Alex Groza: Difference between revisions

{{shortShort description|BasketballAmerican basketball player (1926–1995)}}

{{Infobox NBAbasketball biography

| image = Alex Groza.jpg

| birth_place = [[Martins Ferry, Ohio]], U.S.

| death_place = [[San Diego, California]], U.S.

| draft_team = [[Indianapolis OlympiansJets]]

| cteam1 = [[Bellarmine Knights men's basketball|Bellarmine]]

* 2× [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball champions|NCAA champion]] ([[1948 NCAA Men's Division I Basketballmen's basketball Tournamenttournament|1948]], [[1949 NCAA Men's Division I Basketballmen's basketball Tournamenttournament|1949]])

* 2× [[NCAA Basketballbasketball Tournamenttournament Most Outstanding Player|NCAA Final Four MOP]] (1948, 1949)

'''Alex John Groza'''<ref>[https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/grozaal01.html Alex Groza Player Statistics] Basketball-Reference.com</ref> (October 7, 1926 – January 21, 1995) was an American professional [[basketball]] player from [[Martins Ferry, Ohio]]. Resulting from the [[CCNY point shaving scandal]], Groza was banned from the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) for life in 1951. In college, he won two NCAA championships as captain of the [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|University of Kentucky WIldcatsWildcats]], and was a two-time All-NBA player for the [[Indianapolis Olympians]] before his career abruptly ended.

Alex Groza led the Purple Riders to two undefeated regular seasons and to the Ohio state tournament both years, as Martins Ferry finished 24-124–1 in 1943 and 26-126–1 in 1944. In 1944, he scored 628 points, including 41 in one game, and was named first-team All-Ohio.<ref name="ovac.org">[http://www.ovac.org/HallOfFame/Details/31 Alex Groza] Ohio Valley Athletic Conference</ref>

|accessdateaccess-date=May 27, 2013

|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005231849/http://www.straitpinkie.com/kentucky-2/all-time-kentucky-team-starting-pg-12-ralph-beard/

|archivedatearchive-date=October 5, 2013

}}</ref><ref name="SportsRef">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/gr/alex-groza-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418081158/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/gr/alex-groza-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 18, 2020 |title=Alex Groza Olympic Results |accessdateaccess-date=June 14, 2018}}</ref> Groza was three-time All-American and All-[[Southeastern Conference|SEC]], and two-time [[NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player]].

Groza was drafted in the 1st round of the [[1949 BAA draft]] by the [[NBAIndianapolis DraftJets]].<ref>{{cite bynews |title=3 'Tucky Stars among choices in BAA draft |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-herald-3-tucky-stars-among/150059153/ |access-date=25 June 2024 |work=[[The Journal Herald]] |agency=[[United Press]] |date=22 March 1949 |page=8 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{open access}}</ref> While he signed a contract to play for the Jets, he later changed his mind and signed with [[Indianapolis Olympians]] of the [[National Basketball League (United States)|National Basketball League]] as a player and co-owner.<ref>{{cite news |title='I suspect Groza is avoiding me', says B.A.A. president Podoloff in Lexington; He was so right |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-i-suspect-groza-is/150059649/ |access-date=25 June 2024 |work=[[The Courier-Journal]] |date=2 June 1949 |page=11 (Section 2) |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=Jim O'Leary |title=Basketball merger saved red face for Alex Groza |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-knoxville-news-sentinel-basketball-m/150060431/ |access-date=25 June 2024 |work=[[The Knoxville News-Sentinel]] |date=10 August 1949 |page=17 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{open access}}</ref> With the merger of the BAA and the NBL to form the [[National Basketball Association]] in August the same year,<ref>{{cite news |title=NBL, BAA merge, end pro net war |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-republic-nbl-baa-merge-end-pro-net/149768648/ |access-date=21 June 2024 |work=The Republic |agency=UP |date=4 August 1949 |page=11 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{open access}}</ref> Groza started his professional career in the new league where he averaged 23.4 points per game in his rookie season and was named [[NBA Rookie of the Year Award#Unofficial winners|NBA Rookie of the Year]]. Because the award was selected by newspaper writers at the time, the NBA currently does not recognize Groza having won the award. He averaged 22.5 points per game over two seasons before being implicated along with college teammates [[Ralph Beard]] and [[Dale Barnstable]] in a [[CCNY point shaving scandal|point shaving scandal]] during the 1948–49 season at Kentucky. NBA president [[Maurice Podoloff]] banned all of the implicated players from the league for life.

{{NBA player statistics legend|leader=y}}

|'''6'''

After his playing career ended, Groza became the coach of [[Bellarmine College]] (now University) in [[Louisville, Kentucky]]. In 1963, Groza led the Knights to a Kentucky Intercolliegiate Athletic Conference title and was named KIAC coach of the year. Groza left Bellarmine in 1966 for a brief coaching and managerial career in the [[American Basketball Association]]. Between 1971 and 1975, Groza coached 40 games with the [[Kentucky Colonels]] and [[San Diego Conquistadors]] and held a number of front office positions, including becoming the Kentucky Colonels' business manager in 1969 and general manager of the San Diego Conquistadors in 1972 (and, later, San Diego's head coach). Groza was 2-02–0 as coach of the Colonels but 15-2315–23 as coach of the Conquistadors after replacing [[Wilt Chamberlain]] in 1974, putting his career coaching record at 17-2317–23.<ref>[https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/grozaal01c.html Alex Groza Coach Statistics] Basketball-Reference.com</ref> GrozaHe servedwas asnamed general manager of the San Diegoexpansion Conquistadors beginningon inAugust 8, 1972.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1972/08/09/archives/personalities-k-c-jones-hired.html untilWhite takingJr., overGordon asS. the"Personalities: K.C. Jones Hired," team's'The coachNew inYork 1974Times'', replacingWednesday, [[WiltAugust Chamberlain]]9, 1972.] Retrieved November 30, 2020</ref> In 1975 Groza became director of player development for the [[San Diego Sails]] of the ABA.<ref>[http://www.remembertheaba.com/TeamMaterial/SanDiegoMaterial/ConquistadorsSailsYearly.html Remember the ABA: San Diego Conquistadors/San Diego Sails Year-by-Year Notes<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081225005001/http://www.remembertheaba.com/TeamMaterial/SanDiegoMaterial/ConquistadorsSailsYearly.html |date=December 25, 2008 }}</ref> After the Sails folded, he was named vice president and general manager of the San Diego Breakers of the [[International Volleyball Association]] on April 5, 1976.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1976/04/06/archives/people-in-sports-danforth-named-tulane-coach.html Harvin, Al. "People in Sports," ''The New York Times'', Tuesday, April 6, 1976.] Retrieved January 28, 2023.</ref>

*Groza led the league in field goal percentage in 1950 and 1951.

*Alex Groza was the brother of [[American football]] [[Pro Football Hall of FamerFame|hall of fame]] [[placekicker]] [[Lou Groza]].

*[{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815162222/http://www.nba.com/historical/playerfile/index.html?player=alex_groza |title=Alex Groza Info Page] at [[NBA.com]] |date=mdy}}

*[https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/grozaal01.html Alex Groza Playerplayer Statisticsstatistics] at Basketball-Reference.com

*[https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/grozaal01c.html Alex Groza Coachcoach Statisticsstatistics] at Basketball-Reference.com

*{{Find a Grave|729110|accessdateaccess-date=September 3, 2010}}

{{succession box | title=[[Kentucky Colonels]] Head Coach | before=[[Gene Rhodes]] | years=1970–19701970| after= [[Frank Ramsey (basketball)|Frank Ramsey]] }}

{{NCAA Basketballbasketball Tournamenttournament MOP men}}

[[Category:Banned National Basketball AssociationNBA players]]

[[Category:Indianapolis OlympiansJets draft picks]]

[[Category:National Basketball AssociationNBA All-Stars]]