Gene Shue

Eugene William Shue


Born:
December 18, 1931
Baltimore, MD

Died:
April 3, 2022
Marina del Rey, CA


Career
Towson Catholic High School - Maryland (High School)
1951-52 University of Maryland (College)
1952-53 University of Maryland (College)
1953-54 University of Maryland (College)
1954-55 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1954-55 New York Knicks (NBA)
1955-56 New York Knicks (NBA)
1956-57 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1957-58 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1958-59 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1959-60 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1960-61 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1961-62 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1962-63 New York Knicks (NBA)
1963-64 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)
1966-67 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1967-68 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1968-69 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1969-70 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1970-71 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1971-72 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1972-73 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1973-74 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head coach
1974-75 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head coach
1975-76 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head coach
1976-77 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head coach
1977-78 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head coach
1978-79 San Diego Clippers (NBA) Head coach
1979-80 San Diego Clippers (NBA) Head coach
1980-81 Washington Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1981-82 Washington Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1982-83 Washington Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1983-84 Washington Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1984-85 Washington Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1985-86 Washington Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1987-88 Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) Head coach
1988-89 Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) Head coach

Not even offered a scholarship at the University of Maryland, Gene Shue worked hard to play for the school and would average over 20 points per game in his junior and senior years. The school had never had a prominent basketball program, but Shue helped push the school into national prominence.

After leaving the University of Maryland, Shue was the 3rd overall pick in 1954 NBA draft, selected by the Philadelphia Warriors. Shue would last less than month with Philly before being sold to the New York Knicks. He would see limited playing time with the Knicks for two seasons and was then traded to the Fort Wayne Pistons in April of 1956 for Ron Sobie. Fort Wayne moved to Detroit the in 1957, and Shue began five straight years as an All-Star, scoring over 22 PPG in 1959-60 and 1960-61. He was traded back o the Knicks in 1962, and a little over a year later was sold to the new Baltimore Bullets.

After the 1963-64 season with the Bullets, he retired as a player but a few years later returned as the team's head coach. Struggling to a 16-40 record in his first season as coach in 1966-67, two years later he lead the Bullets to a divisional title (and unfortunately a quick exit from the playoffs.) In 1971, the Bullets advanced to the NBA Finals but Shue's team was swept by the Milwaukee Bucks. In June of 1973, Shue quit the Bullets with four divisional titles under his belt. He was hired by the Philadelphia 76ers a few weeks after. Shue took a team that had been 9-73 in 1972-73 to the NBA finals four seasons later. He was fired by the Sixers in December of 1977, and a year later would begin his two-season stint coaching the San Diego Clippers. He resigned from the Clippers in May of 1980 to return to the Bullets (now playing in the nation's capitol), but this time the Bullets remained hovering around the .500 mark for all six seasons he was at the helm. After being fired by the Bullets, he returned to the Clippers for a season and a half but didn't fare well, being fired 38 games into the 1988-89 season. He worked for the 76ers in the front office as well as working as a scout in the 90's.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/shuege01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=shuege01

Frank Selvy

Franklin Delano Selvy


Born:
November 9, 1932
Corbin, KY

Died:
August 13, 2024
Simpsonville, SC


Career
1948-49 Corbin High School - Kentucky (High School)
1949-50 Corbin High School - Kentucky (High School)
1950-51 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Freshmen
1951-52 Furman University - South Carolina (College)
1952-53 Furman University - South Carolina (College)
1953-54 Furman University - South Carolina (College)
1954-55 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1955-56 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1957-58 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1957-58 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1958-59 New York Knicks (NBA)
1959-60 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1959-60 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1960-61 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
1961-62 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
1962-63 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
1963-64 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
1966-67 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Head coach
1967-68 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Head coach 
1968-69 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Head coach
1969-70 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Head coach  


On February 13, 1954, Furman was celebrating their favorite senior with Frank Selvy night in a game against Newberry College. Selvy was averaging over 40 point per game, highest in the country. With 4000 fans, including many friends and family members from Kentucky, packed in to Textile Hall, Coach Lyles Ally told his team to get the ball to Selvy and let him do the work on his special night. What wound up happening is Selvy hit 41 of 66 field goal attempts and also scored 18 from the line to score a staggering 100 points, a record that still stands for a Division I team. (Newberry College was not a Division 1 opponent. The record for points in a game by a Division 1 player against a Division I opponent is 72 by Kevin Bradshaw.)

Selvy was the first overall selection in the 1954 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets. The Bullets franchise dissolved shortly into the 1954-55 season, and Selvy was selected by the Milwaukee Hawks in the dispersal draft. He would average 19 points per game in his rookie year and was partly into his second season with the Hawks (now in St Louis) when he entered the U.S. Army. He would spend two years in the service and returned to the Hawks in 1958. The Hawks traded him to the Lakers in mid-February of 1958, and joined the New York Knicks for the 1958-59 season. After a year with the Knicks, he was waived on the eve of the 59-60 season. He was claimed by the Nationals and spent about six weeks with Syracuse before being sold back to the Lakers. He spent the rest of his nine year career in Los Angeles before retiring in 1964 as a two-time All-Star. He returned to Furman to coach the team for four seasons.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/selvyfr01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=selvyfr01

Frank Ramsey

Frank Vernon Ramsey, Jr.


Born:
July 13, 1931
Corydon, KY

Died:
July 8, 2018
Evansville, IN


Career
1947-48 Madisonville High School - Kentucky (High School)
1948-49 Madisonville High School - Kentucky (High School)
1950-51 University of Kentucky (College)
1951-52 University of Kentucky (College)
1953-54 University of Kentucky (College)
1954-55 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1956-57 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1957-58 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1958-59 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1959-60 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1960-61 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1961-62 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1962-63 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1963-64 Boston Celtics (NBA)

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 1982

Ramsey would play baseball and basketball at the University of Kentucky. In 1952, the UK basketball program was suspended for a year due to a point-shaving scheme perpetrated by Wildcat players prior to Ramsey arriving there. Ramsey graduated in 1953 and was a first round draft pick by the Boston Celtics in the 1953 NBA draft, but Ramsey returned to UK for one more season, with the Wildcats finishing 25-0. However, Kentucky has to pass on the NCAA tournament due to a rule stating graduate students (like Ramsey and a few teammates who had also returned after the year off) were not permitted to compete. Ramsey would join the Celtics that fall and averaged 11.2 points in his rookie season. He was drafted into the U.S. Army, and missed the 1955-56 season but returned to the Celtics in January of 1957. All told, he would play nine seasons with the Celtics, with seven of those seasons as the NBA champions. He was a very versatile player, and was the first true "sixth man" in NBA history, coming off the bench and making an impact in limited playing time. He averaged 13.4 PPG in his career while playing in under 25 minutes per game. His number would be retired by the Celtics, and in 1982, Ramsey was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

After retiring in 1964, Ramsey went to work at the bank his grandfather founder, and he was president of that bank in Dixon, Kentucky, until retiring in his 80's. In 2018, he suffered an aneurysm and died shortly thereafter of cardiac arrest.

Frank and his wife, Jean, had three children.

Source:
Obituary, Washington Post, July 10, 2018
Obituary, kentucky.com, July 8, 2018

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/ramsefr01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=ramsefr01

Bob Pettit

Robert Lee Pettit, Jr.


Born:
December 12, 1932
Baton Rouge, LA

 :




Career
1948-49 Baton Rouge High School - Louisiana (High School)
1949-50 Baton Rouge High School - Louisiana (High School)
1950-51 Louisiana State University (College) Freshmen
1951-52 Louisiana State University (College)
1952-53 Louisiana State University (College)
1953-54 Louisiana State University (College)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1955-56 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1956-57 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1957-58 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1958-59 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1959-60 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1960-61 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1961-62 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1962-63 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1963-64 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1964-65 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 1971

With a slim 6'9 frame, Bob Pettit went from LSU star to an 11-year career that saw him as one of the most effective scoring threats the NBA has ever seen.

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Robert and Mary Pettit, young Bob didn't take to the sport right away, failing to make the high school team at first. Before his junior year, his dad, formerly the Sheriff of the East Baton Rouge Parish, pushed him to keep working at it. His work ethic, coupled with a growth spurt of five inches, got him on the school team in his junior year and he was named all-City. In his senior year, he lead the school to their first state championship.

Pettit received many scholarship offers, but chose to stay in state and go to LSU. A starter for all three years of varsity basketball, Pettit was twice named All-American as he average just under 28 points per game.  As a senior, he was the second play in major college history to average over 30 points in a season.

Pettit was selected second overall in the 1954 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Hawks. He moved from center to forward, and the hapless Hawks would see their fortunes improve as Pettit would win Rookie of the Year honors. The team moved to St. Louis the following season, and the team kept improving and in 1957 would win their first NBA championship. Pettit was in his prime, finishing regularly near the top of the league in scoring and rebounding and being a thorn in the side of the men he defended against.

Pettit would play 11 seasons with the Hawks, retiring in 1965. He had been named to the All-Star team every season he played, being selected as the All-Star Game MVP four times as well as being named the league's MVP twice. He lead the league in scoring twice, and at his retirement held the career points record with 20,880 (at the time I write this, he is in 43rd place in career points now, but his average of 26.4 points per game for his career is good for 8th place all-time).

After retiring from basketball, Pettit went to work in banking and later as a financial advisor as a co-founder of Equitas Capitol Investors. He was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971 and was one of the NBA's 50 greatest players selected for the NBA's 50 Anniversary celebration.

Pettit married Carol Crowell in 1965 (d. 2010) and they had three children.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/pettibo01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=pettibo01

Togo Palazzi

Togo Anthony Palazzi


Born:
August 8, 1932
Union City, NJ

Died:
August 12, 2022
Worcester, MA


Career
1948-49 Union City High School - New Jersey (High School)
1949-50 Union City High School - New Jersey (High School)
1950-51 College of the Holy Cross (College) Freshmen
1951-52 College of the Holy Cross (College)
1952-53 College of the Holy Cross (College)
1953-54 College of the Holy Cross (College)
1954-55 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1955-56 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1956-57 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1956-57 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1957-58 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1958-59 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1959-60 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1972-73 College of the Holy Cross (College) Freshmen - Head coach
1980-81 College of the Holy Cross (College) Women's team - Head coach
1981-82 College of the Holy Cross (College) Women's team - Head coach

Togo starred at Holy Cross, leading the team to a 1954 NIT title. He set many scoring records at Holy Cross, putting up 593 points as a junior to eclipse legendary Bob Cousy's single-season record, only to smash that with 670 points as a senior. He also set the school record when he dropped 47 on Brown University on February 14, 1953). Palazzi was drafted fifth overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1954 draft.

He was sold to the Nationals in November of 1956, and stayed with Syracuse through 1960. After six full seasons in the NBA, Palazzi returned to Holy Cross to coach.

Source:
goholycross.com

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/palazto01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=palazto01

Johnny "Red" Kerr

John Graham "Red" Kerr


Born:
July 17, 1932
Chicago, IL

Died:
February 26, 2009
Chicago, IL


Career
1949-50 Tilden High School - Chicago (High School)
1951-52 University of Illinois (College)
1952-53 University of Illinois (College)
1953-54 University of Illinois (College)
1954-55 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1955-56 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1956-57 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1957-58 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1958-59 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1959-60 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1960-61 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1961-62 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1962-63 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1963-64 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
1964-65 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
1965-66 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)
1966-67 Chicago Bulls (NBA) Head coach
1967-68 Chicago Bulls (NBA) Head coach
1968-69 Phoenix Suns (NBA) Head coach
1969-70 Phoenix Suns (NBA) Head coach

Born to Matthew and Florence Kerr on the South Side of Chicago, Kerr was a gifted soccer player at Tilden High School until a late growth spurt put him at 6'9 and allowed him to gravitate to basketball. He received a scholarship at Illinois and helped the team to the Big Ten title and Final Four appearance in 1952. He graduated from Illinois with 1299 career points and was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in the 1954 NBA Draft.

As a rookie, Kerr helped the Nationals to the NBA title in 1955. A three-time All-Star, Kerr would play 12 seasons in the NBA and had set the record 844 complete games played. After the 1965-66 season with the Baltimore Bullets, Kerr was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the expansion draft, but became their head coach instead of a player. His playing days behind him, he finished with over 12,000 points and 10,000 rebounds. Kerr would coach the Chicago Bulls for two seasons and then the Phoenix Suns for two. He was lured to the Virginia Squires of the ABA where he served as the team's GM, signing players like Julius Irving. He returned to the Bulls in 1973 as the team's business manager and later worked as a broadcaster.

Kerr married Betsy Nemecek in 1954 and they had five sons and one daughter. One son, John Jr., died at the age of 3. He also took in the three daughters of his sister-in-law, Drusella, when she and her husband Evan died within months of each other in late 1971 and early 1972. Drusella and Evan's daughter Laurel Jean Ellis would be murdered in 1974 while attending Grand Valley College in Michigan. Her murder would go unsolved for many years until DNA tests linked a man named Lamont Marshall who had been found to have commit other murders and violent acts in the area.

Source:
MLive, April 2010
Obituary, Chicago Tribune, February 27, 2009

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kerrre01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=kerrjo01

Larry Costello

Lawrence Ronald Costello


Born:
July 2, 1931
Syracuse, NY

Died:
December 11, 2001
Fort Myers Beach, FL


Career
1948-49 Minoa High School - New York (High School)
1949-50 Minoa High School - New York (High School)
1950-51 Niagara University (College)
1951-52 Niagara University (College)
1952-53 Niagara University (College)
1953-54 Niagara University (College)
1954-55 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1956-57 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1957-58 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1958-59 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1959-60 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1960-61 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1961-62 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1962-63 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1963-64 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
1964-65 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
1967-68 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
1968-69 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1969-70 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1971-72 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1972-73 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1973-74 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1974-75 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1975-76 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1976-77 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1978-79 Chicago Bulls (NBA) Head coach

Costello hit the ground running at Niagara, helping the freshmen team to an undefeated season in 1950-51. He would lead the varsity team in scoring as a sophomore, and his three years on varsity lead the Eagles to the NIT twice. A tough and physical player, he would play 12 seasons in the NBA with the Philadelphia Warriors and the Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers. He retired as a player in 1968 and immediately moved to the bench, being named the head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. He coached the Bucks to the NBA title in 1971 with players such as Lew Alcindor and Oscar Robertson. He would coach the Bucks for eight full seasons and was fired 16 games into a ninth. Costello was one of the first head coaches to employ a full-time assistant on the bench. He returned to coaching in 1978 with the Chicago Bulls but was replaced by Scotty Robertson after a 20-36 start.

Costello died of cancer in 2001.

Source:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42777375
https://www.buffalosportshallfame.com/member/larry-costello/
NY Times, December 14, 2001

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/costela01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=costela01

George Yardley

George Harry Yardley III


Born:
November 3, 1928
Hollywood, CA

Died:
August 13. 2004
Newport Beach, CA


Career
1945-46 Newport Harbor High School - Newport Beach, CA (High School)
1947-48 Stanford University (College)
1948-49 Stanford University (College)
1949-50 Stanford University (College)
1950-51 Stewart Chevrolet - San Francisco (Independent)
1951-52 Los Alamitos Naval Base (Military) 
1953-54 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1954-55 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1955-56 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1956-57 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1957-58 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1958-59 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1958-59 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1959-60 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1961-62 Los Angeles Jets (ABL)

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 1996

Yardley graduated from Stanford in 1950 and was selected by Fort Wayne in the first round of the 1950 NBA Draft. Rather than sign with the Pistons, he wanted to maintain his amateur status in order to play in the 1952 Olympics. He played basketball with the Stewart Chevrolet out of San Francisco who won the 1951 AAU Championship. Yardley entered the U.S. Navy shortly thereafter and played for the Los Alamitos Base team. However, he broke his hand while playing there and was unable to play for the United States in the Helsinki Olympic games.

Out of the navy in 1953, Yardley finally joined the Pistons and five years later when the Pistons moved to Detroit, Yardley became the first NBA player to score 2000 points in a single season.  In the following 1958-59 season, Yardley was traded to the Syracuse Nationals where he played the next season and a half. A six-time all-star, Yardley retired following the 1959-60 season at the age of 31.

In his seven-year career, he finished in the top 16 in scoring in six seasons. He returned to California but was coaxed out of retirement in 1961 by Bill Sharman who was a player and head coach for the New York Jets in the new American Basketball League. When the team failed, he quit playing for good and started up his own engineering company, the George Yardley Company in Santa Ana, California. Yardley was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1996. He died in 2004 from complications of ALS.

George and his wife, Diana, had two daughters and one son.


Source:
NY Times, August 16, 2004

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/y/yardlge01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=yardlge01

Clyde Lovellette

Clyde Edward Lovellette


Born:
September 7, 1929
Petersburg, IN

Died:
March 9, 2016
North Manchester, IN



Career
1946-47 Garfield High School - Terre Haute, IN (High School)
1947-48 Garfield High School - Terre Haute, IN (High School)
1948-49 University of Kansas (College) Freshmen
1949-50 University of Kansas (College)
1950-51 University of Kansas (College)
1951-52 University of Kansas (College)
1952 United States National Team (Olympics)
1953-54 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1954-55 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1955-56 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1956-57 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1957-58 Cincinnati Royals (NBA)
1958-59 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1959-60 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1960-61 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1961-62 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1962-63 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1963-64 Boston Celtics (NBA)

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 1988

Standing at 6-foot-9 and weighing in at 245 pounds, came out of Indiana to star on the courts at the University of Kansas. Leading Kansas to an NCAA title in 1952, Lovellette set the record for most points in a NCAA tourney (141) and most points in a single game (44).  He had lead the country in scoring that year with 28.4 points per game, becoming the first (and as of this writing, the only) collegiate player to lead the nation in scoring AND win the NCAA tournament in the same year.

Lovellette was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers in the first round of the 1952 draft, but he wanted to play in the Olympics in Helsinki. The U.S. team rolled to the gold medal, and Clyde joined the Lakers a year later. Somewhat rusty, Lovellette played n every Laker game in that rookie year of 1953-54, but only averaged 8.2 points. After that season, though, he was an unstoppable force. With a hook shot with a soft touch, he would average over 20 points a game the next three seasons as well as pulling in over 12 rebounds a game. Being named to two All-Star games, Lovellette was traded after the 1956-57 season to Rochester. The Royals moved to Cincinnati prior to the start of the 1957-58 season, and in his only season in Cincy, he scored a career-high 23.4 points per game in an injury-shortend season.

In September of 1958, Lovellette was sent to the St. Louis Hawks to complete a deal a month earlier where the the Hawks gave the signing rights of five young players to Cincinnati. (Of those five, only two, Wayne Embry and Jim Palmer, would play in an NBA game.)  Lovellette played four seasons in St. Louis, averaging almost 20 points over that stretch and being named to the All-Star team two more times.

After the 1961-62 season, the 32-year old Lovellette was sold to the Boston Celtics. He would pick up his second and third rings in his two seasons there before retiring after the 1963-64 season. He was a tough and very physical player, not afraid to push, shove or elbow his opponents as he battled for position. He frustrated many an opposing player with his style of play, earning respect as well as controversy along the way.

After his playing days, he worked as a cattle rancher, country club manager, sheriff and teacher but was most proud of his days as a counselor for troubled youths in his home town of Terre Haute. He would be elected to both the Naismith Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame. He died in 2016 at 86 years of age.

Lovellette was married to Sally Wheeler and the had three daughters. After divorcing Sally, he remarried to Judy Wray in 1970. 

Source:
Washington Post, March 11, 2016

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/lovelcl01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=lovelcl01

Billy Kenville

William McGill Kenville


Born:
December 1, 1930
Elmhurst, NY

Died:
June 19, 2018
Binghamton, NY


Career
1950-51 St. Bonaventure (College)
1951-52 St. Bonaventure (College)
1952-53 St. Bonaventure (College)
1953-54 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1954-55 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1955-56 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1956-57 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1957-58 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1958-59 Rochester Colonels (EBL)
1959-60 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1960-61 St. James High School - Binghamton, NY (High School) Head coach - JV
1960-61 Hodges Builders - Binghamton, NY (Independent)

After starring at St. Bonaventure, Kenville was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals. He played three seasons with Syracuse, helping them to the NBA crown in 1955.

Kenville was sold by the Nats to the Pistons in October of 1956,  would play two seasons for the Pistons before retiring in 1958. His retirement was short lived, and he signed with the Rochester Colonels in the Eastern League in 1958. After a good season the the Colonels, he found himself back in the NBA with the Pistons in 1959. A leg injury that season sidelined him for a bit and after the season he would be done playing in the NBA. He would go on to coach basketball in Binghamton, New York, where he died in 2018.




Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kenvibi01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=kenvibi01

Jack George

John Edward "Jack" George


Born:
November 13, 1928
Swissvale, PA

Died:
January 30, 1989
Fort Myers, FL


Career
1948-49 St. John's Military - Washington, DC (Prep)
1949-50 La Salle University (College) Freshmen
1950-51 La Salle University (College)
1953-54 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1954-55 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1955-56 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1956-57 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1957-58 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1958-59 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1958-59 New York Knicks (NBA)
1959-60 New York Knicks (NBA)
1959-61 New York Knicks (NBA)

Born to John and Jewel George, George played football, basketball and baseball as a youth, earning a scholarship offer to play football at Notre Dame. He decided to so to LaSalle where he played baseball and basketball. He played at La Salle for two years before joining the U.S. Army. After being discharged, he decided to forego his remaining years of collegiate elgibility and play basketball professionally.

George would play over five seasons with the Philadelphia Warriors, twice being named to the All-Star Game. A dependable ball handler, George average 10.7 points per game with Warriors before being traded to the New York Knicks on January 27, 1959, for Guy Sparrow. He played for the Knicks before retiring after the 1960-61 season.

In 1954, he played catcher for the Philadelphia Athletic's Class-B farm team in Lancaster in the Piedmont League.

After leaving the NBA, George moved to Illinois to work as a sales consultant. He would retire in 1986 and move from Winfield, Illinois, to Florida, where he died a few years later at the age of 60.

Minor League Baseball Stats:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=george003joh

Some places list his middle name as "Edwin" but his draft application and Social Security data lists  his middle name as "Edward."

Source:
Tyrone Daily Herald (Pennsylvania), October 13, 1953
News-Press (Fort Myers, FL), February 3, 1989

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/georgja01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=georgja01

Ernie Beck

Ernest Joseph Beck


Born:
December 11, 1931
Philadelphia, PA

Died:
December 12, 2024



Career
1947-48 West Catholic High School - Philadelphia (High School)
1948-49 West Catholic High School - Philadelphia (High School)
1950-51 University of Pennsylvania (College)
1951-52 University of Pennsylvania (College)
1952-53 University of Pennsylvania (College)
1953-54 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1955-56 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1956-57 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1957-58 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1958-59 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1959-60 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1960-61 St Louis Hawks (NBA)
1960-61 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1961-62 Sunbury Mercuries (EPBL)
1962-63 Sunbury Mercuries (EPBL)
1963-64 Sunbury Mercuries (EPBL)  Head coach / player

Beck was one of many stars from Philadelphia in the 40's to make it to the NBA. Beck lead the city in scoring in his senior year at West Catholic before enrolling at Penn. He scored a school-record 1827 points at Penn, with 67e coming in his final year (still the school record for a single season.) He was a territorial draft pick by the Philadelphia Warriors and played 15 games in the NBA in 1953 before having to leave to serve in the U.S. Navy. After two years, he returned to the Warriors and rarely missed a game over the next five seasons.  He helped the Warriors to the NBA title in 1955-56.
Just prior to the 1960-61 season, Beck was traded with Woody Sauldsberry to the St. Louis Hawks for Ed Conlin. He appears in 7 games with the Hawks before being sold to Syracuse, and was let go shortly thereafter.

Out of the NBA, Beck would play a few seasons in the Eastern League with Sunbury. He would start a new career as a high school teacher and coach


Source:
https://www.philly.com/philly/sports/high_school/230939891.html

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/becker01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=becker01

Jack McMahon

John Joseph "Jack" McMahon


Born:
December 3, 1928
Brooklyn, NY

Died:
June 11, 1989
Chicago, IL


Career
1945-46 St. Michael's High School - Brooklyn (High School)
1949-50 St. John's University (College)
1950-51 St. John's University (College)
1951-52 St. John's University (College)
1952-53 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1953-54 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1954-55 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1955-56 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1955-56 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1956-57 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1957-58 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1958-59 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1959-60 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1961-62 Kansas City Steers (ABL) Head coach
1962-63 Chicago Zephyrs (NBA) Head coach
1963-64 Cincinnati Royals (NBA) Head coach
1964-65 Cincinnati Royals (NBA) Head coach 
1965-66 Cincinnati Royals (NBA) Head coach
1966-67 Cincinnati Royals (NBA) Head coach 
1967-68 San Diego Rockets (NBA) Head coach
1968-69 San Diego Rockets (NBA) Head coach

1969-70 San Diego Rockets (NBA) Head coach
1970-71 Pittsburgh Condors (ABA) Head coach 
1971-72 Pittsburgh Condors (ABA) Head coach 
1974-75 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1975-76 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1976-77 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1977-78 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1978-79 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1979-80 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1980-81 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1981-82 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1983-84 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1984-85 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1985-86 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1986-87 Golden State Warriors (NBA) Assistant coach
1987-88 Golden State Warriors (NBA) Assistant coach
1988-89 Golden State Warriors (NBA) Assistant coach

A scrappy player who played on the strong St. John's teams of the earl 1950's, Jack McMahon was drafted by the Rochester Royals of the NBA. The 6'1 guard would play three full season with the Royals and was halfway through his fourth when he was traded to the St. Louis Hawks. In his second full season with the Hawks, he was a key part of the team as they won the NBA championship. He would finish his 8-year NBA career with the Hawks, and continue in the game as a coach, scout and administrator.

McMahon was hired to coach the Kansas City Steers in the fledgling American Basketball League in 1961. After the season, he was hired to coach the Chicago Zephyrs in the NBA. He unfortunately only lasted half-way into the 1962-63 season, being fired in December of 1962 after a 12-26 start. He was not out of coaching for long, as in June of 1963, the 33-year old McMahon was hired to lead the Cincinnati Royals, the team who drafted him when they resided in Rochester. He coached the Royals for fours seasons, making the playoffs each year, before leaving the club in 1967 to become the head coach and general manager for the expansion San Diego Rockets.

After a rough inaugural season (which is normal for first-year teams), the Rockets improved in McMahon's second year at the helm and made the playoffs, losing to the Hawks in 6 games. A slow start in 1969 lead to another December dismissal for McMahon, and the next two seasons would see him lead the Pittsburgh Condors in the ABA. He was hired by the 76ers in 1972 as the director of player development, and eventually became an assistant coach as well. In his decade-plus with the Sixers, McMahon played a key part in scouting and developing the players that lead to many great teams. In 1986, he parted ways with Philadelphia to join the Golden State Warriors. In June of 1989,
he was attending a pre-draft camp in Chicago in order to scout for the Warriors. He fell asleep in his hotel room while reading a book one night, and never awoke. He was 60 years old.

Jack and his wife, Katherine, had three children.

Source:
UPI Obituary, June 11, 1989
Obituary, Washington Post, June 12, 1989

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mcmahja01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=mcmahja01

Gene Conley

Donald Eugene "Gene" Conley


Born:
November 10, 1930
Muskogee, OK

Died:
July 4, 2017
Foxboro, MA





Career
Columbia High School - Richland, WA (High School)
1948-49 Washington State University (College)
1949-50 Washington State University (College)
1952-53 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1958-59 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1959-60 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1960-61 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1961-62 Washington / New York Tapers (ABL)
1962-63 New York Knicks (NBA)
1963-64 New York Knicks (NBA)
1968-69 New Haven Elms (EBL) Head coach / player
1969-70 Hartford Capitols (EBL) Head coach

Conley was born in Oklahoma but the family moved to Washington when Gene was 12. While at Columbia High School, Conley participated in baseball, basketball and track. Standing 6-foot-8, Conley went to Washington State on an athletic scholarship, where he continued to shine on the hardwood as well as the pitching mound. He intended to stay in school to finish his education and continue playing both sports, but he signed with the Boston Braves in October of 1950. He was assigned to their Eastern League affiliate in Hartford where he won 20 games with an ERA of 2.15. Late in that season, Hartford was in Wilkes-Barre for a series and the American Basketball League's Wilkes-Barre Barons offered Conley a contract to play basketball in the 1951-52 off-season. The Braves gave Conley $1000 to not consider playing basketball again. Conley passed on the Baron's offer and stuck with baseball... for now.

Conley was brought up by the Braves to start the 1952 season on the pitching staff, but after 4 rough outings, he was sent down to their AAA club in Milwaukee for more seasoning. He went 11-4 with Milwaukee, and Conley decided to accept an offer to play with the Boston Celtics in the NBA. He played in 39 games with the Celtics, averaging 2.3 points. During that time, the Braves moved from Boston to Milwaukee, and Toledo was the new AAA farm team for the Braves. Conley spent 1953 with Toledo, sporting a 23-9 record and assured himself a spot on the Braves roster when the 1954 season kicked off.

With the Braves no longer in Boston, Conley quit the Celtics and basketball for the time being. He was an important piece of the Milwaukee Braves World Series championship in 1957, and although he struggled in 1958, Milwaukee won the National League Pennant again. He was having shoulder problems and it was really effecting his pitching. He wanted to play for the Celtics again in the off-season, against the wishes of the Braves. He would go on to win three NBA championships with the Celtics, but the Braves traded him to the Phillies after the 1958 season. He enjoyed a resurgence on the mound with the Phillies in 1959, being named to the NL All-Star team twice, but struggled some in 1960 before being sent to the Boston Red Sox. He played hard with the Celtics, and in 1960-61 got his third NBA ring in three seasons.
In 1961, the NBA was expanding and the Celtics left Conley unprotected in the expansion draft and he was selected by the Chicago Packers. He thought about taking the season off and did not report to the Packers, but when the Washington / New York Tapers of the brand-new American Basketball League offered him a contract, he took them up on it and spent the season in the upstart league.

He was still a reliable starter for the Red Sox, hurling 240+ innings in 1962, but his baseball days were quickly winding down. He had suffered a broken finger and a severely sprained ankle really hampered him. In basketball, he returned to the NBA in 1962 for two seasons with the New York Knicks, but in the spring of 1964, he was released by the Red Sox and his playing days in both sports were over. He is the only player to win a World Series title and an NBA Championship. He and his wife started the Foxboro Paper Company and were very successful. Conley was 86 when he died of heart failure in 2017.

Gene married Kathryn Dizney in 1951 and they had three children.

Major League Baseball Stats
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/conlege01.shtml

Source:
SABR Biography
NY Times obituary, July 5, 2017

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/conlege01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=conlege01

Ray Felix

Raymond Darlington Felix


Born:
December 10, 1930
New York, NY

Died:
July 28, 1991
Queens, NY


Career
1947-48 Metropolitan High School - New York City (High School)
1948-49 Metropolitan High School - New York City (High School)
1949-50 Long Island University (College)
1950-51 Long Island University (College)
1951-52 Long Island University (College)
1952-53 New York Rens (Independent)
1952-53 Manchester British Americans (ABL)
1953-54 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)
1954-55 New York Knicks (NBA)
1955-56 New York Knicks (NBA)
1956-57 New York Knicks (NBA)
1957-58 New York Knicks (NBA)
1958-59 New York Knicks (NBA)
1959-60 New York Knicks (NBA)
1959-60 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1960-61 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
1961-62 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)

A towering giant coming out pf Metropolitan High School in New York City, Felix played at LIU and was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in the NBA draft. He played a season with the Manchester club of the ABL before being drafted, and was named the NBA's Rookie of the Year and becoming the second black athlete name to the NBA's All-Star Team. After the Bullets folded in November of 1954, Felix would find himself with the Knicks. He played 5 and a half seasons with the Knicks, average 12.0 points a game. He was traded by the Knicks to the Lakers in 1960 for a couple of draft picks, and finished his career in 1962 after the Lakers moved to Los Angeles. He returned to New York and worked for many years with the New York Parks Department. He also was a supervisor at the Harlem Men's Shelter for the homeless. Felix died of a heart attack in 1991.

Felix and his wife, Gloria, had one son, Ray Jr.

Source:
Obituary, New York Times, July 31, 1991

Stats:

Bill Sharman

William Walton Sharman


Born:
May 25, 1926
Abilene, TX

Died:
October 25, 2013
Redondo Beach, CA


Career
1942-43 Central High School - Porterville, CA (High School)
1943-44 Central High School - Porterville, CA (High School)
1946-47 University of Southern California (College)
1947-48 University of Southern California (College)
1948-49 University of Southern California (College)
1949-50 University of Southern California (College)
1950-51 Washington Capitols (NBA)
1951-52 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1952-53 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1953-54 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1954-55 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1955-56 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1956-57 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1957-58 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1958-59 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1959-60 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1960-61 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1961-62 Los Angeles Jets (ABL) Head coach / player
1961-62 Cleveland Pipers (ABL) Head coach / player
1962-63 Los Angeles State (College) Head coach
1963-64 Los Angeles State (College) Head coach 
1966-67 San Francisco Warriors (NBA) Head coach
1967-68 San Francisco Warriors (NBA) Head coach
1968-69 Los Angeles Stars (ABA) Head coach
1969-70 Los Angeles Stars (ABA) Head coach
1970-71 Utah Stars (ABA) Head coach
1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers (ABA) Head coach
1972-73 Los Angeles Lakers (ABA) Head coach 
1973-74 Los Angeles Lakers (ABA) Head coach
1974-75 Los Angeles Lakers (ABA) Head coach 
1975-76 Los Angeles Lakers (ABA) Head coach 

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 1976

Sharman entered the U.S. Navy after graduating from high school, serving during World War 2. He went to USC, playing both baseball and basketball there. After graduating, Sharman played through 1955 in the Brooklyn Dodgers farm system. However, it was basketball where he made his biggest impact. After one season with the Washington Capitols, he played with the Celtics for 10 seasons and was one of the best shooters of all-time. He was a part of four NBA Championship teams and was an 8-time All-Star.

Sharman quit the Celtics in 1961 to become player and head coach for the Los Angeles Jets in the new ABL. However, the team folded in January of 1962, and Sharman moved to take over the Cleveland Pipers when their coach, John McLendon, abruptly quit (he had frequently argued with Pipers owner George Steinbrenner). Longing to return home to California, Sharman took the head coaching job at Los Angeles State, but resigned after a two years to broadcast for the St. Louis Hawks. This lasted until 1966, when he returned to the bench to lead the NBA's San Francisco Warriors. He moved to take over the Los Angeles Stars in the ABA in 1968, and after two years in LA and one year when the franchise moved to Utah (winning the ABA title), he returned one last time to Los Angeles and the NBA. He coached the Lakers for five seasons, leading the club to their first title in L.A. He stepped down from coaching in 1976 to become the Lakers' GM, and in 1983 was named the club's president, retiring in 1990.

Sharman was elected to the Hall of Fame both as a player and a coach.

He and his wife, Joyce, ha two sons and two daughters.

Minor League Baseball Stats:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=sharma001wil

Source:

L.A. Times, October 22, 1961
Sandusky Register, January 31, 1962 
Obituary, N.Y. Times, October 25, 2013

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/sharmbi01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=sharmbi01

Earl Lloyd

Earl Francis Lloyd


Born:
April 3, 1928
Alexandria, VA

Died:
February 26, 2015
Crossville, TN


Career
1944-45 Parker-Gray High School - Alexandria, VA (High School)
1945-46 Parker-Gray High School - Alexandria, VA (High School)
1946-47 West Virginia State (College)
1947-48 West Virginia State (College)
1948-49 West Virginia State (College)
1949-50 West Virginia State (College)
1950-51 Washington Capitols (NBA)
1952-53 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1953-54 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1954-55 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1955-56 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1956-57 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1957-58 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1958-59 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1959-60 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1968-69 Detroit Pistons (NBA) Assistant coach
1969-70 Detroit Pistons (NBA) Assistant coach
1971-72 Detroit Pistons (NBA) Head coach
1972-73 Detroit Pistons (NBA) Head coach

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 2003

Lloyd became the first black player in the NBA when he debuted with the Caps on October 31, 1950. Chuck Cooper and Nate Clifton followed in the following few days. However, just 7 games into the season, Lloyd was drafted into the military and was headed off to Korea. After the Korean War came to a close, Lloyd returned to find the Capitols had folded, so he signed with the Syracuse Nationals. After six season in Syracuse, he played one more season for Detroit before retiring. He returned to the Pistons in 1968 when he became the first black bench coach, and in 1971 was the NBA's second black head coach. He was fired part-way into his second season with a dismal 22-55 record. He remained in Detroit for a while working with the city. He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2003.

Source:
History.com
nba.com

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/lloydea01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=lloydea01

Larry Foust

Laurence Michael Foust


Born:
June 24, 1928
Painesville, OH

Died:
October 27, 1984
Pittsburgh, PA


Career
1945-46 Southeast Catholic High School - Philadelphia (High School)
1947-48 LaSalle University (College)
1948-49 LaSalle University (College)
1949-50 LaSalle University (College)
1950-51 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1951-52 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1952-53 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1953-54 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1954-55 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1955-56 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1956-57 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1957-58 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1958-59 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1959-60 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1959-60 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1960-61 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1961-62 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)

After 12 years in the NBA, during which time he was an All-Star, a battered Faust called it quits. He went on to work in the building materials industry and for a company that produced astroturf. He was only 56 when he died of a heart attack in 1984.

He was married to Joan Kissane and they had three daughters and a son.

Source:
Obituary, Philadelphia Inquirer, October 31, 1984

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/foustla01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=foustla01

Bob Cousy

Robert Joseph Cousy


Born:
August 9, 1928
New York, NY

 :





Career
1944-45 Andrew Jackson High School - Jamaica, NY (High School)
1945-46 Andrew Jackson High School - Jamaica, NY (High School)
1946-47 Holy Cross (College)
1947-48 Holy Cross (College)
1948-49 Holy Cross (College)
1949-50 Holy Cross (College)
1950-51 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1951-52 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1952-53 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1953-54 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1954-55 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1955-56 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1956-57 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1957-58 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1958-59 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1959-60 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1960-61 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1961-62 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1962-63 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1963-64 Boston College (College) Head coach
1964-65 Boston College (College) Head coach
1965-66 Boston College (College) Head coach
1966-67 Boston College (College) Head coach
1967-68 Boston College (College) Head coach
1968-69 Boston College (College) Head coach
1969-70 Cincinnati Royals (NBA) Head coach / player
1970-71 Cincinnati Royals (NBA) Head coach
1971-72 Cincinnati Royals (NBA) Head coach
1972-73 Kansas City / Omaha Kings (NBA) Head coach
1973-74 Kansas City / Omaha Kings (NBA) Head coach

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 1971

In high school, Cousy broke his hand which forced him to learn how to dribble and shoot left-handed. Once his right right hand healed, he was essentially an ambidextrous player, and on his way to being the first great point guard in the NBA. He graduated from high school and went to Holy Cross, being one of six freshman to make the team. The Crusaders went 24-3 and won the NCAA Tournament. Cousy had a poor sophomore season with limited playing time, and considered transferring, but he stayed at Holy Cross. It took to his senior year to really realize his talent. He was drafted by Tri-Cities in the 1950 NBA draft, but was unexcited at the prospect of playing in the Midwest (He also had opened a business in Boston and did not want to leave it behind.) His right were transferred to the Chicago Stags, but when the Stags folded, he was picked up by the Celtics, who had originally passed on him in the Draft for Charlie Share, in a dispersal draft.

Cousy went on to become one of the all-time greats. He was a 13-time All-Star and on the NBA MVP award in 1957, and was a key part to six NBA title with the Celtics Dynasty. He scored 16,960 points and recorded just under 6,955 assists. He retired after the 1962-63 season and took the head coaching job at Boston College. In six seasons at BC, his record was 114-38. This lead to an NBA coaching job with the Cincinnati Royals in 1969-70, and even returned briefly to the court. He slead the Royals as they eventually moved to Kansas City / Omaha to become the Kings, but was fired partially into the 1973-74 season. Cousy was the commissioner for the American Soccer League from 1974 to 1979, and has periodically worked in the broadcast booth since then, usually with the Celtics. In 1993, he was cast to play the Athletic Director in the Nick Nolte film, "Blue Chips."

Source:
Wikipedia

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cousybo01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=cousybo01

Paul Arizin

Paul Joseph Arizin


Born:
April 9, 1928
Philadelphia, PA

Died:
December 12, 2006
Springfield, PA


Career
1947-48 Villanova University (College)
1948-49 Villanova University (College)
1949-50 Villanova University (College)
1950-51 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1951-52 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)

1953-54 Berwick Car-Builders (EPBL)
1954-55 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1955-56 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1956-57 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1957-58 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1958-59 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1959-60 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1960-61 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1961-62 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1962-63 Camden Bullets (EPBL)
1963-64 Camden Bullets (EPBL)
1964-65 Camden Bullets (EPBL)

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 1978

Arizin was born and raised in Philly and attended La Salle High School but did not tryout for basketball until his senior year. He failed to make the high school team, but he played in various recreational and independent leagues instead. He was able to improve his basketball skills immensely, including the jump shot he would be most famous for. He enrolled at Villanova, and his freshman year played intramural basketball. A friend of his recommended him to Villanova coach Al Severance. Severance went to see Arizin play for a recreational team, and was so impressed he asked Arizin to come to Villanova to play for him/ Arizin had to tell him he was already a student. He started at Villanova in his sophomore, and became one of the best players in the school's history. He even dropped 85 points in one game against Philadelphia Naval Command. After graduating, he was drafted in the first round by the hometown Philadelphia Warriors in 1950. He played two years before joining the U.S. Marine Corps and being sent to the war in Korea. After his return from service, he returned to the Warriors and for the next eight years one of the greatest players the game had seen. His jump shot was described by many as "perfection" and Arizin reached the 10,000 point mark in the NBA faster than any player, finishing with over 16,000 points. He was a ten-time All-Star and twice lead the league in scoring. When the Warriors moved to San Francisco, Arizin decided to stay east, and played for a few seasons with Camden in the Eastern League. A member of the NBA's 25th and 50th anniversary teams, Arizin was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1978. He worked for sometime in the scrap metal business in the off-season.

Paul and his wife, Maureen, had four sons.and a daughter. One of his sons played at Drexel, another at LaSalle.

Source:
Obituary, NY Times, December 14, 2006
Paul Arizin: a True Gentleman, Harvey Pollack, December 14, 2006
Obituary, ESPN
Hoop Hall of Fame

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/arizipa01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=arizipa01