Content deleted Content added
m case fix (via WP:JWB) |
|||
| (15 intermediate revisions by 9 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
Line 10:
| weight_lb = 218
| birth_date = {{birth date|1926|10|07}}
| birth_place = [[Martins Ferry, Ohio]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1995|01|21|1926|10|07}}
| death_place = [[San Diego, California]], U.S.
| high_school = [[Martins Ferry High School|Martins Ferry]]<br />(Martins Ferry, Ohio)
| college = [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|Kentucky]] (1945–1949)
Line 20 ⟶ 19:
| draft_round = 1
| draft_pick = 2
| draft_team = [[Indianapolis
| career_start = 1949
| career_end = 1951
Line 74 ⟶ 73:
==Professional career==
Groza was drafted in the 1st round of the [[1949 BAA draft]] by the [[Indianapolis Jets]].<ref>{{cite news |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.
As a result of this ban, Groza became the first player in NBA history to end his career with a season in which he averaged at least 20 points per game (Groza averaged 21.7 PPG during the [[1950–51 NBA season|1950–51]]). In NBA history, only three players have had higher scoring averages in their final NBA seasons: [[Bob Pettit]] (22.5 PPG in [[1964–65 NBA season|'64–65]]), [[Paul Arizin]] (21.9 PPG in [[1961–62 NBA season|'61–62]]), and [[Dražen Petrović]] (22.3 PPG in [[1992–93 NBA season|'92–93]]).
Groza, along with Beard, attempted a comeback in late 1952 with the [[Jersey City Titans]], formerly of the [[American Basketball League (1925–1955)|American Basketball League]], but were barred by Judge [[Saul S. Streit]] from participating in any professional athletics while under probation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Groza, Beard cage ban dooms Titans |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/912504167/ |access-date=7 September 2024 |work=[[The Jersey Journal]] |date=7 November 1952 |page=16 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{closed access}}</ref>
== NBA career statistics ==
Line 88 ⟶ 87:
!Team
!GP
!FG%
!FT%
Line 98 ⟶ 96:
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1949–50 Indianapolis Olympians season|Indianapolis]]
|64
|style="background:#cfecec;"|'''.478*'''
|.729
Line 108 ⟶ 105:
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1950–51 Indianapolis Olympians season|Indianapolis]]
|'''66'''
|style="background:#cfecec;"|.470*
|'''.786'''
Line 117 ⟶ 113:
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Career
|130
|.474
|.765
Line 126 ⟶ 121:
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |All-Star
|1
|.500
|1.000
Line 139 ⟶ 133:
!Team
!GP
!FG%
!FT%
Line 148 ⟶ 141:
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1950 NBA Playoffs|1950]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1949–50 Indianapolis Olympians season|Indianapolis]]
|'''6'''
|'''.595'''
|'''.831'''
Line 159 ⟶ 151:
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1950–51 Indianapolis Olympians season|Indianapolis]]
|3
|.493
|.758
Line 168 ⟶ 159:
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Career
|9
|.544
|.804
Line 177 ⟶ 167:
==Coaching career==
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 2–0 as coach of the Colonels but 15–23 as coach of the Conquistadors after replacing [[Wilt Chamberlain]] in 1974, putting his career coaching record at 17–23.<ref>[https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/grozaal01c.html Alex Groza Coach Statistics] Basketball-Reference.com</ref> He was named general manager of the expansion Conquistadors on August 8, 1972.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1972/08/09/archives/personalities-k-c-jones-hired.html White Jr., Gordon S. "Personalities: K.C. Jones Hired," ''The New York Times'', Wednesday, August 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>
==Personal life==
Line 186 ⟶ 176:
==Miscellaneous==
*Groza led the league in field goal percentage in 1950 and 1951.
*Alex Groza was the brother of [[American football]] [[Pro Football Hall of
*Groza's nickname was "The Beak".<ref name=gould>{{Cite book| last = Gould | first = Todd | title = Pioneers of the hardwood: Indiana and the birth of professional basketball | publisher = Indiana University Press | year = 1998 | page = [https://archive.org/details/pioneersofhardwo0000goul/page/167 167] |url=https://archive.org/details/pioneersofhardwo0000goul| url-access = registration | isbn = 978-0-253-21199-6}}</ref>
Line 206 ⟶ 196:
|list=
{{S-start}}
{{succession box | title=[[Kentucky Colonels]] Head Coach | before=[[Gene Rhodes]] | years=
{{succession box | title=[[San Diego Conquistadors]] Head Coach | before=[[Wilt Chamberlain]] | years=1974–1975| after= [[Beryl Shipley]] }}
{{S-end}}
Line 230 ⟶ 220:
[[Category:American Basketball Association executives]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Banned
[[Category:Basketball coaches from Ohio]]
[[Category:Basketball players at the 1948 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Ohio]]
[[Category:American people of Hungarian descent]]
[[Category:Sportspeople of Hungarian descent]]
[[Category:American people of Romanian descent]]
[[Category:Bellarmine Knights baseball coaches]]
[[Category:Bellarmine Knights men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Centers (basketball)]]
[[Category:Indianapolis
[[Category:Indianapolis Olympians players]]
[[Category:Kentucky Colonels coaches]]
Line 245 ⟶ 236:
[[Category:Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball]]
[[Category:People from Martins Ferry, Ohio]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Belmont County, Ohio]]
[[Category:San Diego Conquistadors coaches]]
[[Category:San Diego Conquistadors executives]]
| |||