Bob Gruenig

Robert Francis "Ace" Gruenig


Born:
March 12, 1913
Chicago, IL

Died:
August 11, 1958
Del Norte, CO


Career
1929-30 Crane Tech - Chicago, IL (High School)
1930-31 Crane Tech - Chicago, IL (High School)
1931-32 Crane Tech - Chicago, IL (High School)
1932-33 Chicago Rosenberg-Arvey  (AAU)
1933-34 Chicago Fast Freighters (AAU)
1934-35 Denver Piggly Wiggly (AAU)
1935-36 Denver Safeway (AAU)
1936-37 Denver Safeway (AAU)
1937-38 Denver Safeway (AAU) 
1938-39 Denver Nuggets (AAU)
1939-40 Denver Nuggets (AAU)
1940-41 Denver (AAU)
1941-42 Denver American Legion (AAU)
1942-43 Denver American Legion (AAU)
1943-44 Denver Ambrose Jellymakers (AAU)
1944-45 Denver Ambrose Jellymakers (AAU)
1945-46 Denver Ambrose Jellymakers (ABL-AAU)
1946-47 Denver Nuggets (ABL-AAU)
1947-48 Denver Murphy Mahoney (AAU)
1948-49 Denver Nuggets (NBL)

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 1968

One of the professional games earliest big men, 6'8 Gruenig grew up in Chicago and played basketball in high school and then represented his hometown in the AAU. He was lured away to Denver, where he was a regular star in AAU tournaments for years. He played briefly for the Nuggets when they joined the NBL at 35 years of age.
In August of 1958, Gruenig and his wife were vacationing with friends. He returned from fishing to claim he didn't feel well. A couple hours later, he was dead from a heart attack. He was only 45.

"Ace" was posthumously elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968.

He was married to Helen.

Source:
Greeley Daily Tribune, August 12, 1958
Basketball Hall of Fame

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/g/gruenro01n.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=gruenbo01