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

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

Walt Davis

Walter Francis "Buddy" Davis


Born:
January 5, 1931
Beaumont, TX

Died:
November 17, 2020
Port Arthur, TX


Career
1947-48 Nederland High School - Texas (High School)
1948-49 Texas A&M University (College) Freshmen
1949-50 Texas A&M University (College)
1950-51 Texas A&M University (College)
1951-52 Texas A&M 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)
1957-58 St Louis Hawks (NBA)

At the age of nine, Davis was stricken with polio and unable to walk for three years. He would eventually recover and become a star athlete at Nederland HS. Playing basketball and competing on the track and field team, he would get an athletic scholarship at Texas A&M, where he competed in both sports. After graduating in 1952, he would be selected by the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1952 NBA Draft, but before starting a basketball career, Davis would win a gold medal in the high jump in the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. He decided against pursuing a basketball career, focusing on high jumping in the AAU with Ada Oil Company in Houston. Over the year with Ada, he desired to be the first athlete to achieve a 7-foot high jump. He managed to set the World Record in June of 1953 at 6 feet, 11 1/2 inches. Come September, he decided to enter the NBA with the Warriors without attaining that 7-foot jump he had chased.
Davis played 68 games for the Warriors in the 1953-54 season, the beginning of a five-year stretch in the NBA. A solid and physical player, Davis played with Warriors until being traded on January 19, 1958, to the St. Louis Hawks. He finished the season with the Hawks, and was resigned the summer, but in early October decided to retire just two games into the preseason exhibition games. He returned to Nederland to focus on his insurance business.


Source:
https://www.museumofthegulfcoast.org/buddy-davis

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/daviswa01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=daviswa01

Irv Bemoras

Irving Bemoras


Born:
November 18, 1930
Chicago, IL

Died:
November 1, 2007
Buffalo Grove, IL


Career
1947-48 John Marshall High School - Chicago (High School)
1948-49 John Marshall High School - Chicago (High School)
1950-51 University of Illinois (College)
1951-52 University of Illinois (College)
1952-53 University of Illinois (College)
1953-54 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1956-57 St. Louis  Hawks (NBA)

Born to Turkish immigrants, Bemoras helped Marshall High School to the City Basketball championship in 1948. He went on to the University of Illinois, where his defensive prowess helped the Illini into two Big Ten titles and a Final Four appearance. After playing three years at Illinois, Bemoras was drafted by the Milwaukee Hawks in the third round of the 1953 NBA Draft. After playing one year with the Hawks, averaging 7.4 points per game in 69 games. He served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956, and returned to the Hawks in 1956, although by this time the Hawks have moved to St. Louis. He left the game in 1957 and would run his own insurance company in the Chicago area.

Irving married Sally Lapedus in 1957 and they had two sons and a daughter.

Source:
Jews In Sports
Chicago Tribune, November 30, 2007




Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bemorir01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=bemorir01

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

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

Chuck Cooper

Charles Henry Cooper


Born:
September 29, 1926
Pittsburgh, PA

Died:
February 5, 1984
Pittsburgh, PA


Career
1942-43 Westinghouse High School - Pittsburgh (High School)
1943-44 Westinghouse High School - Pittsburgh (High School)
1944-45 West Virginia State College (College)
1946-47 Duquesne University (College)
1947-48 Duquesne University (College)
1948-49 Duquesne University (College)
1949-50 Duquesne University (College)
1950-51 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1951-52 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1952-53 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1953-54 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1955-56 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1955-56 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1956-57 Harlem Magicians (Independent)

After playing at Westinghouse HS, Cooper went to West Virginia State but only last a semester before the Navy called. Cooper left to serve his country in World War 2 as the war was coming to an end.. He returned from the war and enrolled at Duquesne, playing basketball all four years and graduating with a BS degree. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics, becoming the first black to be drafted into the NBA. He debuted just one day after another black athlete, Earl Lloyd, broke the NBA color barrier on the court. Cooper spent four years with the Celtics before being sold to the Milwaukke Hawks on May 15, 1954. He stayed with the Hawks through their move the next off-season to St. Louis through January of 1956, when he was waived. He was picked up by the Pistons to finish out the season. He then signed on to play with the independent Harlem Magicians for a season before an injury from a car accident ended his playing career. He went to receive a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota and returned to Pittsburgh to work work with various youth groups and organizations in the city. He was named Director of Pittsburgh's Parks and Recreation Department in 1970, and continued working in a similar capacity for years.

Cooper was 57 when he died of liver cancer in 1984.

He and his wife, Irva, had three daughters and a son.

Source:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 6, 1984
http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2339/Cooper-Charles-Chuck.html

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/coopech01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=coopech01

Chuck Share

Charles Edward Share


Born:
March 14, 1927
Akron, OH

Died:
June 7, 2012
Chesterfield, MO


Career
1945-46 Western Hills High School - Cincinnati (High School)
1946-47 Bowling Green State University (College)
1947-48 Bowling Green State University (College)
1948-49 Bowling Green State University (College)
1949-50 Bowling Green State University (College)
1950-51 Waterloo Hawks (NPBL)
1951-52 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1952-53 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1953-54 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1953-54 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
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)

1959-60 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)

Share was the first pick overall in the 1950 NBA draft, selected by the Boston Celtics, but Share chose to play with the Waterloo Hawks in the NPBL instead. After the league collapsed, Share had his NBA property rights with the Celtics transferred to the Fort Wayne Pistons. In December of 1953, the Pistons sent him to the Milwaukee Hawks for Max Zaslofsky. He spent seven seasons with the Hawks, following them when the team relocated to St. Louis. Share was an important part of the 1958 NBA Champion Hawks, and was one of the more popular players on the squad. He was dealt to the Lakers on February 15, 1960 in exchange for Larry Foust, and initially refused to go and was going to quite the game, but he reconsidered and went to Minneapolis in time for the playoffs. At the end of the season, he retired from the game for good..

He started a corrugated container company whichi he sold in 1985, and then he and his wife purchased a farm. Share was 85 when he died in 2012 following a brief illness.

He and his wife, Rose, had two daughters.


Source:
St Louis Post-Dispatch, June 10, 2012
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/celtics-no-1-pick-draft-1950-didn-article-1.3172878

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/sharech01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=sharech01
http://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/chuck-share/

Slater Martin

Slater Nelson Martin


Born:
October 22, 1925
Elmina, TX

Died:
October 18, 2012
Houston, TX


Career
1941-42 Jefferson Davis High School - Houston (High School)
1942-43 Jefferson Davis High School - Houston (High School)
1943-44 University of Texas (College)
1946-47 University of Texas (College)
1947-48 University of Texas (College)
1948-49 University of Texas (College)
1949-50 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1950-51 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1951-52 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1952-53 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1953-54 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1954-55 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1955-56 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1956-57 New York Knicks (NBA)
1956-57 St. Louis Hawks (NBA) Head coach / player
1957-58 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1958-59 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1959-60 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1967-68 Houston Mavericks (ABA) Head coach
1968-69 Houston Mavericks (ABA) Head coach

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 1982

After helping Jefferson Davis HS in Houston to two state titles in basketball, Martin enrolled at the University of Texas, but only played a few games on the team until entering the U.S. Navy for World War 2. He returned from the war and finished his education, and was drafted by the Lakers. He was known as one of the best defensive players in the league, regularly shutting down offensive players like Bobby Wanzer and Bob Cousy. After the 1955-56 season, he was dealt to the New York Knicks, and in December of 1956 was then dealt to the Hawks. He was an interim coach in St Louis, coaching the team for eight games between Red Holzman and Alex Hannum. He retired in the summer of 1960, and served as a coach for the ABA's Houston Mavericks in the late 1960's. Martin was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.

He owned and operated a restaurant in Houston after retirement, which was a popular sports bar in town.

Source:
Obituary, NY Times, October 19, 2012
Ultimate Rockets Blog, February 2013

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/martisl01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=martisl01

Ed Macauley

Charles Edward "Ed" Macauley


Born:
March 22, 1928
St. Louis, MO

Died:
November 8, 2011
St. Louis, MO


Career
1942-43 St. Louis University High School- St. Louis, Missouri (High School)
1943-44 St. Louis University High School- St. Louis, Missouri (High School)
1944-45 St. Louis University High School- St. Louis, Missouri (High School)
1945-46 St. Louis University (College)
1946-47 St. Louis University (College)
1947-48 St. Louis University (College)
1948-49 St. Louis University (College)
1949-50 St. Louis Bombers (NBA)
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 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1957-58 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1958-59 St. Louis Hawks (NBA) Head coach / player
1959-60 St. Louis Hawks (NBA) Head coach

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 1960

Born in St Louis, Ed Macauley had outgrown his bassinet at two weeks of age. His parents arranged for him to skip the third grade due to his height, and by the time he finished high school he was heavily recruited by college basketball coaches. (He could not play in 9th grade because the sport clashed with his typing class). His mother told him he can go to any school he wanted, so long as it was a Catholic school and was in St Louis. The pretty much meant he could only attend St. Louis Univesity. After lighting up the court at St Louis, Macauley was drafted by the financially-troubled Bombers. Hoping the local star would boost attendance enough to keep the team afloat, the Bombers folded after the season, and Macauley's contract was picked up by the Celtics. After six stellar seasons in Boston, the All-Star Macauley was traded by the Celtics (along with Cliff Hagan) for a player the St Louis Hawks had just drafted: a man from the University of San Francisco named Bill Russell. After two seasons with the Hawks, Macauley was named head coach in 1958, and after the 1958-59 season, he retired from playing and coached the Hawks one more season. He was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1960, at the time the youngest player ever inducted at age 32.

After retiring, he became and announcer and an author, and would later become a deacon for the Roman Catholic Church in St Louis.

He was married to Jacqueline Combs and they had two sons and three daughters.

Source:
St Louis Hall of Fame
Obituary, New York Times, November 9, 2011

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/macaued01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=macaued01

Bob Harrison

Robert William Harrison


Born:
August 12, 1927
Toledo, OH

Died:
March 3, 2024



Career
1942-43 Woodward High School - Toledo, Ohio (High School)
1943-44 Woodward High School - Toledo, Ohio (High School)
1944-45 Woodward High School - Toledo, Ohio (High School)
1946-47 University of Michigan (College)
1947-48 University of Michigan (College)
1948-49 University of Michigan (College)
1949-50 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1950-51 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1951-52 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1952-53 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1953-54 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA) 
1953-54 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1955-56 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1956-57 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1956-57 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1957-58 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1958-59 Kenyon College (College) Head coach 
1959-60 Kenyon College (College) Head coach 
1960-61 Kenyon College (College) Head coach  
1961-62 Kenyon College (College) Head coach 
1962-63 Kenyon College (College) Head coach  
1963-64 Kenyon College (College) Head coach 
1964-65 Kenyon College (College) Head coach  
1965-66 Kenyon College (College) Head coach 
1966-67 Kenyon College (College) Head coach  
1967-68 Kenyon College (College) Head coach 
1968-69 Harvard University (College) Head coach 
1969-70 Harvard University (College) Head coach
1970-71 Harvard University (College) Head coach 
1971-72 Harvard University (College) Head coach
1972-73 Harvard University (College) Head coach

After a lengthy NBA career, Harrison took up the clipboard and took a coaching job at Kenyon College. His success there allowed him to take the head job at Harvard for five seasons.


Source:
The Crimson, March 11, 1976

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/harribo02.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=harribo02

Jack Coleman

Jack Lillard Coleman


Born:
May 23, 1924
Burgin, KY

Died:
December 8, 1997
Burgin, KY


Career
1940-41 Burgin High School - Kentucky (High School)
1941-42 Burgin High School - Kentucky (High School)
1942-43 Duke University (College)
1943-44 Great Lakes (Military)
1946-47 University of Louisville (College)
1947-48 University of Louisville (College)
1948-49 University of Louisville (College)
1949-50 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1950-51 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1951-52 Rochester Royals (NBA)
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)

After graduating from Burgin HS, Coleman attended Duke for a year before entering the U.S. Navy for World War 2. He enrolled at Louisville after his discharge, and then played nine years in the NBA. After his basketball career, he ran a lumber yard for many years near Burgin, where he died in 1998.

Source:
Obit and Grave

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/colemja01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=colemja01

Odie Spears

Marion Odicca "Odie" Spears


Born:
June 17, 1924
Scottsville, KY

Died:
March 28, 1985
Louisville, KY


Career
1940-41 Scottsville High School - Kentucky (High School)
1941-42 Western Kentucky University (College)
1942-43 Western Kentucky University (College)
1943-44 Fort Bragg (Military)
1944-45 Fort Bragg (Military)
1945-46 Fort Bragg (Military) 
1946-47 Western Kentucky University (College)
1947-48 Western Kentucky University (College)
1948-49 Chicago Stags (BAA)
1949-50 Chicago Stags (NBA)
1950-51 Louisville Alumnites (NPBL)
1951-52 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1952-53 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1953-54 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1954-55 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1955-56 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1956-57 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1956-57 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)

Odie went to WKU with some some time off spent fighting World War 2 with the U.S. Army. He played pro basketball for nine seasons before becoming an insurance agent. He was 60 when he died in 1985 from a blood disease.

He married Mary Larkin and they had two daughters.

Some sources have his birthdate on June 26, 1925, but family records say he was born in 1924.

Source:
Hilltopper Haven
Courier-Journal (Louisville) - March 30, 1985

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/spearod01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=spearod01

Joe Graboski

Joseph William Graboski


Born:
January 15, 1930
Chicago, IL

Died:
July 2, 1998
Columbus, OH


Career
1945-46 Tuley High School - Chicago (High School)
1946-47 Tuley High School - Chicago (High School)
1947-48 Tuley High School - Chicago (High School)
1948-49 Chicago Stags (BAA)
1949-50 Chicago Stags (NBA)
1950-51 Kansas City Hi-Spots (NPBL)
1950-51 Louisville Alumnites (NPBL)
1951-52 Indianapolis Olympians (NBA)
1952-53 Indianapolis Olympians (NBA)
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)
1959-60 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1960-61 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1961-62 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1961-62 Chicago Packers (NBA)
1961-62 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1962-63 Camden (EBL)
1966-67 Asbury Park (EBL)

Graboski Tangles with Jack Twyman

Out of high school, Graboski did not go to college, but instead became a ballboy for the Stags. The 6'8 young man, just just two months shy of his 19th birthday, signed to play basketball for the Stags, and then embarked on a 16-season career as a professional basketball player, including a lengthy stint with the Warriors that included the 1955-56 NBA champs. It was while playing with the Warriors that fellow teammate George Senesky introduced him to a young lady named Martie, who would marry in 1957.

Joe and Martie had a son and 2 daughters.

Source:
Philadelphia Daily News, July 8, 1998

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/grabojo01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=grabojo01

Alex Hannum

Alexander Murray Hannum


Born:
July 19, 1923
Los Angeles, CA

Died:
January 18, 2002
San Diego, CA


Career
Alexander Hamilton High School - Los Angeles (High School)
1942-43 USC (College)
1945-46 Los Angeles Carroll Shamrocks (ABL-AAU)
1946-47 USC (College)
1947-48 USC (College)
1947-48 Hollywood 20th Century Fox (ABL-AAU)
1948-49 Oshkosh All-Stars (NBL)
1949-50 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1950-51 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1951-52 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)
1951-52 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1952-53 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1953-54 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1955-56 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1956-57 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1956-57 St. Louis Hawks (NBA) Head coach / player
1957-58 St. Louis Hawks (NBA) Head coach
1960-61 Syracuse Nationals (NBA) Head coach
1961-62 Syracuse Nationals (NBA) Head coach
1962-63 Syracuse Nationals (NBA) Head coach
1963-64 San Francisco Warriors (NBA) Head coach
1964-65 San Francisco Warriors (NBA) Head coach
1965-66 San Francisco Warriors (NBA) Head coach
1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head coach
1967-68 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head coach
1968-69 Oakland Oaks (ABA) Head coach
1969-70 San Diego Rockets (ABA) Head coach
1970-71 San Diego Rockets (ABA) Head coach
1971-72 Denver Rockets (ABA) Head coach
1972-73 Denver Rockets (ABA) Head coach
1973-74 Denver Rockets (ABA) Head coach

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 1998

Hannum was a graduate of Hamilton HS in L.A. He played basketball at USC, with a brief interruption to serve his country during World War 2. He played nine seasons professionally, mostly of the bench despite a fairly lengthy career. He moved on coaching, where he coached some of the game's greatest players (Dolph Schayes, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Pettit, Rick Barry).

A professional coach in the NBA and ABA for over 15 seasons, Hannum was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1998.



Source:
L.A. Times Obituary

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/h/hannual01n.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hannual01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=hannual01