Erwin Mueller
Erwin Louis Mueller (March 12, 1944 – June 7, 2018)[1] was an American basketball player. A 6'8" forward/center,he attended the University of San Francisco where he was All-Coast, All Conference & All-America and was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the second round (10th pick overall) of the 1966 NBA draft.
- This is an article about the basketball player. For the physicist, see Erwin Wilhelm Müller.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 12, 1944 Livermore, California |
| Died | June 7, 2018 (aged 74) North Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Livermore (Livermore, California) |
| College | San Francisco (1963–1966) |
| NBA draft | 1966: 2nd round, 20th overall pick |
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | |
| Playing career | 1966–1973 |
| Position | Power forward / center |
| Number | 14, 34, 6, 24, 51, 35 |
| Career history | |
| 1966–1968 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1968 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1968–1969 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1969 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1969–1972 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1972–1973 | Virginia Squires |
| 1973 | Memphis Tams |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career NBA and ABA statistics | |
| Points | 3,287 (7.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,100 (4.7 rpg) |
| Assists | 881 (2.0 apg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
During his first season, Mueller averaged 12.7 points per game for the Bulls and earned NBA All-Rookie Team honors. He was traded midway through his second season to the LA Lakers for Jim Barnes and a draft choice on January 9, 1968. Mueller would return to the Bulls for the start of the 68-69 season by way of another trade through the Lakers sending Keith Erickson to LA for Erwin on September 23, 1968. However his tenure in Chicago would not last through the season. On January 31, 1969 Mueller was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics for a draft choice and cash.
In his seven-season (1966–1973) NBA career, he also played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle SuperSonics, and Detroit Pistons and scored 3,248 total points. He spent parts of the 1972–73 and 1973–74 seasons in the rival American Basketball Association as a member of the Virginia Squires and Memphis Tams.
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966–67 | Chicago | 80 | -- | 26.7 | .441 | --- | .658 | 6.2 | 1.6 | --- | --- | 12.7 |
| 1967–68 | CHI/LA | 74 | -- | 24.1 | .456 | --- | .578 | 5.2 | 2.0 | --- | --- | 7.5 |
| 1968–69 | CHI/SEA | 78 | -- | 17.3 | .375 | --- | .549 | 3.8 | 2.3 | --- | --- | 4.8 |
| 1969–70 | SEA/DET | 78 | -- | 30.1 | .464 | --- | .719 | 6.1 | 2.6 | --- | --- | 10.1 |
| 1970–71 | Detroit | 52 | -- | 23.5 | .408 | --- | .556 | 4.2 | 2.1 | --- | --- | 6.0 |
| 1971–72 | Detroit | 42 | -- | 14.4 | .345 | --- | .581 | 3.5 | 1.3 | --- | --- | 4.3 |
| 1972–73 | Detroit | 21 | -- | 3.8 | .290 | --- | .714 | 0.6 | 0.3 | --- | --- | 1.1 |
| 1972–73 | Virginia ABA | 17 | -- | 12.0 | .321 | --- | .300 | 2.7 | 1.5 | --- | --- | 2.2 |
| 1973–74 | Memphis ABA | 3 | -- | 6.6 | .000 | --- | .400 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| NBA Career | 425 | -- | 22.4 | .429 | --- | .627 | 4.8 | 2.0 | --- | --- | 7.6 | |
| ABA Career | 20 | -- | 11.2 | .298 | --- | .333 | 2.5 | 1.4 | --- | --- | 2.0 |
References
- "Obituary". Independentnews.com. June 21, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.