George Brown (basketball)

George Raff Brown (October 30, 1935 – September 2016) was an American basketball player for the Minneapolis Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball at Wayne State University. Brown was selected by the Lakers in the fourth round of the 1957 NBA draft. He played one game for the Lakers. He also played for the Harlem Globetrotters and later in the Midwest Professional Basketball League.

George Brown
Personal information
Born(1935-10-30)October 30, 1935
DiedSeptember 2016 (aged 80)
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolCass Technical (Detroit, Michigan)
CollegeWayne State (1953–1957)
NBA draft1957: 4th round, 27th overall pick
Selected by the Minneapolis Lakers
PositionForward
Number22
Career history
1957Minneapolis Lakers
1958Harlem Globetrotters
1960–1961Cook's Texaco Oilers
1961–1962Toledo Twisters
1962–1963Grand Rapids Tackers
1963–1964Battle Creek Braves
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× First-team All-PAC (1956, 1957)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

College career

After playing basketball for Cass Technical High School,[1] Brown played collegiately at Wayne State,[2] where he also competed on the school's track and field team.[3] He led the basketball team in scoring in his final two seasons, averaging 17.4 and 19.1 points per game, respectively. He averaged 15 rebounds per game over his last three seasons.[4]

As a junior, Brown helped lead the team to the 1956 NCAA tournament, the second postseason tournament appearance in the school's history. They were the second team from Michigan to ever play in the tournament.[5] The Tartars advanced to the second round before losing to Kentucky.[6] In his senior year, Brown was voted the team's outstanding player of the year and was named an honorary co-captain for the season.[7] He was inducted into the school's athletics hall of fame in 1983.[8]

Professional career

Brown was selected by the Minneapolis Lakers in the fourth round (27th pick overall) of the 1957 NBA draft. He became the first Wayne State player to be drafted by a pro basketball team.[9] He appeared in one regular season game for the Lakers, on October 30, 1957, where he scored 1 point, becoming one of 11 players in NBA history to score their current career high on their birthday.[10] He was waived by the Lakers on November 4, 1957.[11]

Following his release from the Lakers, he played with the Harlem Globetrotters barnstorming team.[12][13] During the 1960–61 season, he played for the Cook's Texaco Oilers. Considered a pro player, he was released in February 1961, when the team was preparing to become a member of the Amateur Athletic Union in Michigan.[14] He spent the next few seasons in the Midwest Professional Basketball League with the Toledo Twisters, Grand Rapids Tackers and the Battle Creek Braves.[15][16][17]

Personal life

Brown died in September 2016 at age 80.[18]

References
  1. George Brown Basketball Reference
  2. Knoblauch, Austin. "George Brown". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  3. Hall, Halsey (October 8, 1957). "Spring Time for Brown; Laker Rookie Track Star". The Minneapolis Star. p. 12B. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "2 Small College Stars Sign Up With Trotters". Appleton Post-Crescent. December 20, 1957. p. 23. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Tartars Nip DePaul Five". Detroit Tribune. March 17, 1956. p. 5. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Kentucky Squelches Wayne". The Detroit Free Press. March 17, 1956. p. 15. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Wayne Honrs Letterwinners, Gives Awards". The Detroit Free Press. May 28, 1957. p. 28. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "George R. Brown* (1983) - Hall of Fame - Wayne State University Athletics". wsuathletics.com. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  9. "Wayne State Makes Pro". The Arizona Republic. June 23, 1957. Section 3, p. 4. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Daily Dime". ESPN. Retrieved Feb 23, 2009.
  11. "Waivers on Brown sought by Lakers". The Daily Plainsman. November 5, 1957. p. 8. Retrieved March 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  12. "Wayne U. star with Trotters". The Times Herald. January 8, 1958. p. 15. Retrieved March 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  13. "Harlem Globetrotters make first appearance here Friday night". The Evening Review. January 21, 1958. p. 12. Retrieved March 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  14. "Oilers Expect to Join AAU; Club Drops Brown, 2 Others". The Holland Evening Sentinel. Holland, Michigan. February 2, 1961. p. 11. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Toledo Twisters Go Battle Dayton in Midwest Playoff". The Daily News. March 29, 1962. p. 8. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Grand Rapids Tackers Open Season Saturday". The Holland Evening Sentinel. November 8, 1962. p. 17. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. Foltz, Wendy (November 14, 1963). "Warriors Are Bringing Pro Basketball Back to the City". The Battle Creek Enquirer and News. Sec. 4, p. 2. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. Henkel, Karl (October 18, 2016). "A Memorable Phone Call". WSUAthletics.com. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
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