Bob Davies

Robert Edris Davies (January 15, 1920 – April 22, 1990) was an American professional basketball player. Alongside Bobby Wanzer he formed one of the best backcourt duos in the National Basketball Association's early years. Davies and Wanzer led the Rochester Royals to the 1951 NBA championship. Davies was also a former basketball coach at the Seton Hall University and was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 11, 1970.

For the British businessman, see Bob Davies (businessman).

Bob Davies
Personal information
Born(1920-01-15)January 15, 1920
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedApril 22, 1990(1990-04-22) (aged 70)
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High schoolJohn Harris
(Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
CollegeSeton Hall (1939–1942)
Playing career1943–1955
PositionGuard
Number11
Coaching career1946–1957
Career history
As player:
1943–1944Brooklyn Indians
1944–1945New York Gothams
1945–1955Rochester Royals
As coach:
1946–1947Seton Hall
1955–1957Gettysburg
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points6,594 (14.3 ppg)
Assists2,250 (4.9 apg)
Rebounds980 (2.9 rpg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006

Although Bob Cousy is often considered the originator of the behind-the-back dribble, many say Davies actually deserves the credit. His Seton Hall coach, John "Honey" Russell, once said, "He had such uncanny control of the ball behind his back that it never concerned me. He made it look as easy as the conventional dribble."[1]

College career and military service

Davies entered Seton Hall in 1938 on a baseball scholarship, but Russell persuaded him to concentrate on basketball after seeing him practice once. Never a high scorer—his best college average was 11.8 points a game—Davies was a consummate passer and play-maker.."[1]

Known as the "Harrisburg Houdini", Davies led Seton Hall to 43 consecutive victories from 1939 into 1941. His spectacular skills helped attract the largest crowd in basketball history at the time, 18,403 people, to Madison Square Garden in March 1941, when Seton Hall beat Rhode Island in a quarter-final game of the National Invitation Tournament.[1]

An All-American guard in 1941 and 1942, Davies joined the U. S. Navy during World War II and led the Great Lakes Naval Training Station team to a 34–3 record before going overseas.

College statistics
Year Team GP PPG
1939–40 Seton Hall 1811.8
1940–41 Seton Hall 2210.2
1941–42 Seton Hall 1911.8
Career 5911.2

Professional career

After the war, he joined the Rochester Royals and played with them through the 1954–55 season. Davies helped lead the Royals to an NBL title in 1946, and was named MVP of the NBL for the 1946–47 season. Davies was named to the NBA All-NBA First-Team four straight years, from 1949 through 1952, and he led the NBA in assists with 321 in 1948–49.[1] In his 10 NBL/NBA seasons, Davis scored 7,770 points, averaging 13.7 a game, and had 2,250 assists. He added 904 points and 182 assists in 67 playoff games. He was one of the ten players named to the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971.[1]

Coaching career

Davies coached Seton Hall in 1946–47, while playing with the Royals, and compiled a 24–3 record. After retiring as a player, he coached Gettysburg College for two seasons, winning 28 games while losing 19.[1]

Legacy

The No. 11 jersey worn by Davies during his playing days with the Rochester Royals was retired by the team. The Sacramento Kings, the present holders of the franchise, continue the honor.

After retiring from basketball, Davies was a salesman for the Converse Shoe Company.

BAA/NBA career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship *  Led the league

Regular season
Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1948–49 Rochester 60 – .364 .776 – 5.4* 15.1
1949–50 Rochester 64 – .357 .752 – 4.6 14.0
1950–51† Rochester 63 – .372 .795 3.1 4.6 15.2
1951–52 Rochester 65 36.8 .383 .776 2.9 6.0 16.2
1952–53 Rochester 66 33.6 .385 .753 3.0 4.2 15.6
1953–54 Rochester 72 29.7 .371 .718 2.7 4.5 12.3
1954–55 Rochester 72 26.0 .415 .751 2.8 4.9 12.1
Career 462 31.3 .378 .759 2.9 4.9 14.3
All-Star 4 18.8 .475 .714 3.3 4.3 12.0

Playoffs
Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1949 Rochester 4 – .373 .769 – 3.3 12.0
1950 Rochester 2 – .235 .875 – 4.5 7.5
1951† Rochester 14 – .338 .800 3.1 5.4 15.9
1952 Rochester 6 38.8 .402 .818 2.2 4.7 19.8
1953 Rochester 3 30.3 .207 .700 1.3 4.7 8.7
1954 Rochester 6 28.7 .327 .739 2.0 2.3 8.5
1955 Rochester 3 25.0 .333 .750 2.0 3.0 8.3
Career 38 31.7 .341 .788 2.4 4.3 13.3

Further reading

Bob Davies: A Basketball Legend by Barry S. Martin, Rochester Institute of Technology Press, May 2016

References
  1. "Davies, "Bob" (Robert E.)". HickokSports.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2002. Retrieved March 17, 2007.
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