rough move that he made. Cooper responded by quipping 'who do you think I learned it from?'
George Mikan match-ups Hall of Fame center
George Mikan of the
Chicago Gears and the
Minneapolis Lakers, who stood , was named the best basketball player from 1900 to 1950 by the
National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Mikan, however, did not get the opportunity to play against Edwards when Edwards was in his prime. They played against each other when Edwards was older and having chronic knee problems. Still, whenever they met on the court Edwards usually had the upper hand. Mikan later wrote in his book that Edwards was tall, weighed 260 lbs. and was the strongest player in professional basketball (although those measurements are exaggerated). When Mikan was asked who was the best player he ever faced he did not hesitate to say that it was Leroy Edwards. Hall of Famer
Ray Meyer, Mikan's coach at
DePaul University, wrote that Edwards was not merely a good basketball player, but a great one. Meyer was impressed with his agility. Edwards, he wrote, had a great move with his back to the basket. He would turn left, dribble with his right hand and he'd use his left hand to push the defender out of the way. As long as his move wasn't too obvious, the ref would not call a foul. Meyer said this was the first time he ever saw that move. ==Later years and death==