Bill Thieben
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | March 28, 1935 |
Died | April 15, 2021 | (aged 86)
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Power forward / center |
Number | 10, 9 |
Career history | |
1956–1958 | Fort Wayne / Detroit Pistons |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Career statistics | |
Points | 337 (4.0 ppg) |
Rebounds | 272 (3.2 rpg) |
Assists | 24 (0.3 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
William Bernard Thieben (March 28, 1935 – April 15, 2021) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the
Early life and college
Thieben was a native of Suffolk County, New York,[1] and attended Sayville High School from 1948 to 1952.[2] On February 26, 1952, he scored a school record 48 points in a game against Northport (record since tied).[3] Sayville won the contest, 85–66.[3]
He decided to stay close to home when he went to college and enrolled at nearby
In 1953–54, his
Thieben continued his 20–20 average during his
In just 76 career games, Thieben scored 2,045 points and grabbed a school record 1,837 rebounds.[1] While he still remains in the top 10 all-time for scoring at Hofstra, his rebounding mark is considered unbreakable.[4] The second highest rebounder in program history is John Irving, who only amassed 1,186.[4] Thieben still holds Hofstra records for career scoring (26.9) and rebounding (24.2) averages, as well as single game scoring (48) and rebounding records (43).[4]
In 2008, Hofstra University officially retired his jersey (#93).[1]
Professional career
After a standout college career, Thieben was selected in the
After his rookie season, the franchise relocated to Detroit, Michigan and became the modern day Detroit Pistons. Thieben's statistics dropped to 3.7 points and 2.4 rebounds in 27 games played.[6] The Pistons advanced further into the playoffs but still did not win the championship, and after two years Thieben's professional career was over.[7]
Later life and death
After his basketball career ended, Thieben went into teaching. He became the history teacher at Bay Shore High School in Bay Shore, New York for three years, and then in 1961 became the school's assistant principal for the next decade.[1] In 1971, he became the principal at Rocky Point High School, a public school he worked at for 23 years until retirement in 1994.[1]
In addition to his teaching and administrative roles at the high school level, Thieben also served as an adjunct professor of history and
Thieben died on April 15, 2021, at age 86.[8]
Career statistics
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 |
NBA
Source[6]
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1956–57 | Fort Wayne | 58 | 10.9 | .352 | .655 | 3.6 | .3 | 4.1 |
1957–58 | Detroit | 27 | 9.0 | .294 | .593 | 2.4 | .3 | 3.7 |
Career | 85 | 10.3 | .331 | .640 | 3.2 | .3 | 4.0 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1956–57 | Fort Wayne | 2 | 14.0 | .857 | .333 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 7.0 |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Bill Thieben". GoHofstra.com. Hofstra University. April 8, 2009. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
- ^ a b c d DeCaro, S. A. (2006). "Bill Thieben". TheDraftReview.com. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
- ^ a b Luchter, Paul S. (December 24, 2010). "Basketball Single Game Scoring Records". LuckyShow.org. Retrieved May 10, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f "#93 Bill Thieben – Hall of Fame". GoHofstra.com. Hofstra University. 2009. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
- ^ "2010–11 NCAA Men's Basketball Records" (PDF). 2010–11 NCAA Men's Basketball Media Guide. National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
- ^ Basketball Reference. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive LLC. 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
- ^ Gorchov, Stephen (April 21, 2020). "Hofstra Mourns The Passing Of Bill Thieben". Hofstra Pride. Retrieved April 22, 2021.