Dick Linthicum

Richard Linthicum

Outside of basketball, Linthicum was a business manager with

Linthicum enrolled at UCLA in 1927, and became a key player on the Bruins' freshman squad as one of their best shooters.^[3] His first-year teammates included future Olympic gold medalist Frank Lubin.^[3][4] Standing 6 feet 1+1⁄2 inches (1.87 m) and weighing 170 pounds (77 kg),^[5] Linthicum played as a forward and became UCLA's first accomplished basketball player.^[6] As a sophomore in 1928–29, he garnered mention as one of the best players on the West Coast.^[7] He dropped out of school for a year to get married, returning for the 1930–31 season.^[8] On December 29, 1930, he made a field goal with under 30 seconds remaining for a 29–28 win over Montana.^[5] That season, Linthicum was named a first-team All-American by the Helms Athletic Foundation.^[9] He was named team captain as a senior in 1931–32,^[2] when he was voted second-team All-American by College Humor.^[9] Also named as an All-American with Linthicum in both seasons was Purdue's John Wooden,^[9][10] who later coached UCLA to 10 national championships.^[5]

UCLA's first All-American in any sport,

After his playing career ended, Linthicum was a UCLA assistant coach and scout for five seasons. In 1935, he was a player-coach for a U.S. all-star team that toured the Far East at the request of the government of Japan. The team went undefeated, and its core later played on the 1936 Olympic team and won the gold medal; Linthicum was not on the Olympic team.^[5]

Outside basketball

Linthicum spent eight years with

Linthicum married his wife in 1930,[1] but they divorced in 1938.^[16] They had one son.^[16]

Linthicum died of cancer in 1979 at age 70.^[5][15]

References