The 1941 World Professional Basketball Tournament was the third edition of the World Professional Basketball Tournament. It was held in Chicago, Illinois, during the days of 15âÂÂ19 March 1941 and featured 16 teams, with the teams mostly independently run teams (including the Indianapolis Kautskys who left the NBL this season before later returning to the NBL the following season afterward and both the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons and Rochester Seagrams, who held roots to the modern-day Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings NBA teams) who also competed alongside four teams in the National Basketball League (including the league champion Oshkosh All-Stars) and the American Basketball League champion Philadelphia Sphas. Entering the tournament, the Oshkosh All-Stars of the NBL were considered heavy favorites to win the entire event after winning their first NBL championship; they managed to reach the WPBT championship match after beating the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, Philadelphia Sphas, and Toledo White Huts throughout the tournament. Meanwhile, the other team in the championship round, the NBL's Detroit Eagles, had them go all the way by beating the Indianapolis Kautskys 58âÂÂ43 before beating the defending champion Harlem Globetrotters and New York Renaissance by one point each in their respective matches, thus guaranteeing an NBL team would win the WPBT for the first time. This year's event was won by the Detroit Eagles, who upset the NBL champion Oshkosh All-Stars 39âÂÂ37 in the WPBT championship game. The New York Renaissance came in third after beating the Toledo White Huts 57âÂÂ42 in the third-place game. Buddy Jeannette of the Detroit Eagles was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.