Who was nicknamed "cowboy" and obtained popularity as a professional basketball player with the Oshkosh All-Stars?

Leroy Edwards (April 11, 1914 – August 25, 1971) was an NCAA All-American at the University of Kentucky. When he decided to play professional basketball he was considered one of the premier players in the U.S. 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.

He was a prolific scorer with either hand, left or right. He could shoot from the outside and was an excellent defensive player. He accomplished so much at a time when game scores and point totals were much lower than today. In those days, the actual playing time was shorter. The game had 15-17 minute halves and no 24 second shot clock. Play was slower and teams would play zone defense and hold on to the ball for long periods of time, making it very difficult for a player to score many points in a game. Today, NBA games consist of four 12 minute quarters and each team takes over 60 shots per game.

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. He was also the League MVP three times.