Jack Turner

Jackie Lee Turner


Born:
June 29, 1930
Bedford, IN

Died:
October 5, 2014
Bedford, IN


Career
1946-47 Bedford High School - Indiana (High School)
1947-48 Bedford High School - Indiana (High School)
1948-49 Western Kentucky University (College) Freshmen
1949-50 Western Kentucky University (College)
1950-51 Western Kentucky University (College)
1953-54 Western Kentucky University (College)
1954-55 New York Knicks (NBA)

A basketball star out of Bedford, Indiana, Jack Turner would go on to Western Kentucky. Turner served in the military following his junior year and returned to Western in 1953 and helped lead them to a 29-3 record. He was drafted by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 1954 NBA Draft and would play 65 games for the Knicks. 

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/turneja01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=turneja01

Art Spoelstra

Arthur Cornelius Spoelstra


Born:
September 11, 1932
Grand Rapids, MI

Died:
April 9, 2008
Evansville, IN


Career
1948-49 Godwin Heights High School - Grand Rapids, MI (High School)
1949-50 Godwin Heights High School - Grand Rapids, MI (High School)
1951-52 Western Kentucky University (College)
1952-53 Western Kentucky University (College)
1953-54 Western Kentucky University (College)
1954-55 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1955-56 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1956-57 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1957-58 Minneapolis Lakers  (NBA)
1957-58 New York Knicks (NBA)
1958-59 Allentown Jets (EPBL)
1959-60 Wilkes-Barre Barons (EPBL)

From Grand Rapids, Michigan, the 6'9 Art Spoelstra would score over 1500 points at Western Kentucky, leading the team to three straight NIT appearances and an 80-14 in his three years on the varsity team.

Drafted by the Rochester Royals, Spoelstra would play four seasons in the NBA, mostly with the Royal before splitting time between the Lakers and the Knicks in 1957-58. He played two years in the Eastern League after that. Art later worked as a stagehand on Broadway.

Art and his wife, Irene, had three sons and a daughter.


Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/spoelar01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=spoelar01

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

Herm Hedderick

Herman Arthur Hedderick


Born:
January 10, 1930
Erie, PA

Died:
August 20, 2014
Latrobe, PA


Career
1945-46 Mill Creek High School - Pennsylvania (High School)
1946-47 Mill Creek High School - Pennsylvania (High School)
1949-50 Canisius College (College)
1950-51 Canisius College (College)
1951-52 Canisius College (College)
1954-55 New York Knicks (NBA)

Born to Raymond and Katheryn Hedderick, Herm grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania,
Hedderick played both baseball and basketball while at Canisius. He was drafted by the Celtics in the 1952 NBA Draft and was also signed by the Cincinnati Reds that year, pitching for their Class B team in Salisbury. After serving in the military in the Korean War, he was traded to the Knicks in the 1954-55 season and appeared in five games. He would play one more season of minor league baseball with the Reds farm system in 1955, too.

He and his wife, Sally, had a son and a daughter.

Minor League Baseball Stats
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hedder001her

Source:
GoErie.com

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/heddehe01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=heddehe01

Chuck Grigsby

Charles Lee Grigsby


Born:
August 15, 1928
Dayton, OH

Died:
July 15, 2003
Kettering, OH


Career
1946-47 Stivers High School - Dayton (High School)
1948-49 University of Dayton (College) Freshmen
1949-50 University of Dayton (College)
1950-51 University of Dayton (College)
1951-52 University of Dayton (College)
1954-55 New York Knicks (NBA)
1960-61 Stivers High School - Dayton (High School) Head coach
1961-62 Stivers High School - Dayton (High School) Head coach
1962-63 Stivers High School - Dayton (High School) Head coach
1963-64 Stivers High School - Dayton (High School) Head coach
1964-65 University of Dayton (College) Assistant coach
1965-66 University of Dayton (College) Assistant coach
1966-67 University of Dayton (College) Assistant coach
1967-68 University of Dayton (College) Assistant coach
1968-69 University of Dayton (College) Assistant coach

Drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in the 1952 NBA Draft, Grigsby would instead serve in the army for a couple years. After his discharge, in September of 1954, he was traded with Ray Felix to the Knicks for Al McGuire and Connie Simmons. He would only play in seven games for the Knicks, scoring 16 points before being released. He would return to the high school he graduated from as a basketball coach. leaders Stivers HS for four seasons before accepting an assistant coach job back at the University of Dayton. After five seasons as assistant, he left Dayton but would later return as a broadcaster.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/grigsch01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=grigsch01

Bert Cook

Bertram Eugene Cook


Born:
April 26, 1929
Hooper, UT

Died:
November 24, 1998
Roy, UT


Career
1946-47 Weber County High School - Utah (High School)
1947-48 Weber County High School - Utah (High School)
1948-49 Utah State University (College) Freshmen
1949-50 Utah State University (College)
1950-51 Utah State University (College)
1951-52 Utah State University (College)
1954-55 New York Knicks (NBA)

After a collegiate career at Utah State University that saw him named All-American, Cook would serve in the U.S. Army for two years before joining the New York Knicks. He would play 37 games for the Knicks in the 1954-55 season before a knee injury ended his career. His playing days over, he returned home to Utah and worked as the Weber County Sheriff as well as a recreational director for the Clearfield Job Corps. He would eventually run the family business at the Bert Cook Auction Company. He died in 1998 following a battle with cancer.

Bert had two sons and three daughters.

Source:
Deseret News, November 13, 1991
Elko Daily Free Press, December 22, 1998

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cookbe01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=cookbe01

Fred Christ

Frederick L. Christ


Born:
August 6, 1930
Glendale, NY

 :




Career
1945-46 St. Francis Prep - Brooklyn (High School)
1946-47 St. Francis Prep - Brooklyn (High School)
1949-50 Fordham University (College)
1950-51 Fordham University (College)
1951-52 Fordham University (College)
1952-53 Fort Monmouth Signaleers (Military)
1953-54 Fort Monmouth Signaleers (Military)
1954-55 New York Knicks (NBA)

Christ played at Forham where he set the school record for points in a single game with 37 points. He entered the U.S. Army after school, serving two years He started the 1954-55 season with the New York Knicks, appearing in six games before being released.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/chrisfr01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=chrisfr01

Don Anielak

Donald Robert "Moose" Anielak



Born:
November 1, 1930
St. Louis, MO

Died:
November 19, 1995
Sandwich, IL


Career
1948-49 Bland High School - Missouri (High School)
1949-50 Bland High School - Missouri (High School)
1950-51 Moberly Junior College -Missouri (College)
1951-52 Bradley University - Illinois (College) Did not play
1951-52 Soells - St. Louis (Independent)
1951-52 Optimists - Washington, MO (Independent)
1952-53 SW Missouri State College (College)
1953-54 SW Missouri State College (College)
1954-55 New York Knicks (NBA)
1955-56 Duchesne High School - St. Charles, MO (High School) Head coach 
1956-57 Duchesne High School - St. Charles, MO (High School) Head coach 
1957-58 Crater High School - Central Point, OR (High School) Head coach 
1958-59 Crater High School - Central Point, OR (High School) Head coach 
1959-60 Yates City High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1960-61 Ramsey High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1961-62 Ramsey High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1962-63 Ramsey High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1963-64 Williamsville High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1964-65 Williamsville High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1965-66 Williamsville High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1966-67 Williamsville High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1967-68 Williamsville High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1968-69 Williamsville High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1969-70 Williamsville High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1970-71 Williamsville High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1971-72 Williamsville High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1972-73 Koshkonong High School - Missouri (High School) Head coach
1973-74 Koshkonong High School - Missouri (High School) Head coach
1974-75 Koshkonong High School - Missouri (High School) Head coach
1975-76 North Boone High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1976-77 North Boone High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1977-78 North Boone High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach 
1979-80 Sandwich High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1980-81 Sandwich High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1981-82 Sandwich High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1982-83 Sandwich High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1983-84 Sandwich High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1984-85 Sandwich High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1985-86 Sandwich High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach
1986-87 Sandwich High School - Illinois (High School) Head coach 

Anielak played at Moberly JC before transferring to Bradley. However, he, along with two teammates, failed to show for Bradley's opening game on December 1, 1951 and left the school. He would transfer to Southwest Missouri State College (now Missouri State University) the next year. In just two years at SW, the 6'7 Anielak scored 888 point for the Bears. He was drafted by the New York Knicks in the third round of the 1954 NBA draft, but only played one regular season game for them, scoring three points and pulling down two rebounds against Fort Wayne on November 6, 1954. He became a very successful basketball coach in Illinois and Missouri, regularly turning around stumbling programs into winners.

In December of 1995, Anielak suffered a fatal heart attack while hunting. He was 65 years old.

Source:
Miissouri State Bears HOF

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/anieldo01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=anieldo01

1954-55 New York Knicks (NBA)

1954-55 NEW YORK KNICKS
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Eastern Division
Finished: 38-34 .528 2nd place

Eastern Division Semi-Finals - Lost to Boston, 2-1

The Knicks struggled to stay above .500 the whole season, battling with the Celtics for second place all season long. They held on to finish in second, but Lapchick's club lost to the Celts in the playoffs.

• Head Coach: Joe Lapchick (April 12, 1900 - August 10, 1970)

PLAYERS:

• Don Anielak (November 1, 1930 - November 19, 1995)

Biography 

• Jim Baechtold (December 9, 1927 - August 29, 2011)

Biography

• Carl Braun (September 25, 1927 - February 10, 2010)

Biography

• Fred Christ (b. August 6, 1930)

Biography

• Nat Clifton (October 13, 1922 - August 31, 1990)

Biography

• Bert Cook (April 26, 1929 - November 24, 1998)

Biography 

• Ray Felix (December 10, 1930 - July 28, 1991)

Biography

• Harry Gallatin (April 26, 1927 - October 7, 2015)

Biography

• Chuck Grigsby (August 15, 1928 - July 15, 2003)

Biography

• Herm Hedderick (January 10, 1930 - August 20, 2014)

Biography 

• Paul Hoffman (May 5, 1925 - November 12, 1998)

Biography

• Bobby Knight (April 30, 1929 - May 23, 2008)

Biography 

• Dick McGuire (January 25, 1926 - February 3, 2010)

Biography 

• Bob Peterson (January 25, 1932 - July 30, 2011)

Biography

• Gene Shue (December 18, 1931 - April 3, 2022)

Biography

• Jack Turner (June 29, 1930 - October 5, 2014)

Biography

Joe Smyth

Joseph George Smyth


Born:
May 22, 1929
New York, NY

Died:
June 10, 1999
Montauk, NY


Career
1946-47 Franklin Lane High School - Brooklyn (High School)
1948-49 Niagara University (College)
1949-50 Niagara University (College)
1950-51 Niagara University (College)
1953-54 New York Knicks (NBA)
1953-54 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)

Smyth graduated from Niagara and went straight into the military. After serving his country, he returned to the USA and was drafted by the New York Knicks in the 1953 Draft. He would play for the Washington Generals before joining the Knicks in the beginning of January, 1954. Smyth played in 8 games with the Knicks before being sold to the Baltimore Bullets on January 22, 1954. He finished the season with the Bullets but was released by the club before the start of the 1954-55 season.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smythjo01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=smythjo01

Ed Smith

Edward Bernard Smith


Born:
July 5, 1929
West Jefferson, OH

Died:
November 26, 1998
Marietta, GA


Career
1945-46 Grandview High School - Columbus, Ohio (High School)
1946-47 Grandview High School - Columbus, Ohio (High School)
1948-49 Harvard University (College)
1949-50 Harvard University (College)
1950-51 Harvard University (College)
1953-54 New York Knicks (NBA)

Ed Smith was a athlete and scholar from Columbus. Aside from playing basketball, football and baseball at Grandview HS, he also graduated at the head of his class, earning admission into Harvard. Smith was the first baseman on the Harvard baseball team as well as a high scorer on the basketball team. He was the captain of the basketball team at Harvard in his senior year but broke his leg in December of 1950, Smith was drafted by the New York Knicks in the 1951 NBA Draft but wound up in the U.S. Army instead, stationed at Fort Knox in Kentucky. After the Korean War, he was discharged and joined the Knicks. He would play in 11 games for the Knicks before being let go.

Smith married Mayme Stackhouse in 1952 (1935-2016) and they had three daughters.

Source:
Newark Advocate, December 25, 1950

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithed01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=smithed01

Bob Peterson

Robert Peterson


Born:
January 25, 1932
Menlo Park, CA

Died:
July 30, 2011
San Jose, CA


Career
1947-48 Sequoia High School - Redwood City, CA (High School)
1948-49 Sequoia High School - Redwood City, CA (High School)
1949-50 College of San Mateo (College)
1950-51 University of Oregon (College)
1951-52 University of Oregon (College)
1953-54 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)
1953-54 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1954-55 New York Knicks (NBA)
1955-56 New York Knicks (NBA)

Born in Menlo Park, California, Peterson went to school in Redwood City before graduating and playing a year at the College of San Mateo. He transferred to Oregon where his basketball prowess would catch the interest of the Baltimore Bullets who drafted him in 1952. He served in the army before being selected again by the Bullets in 1953. After four games he was let go and joined the Milwaukee Hawks. He was signed as a free agent by the New York Knicks in January of 1955 and played for the Knicks for two seasons. His career was on an upswing as he averaged 14.3 points in the 1955-56 season. Sadly, injuries would eventually shorten Big Pete's basketball career,and he returned to California to work in the mortgage and finance industry. After retiring, he started BBQ Boys, a catering company with his son.

Bob married his high school sweetheart Jo in 1953 and they had one son and three daughters

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/peterbo01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=peterbo01

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

1953-54 New York Knicks (NBA)

1953-54 NEW YORK KNICKS
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Eastern Division
Finished: 44-28 .611 1st place

Eliminated in Eastern Division Round Robin

The aging Knicks started the season 11-2  and held on to the Eastern Division crown all season long, finishing two games ahead of both Syracuse and Boston, who tied for second. Lapchick's squad was surprisingly defeated in the Round Robin, losing all four games and being sent home. The Knicks announced that the 1954-55 season would be a rebuilding year, and veteran player Vince Boryla opted to quit playing and take a coaching job for an independent team in Denver.

• Head Coach: Joe Lapchick (April 12, 1900 - August 10, 1970)

PLAYERS:

• Buddy Ackerman (September 4, 1930 - July 9, 2011)

Biography 

• Jim Baechtold (December 9, 1927 - August 29, 2011)

Biography

• Vince Boryla (March 11, 1927 - March 27, 2016)

Biography

• Carl Braun (September 25, 1927 - February 10, 2010)

Biography

• Nat Clifton (October 13, 1922 - August 31, 1990)

Biography

• Harry Gallatin (April 26, 1927 - October 7, 2015)

Biography

• Al McGuire (September 7, 1928 - January 26, 2001)

Biography

• Dick McGuire (January 25, 1926 - February 3, 2010)

Biography 

• Fred Schaus (June 30, 1925 - February 10, 2010)

Biography

• Connie Simmons (March 15, 1925 - April 15, 1989)

Biography

• Ed Smith (July 5, 1929 - November 26, 1998)

Biography

• Joe Smyth (May 22, 1929 - June 10, 1999)

Biography

• Ernie Vandeweghe (September 12, 1928 - November 8, 2014)

Biography

Dick Surhoff

Richard Clifford Surhoff, Jr.


Born:
November 16, 1929
Union City, NJ

Died:
May 1, 1987
Harrisburg, PA


Career
1946-47 Grover Cleveland High School - Queens, NY (High School)
1947-48 Grover Cleveland High School - Queens, NY (High School)
1948-49 John Marshall College - Jersey City, NJ (College)
1949-50 John Marshall College - Jersey City, NJ (College)
1950-51 Long Island University (College)
1951-52 Long Island University (College)
1952-53 New York Knicks (NBA)
1953-54 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)

Born to Richard and Eleanor Surhoff, Dick went to John Marshall and LIU before playing two seasons in the NBA. He would become an avid softball player in Long Island and would work for the town of Rye, New York, in their recreation department. He died in 1987 following a short illness

Dick married Nancy Dowling in 1960 and the had four sons and two daughters. One son is B.J. Surhoff, who played major league baseball with the Milwaukee Brewers, and another son, Rich, pitched for Philadelphia and Texas. 

Source:
The Journal News (White Plains, NY), May 3, 1987

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/surhodi01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=surhodi01

Sherwin Raiken

Sherwin Herman "Shy" Raiken


Born:
October 29, 1928
Philadelphia, PA

Died:
January 16, 2009
Philadelphia, PA


Career
1945-46 Dobbins Tech - Philadelphia (High School)
1946-47 Villanova University (College)
1947-48 Villanova University (College)
1948-49 Villanova University (College)
1949-50 Villanova University (College)
1950-51 Berwick Carbuilders (EPBL)
1951-52 York A.C. White Roses (EPBL)

1951-52 Ashland Greens (EPBL)

1951-52 Fort Jackson - South Carolina (Military)

1951-52 Camp Holabird - Maryland (Military)
1952-53 New York Knicks (NBA)

1952-53 Berwick Carbuilders (EPBL)

1953-54 Berwick Carbuilders (EPBL)

Raiken went to Villanova and after graduating, played for Berwick in the Eastern League before serving two years in the Army. Raiken signed with the New York Knicks on February 5, 1953 when the Knicks lost Max Zaslofsky for the rest of the season with a broken hand. on February 5, 1953. Shy would play six games for them, scoring nine points.

Sherwin married Phyllis Clark and they had one son and one daughter.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/raikesh01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=raikesh01

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

1952-53 New York Knicks (NBA)

1952-53 NEW YORK KNICKS
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Eastern Division
Finished: 47-23 .671 1st place

Division Semifinals - Defeated Baltimore, 2-0
Division Finals - Defeated Boston, 3-1
NBA Finals - Lost to Minneapolis, 4-1

The Knicks had lost in the NBA finals the last two seasons, and this year were finally determined to win the title. After eking out the regular season divisional crown, they defeated Baltimore and Boston to advance to the NBA finals to face the Lakers yet again. The result was the same, as the Knicks lost the NBA finals for a third straight year. The Knicks were a well-balanced team, with seven players averaging over 10 points per game but no one with a PPG average higher than 14.0 (Carl Braun).

• Head Coach: Joe Lapchick (April 12, 1900 - August 10, 1970)

PLAYERS:

• Vince Boryla (March 11, 1927 - March 27, 2016)

Biography

• Carl Braun (September 25, 1927 - February 10, 2010)

Biography

• Dick Bunt (July 13, 1929 - February 10, 2021)

Biography 

• Nat Clifton (October 13, 1922 - August 31, 1990)

Biography

• Jerry Fleishman (February 14, 1922 - June 20, 2007)

Biography

• Harry Gallatin (April 26, 1927 - October 7, 2015)

Biography

• Ray Lumpp (July 11, 1923 - January 16, 2015)

Biography

• Al McGuire (September 7, 1928 - January 26, 2001)

Biography

• Dick McGuire (January 25, 1926 - February 3, 2010)

Biography 

• Ralph Polson (October 26, 1929 - May 6, 2022)

Biography

• Sherwin Raiken (October 29, 1928 - January 16, 2009)

Biography

• Connie Simmons (March 15, 1925 - April 15, 1989)

Biography

• Dick Surhoff (November 16, 1929 - May 1, 1987)

Biography 

• Ernie Vandeweghe (September 12, 1928 - November 8, 2014)

Biography

• Max Zaslofsky (December 7, 1925 - October 15, 1985)

Biography

Ralph Polson

Ralph Mathewson Polson


Born:
October 26, 1929
Riverside, CA

Died:
May 6, 2022
Spokane, WA ?


 
Career
1948-49 Riverside City College - California (College)
1949-50 Riverside City College - California (College)
1950-51 Whitworth University - Spokane, WA (College)
1951-52 Whitworth University - Spokane, WA (College)
1952-53 Manchester British Americans (ABL)
1952-53 New York Knicks (NBA)
1952-53 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)

Polson was selected fifth overall in the 1952 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. He played in the first three games of the season for the Knicks, scoring a total of ten points. He was sent down to the Manchester BA's in the ABL for some seasoning, and after scoring 33 points in two games, he was sole to the Philadelphia Warriors back in the NBA, where he played the rest of the season.



Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/polsora01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=polsora01