Frank Ramsey (basketball)
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Corydon, Kentucky, U.S. | July 13, 1931
Died | July 8, 2018 Madisonville, Kentucky, U.S. | (aged 86)
Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Madisonville (Madisonville, Kentucky) |
College | Kentucky (1950–1954) |
NBA draft | 1953: 1st round, 5th overall pick |
Selected by the Boston Celtics | |
Playing career | 1954–1964 |
Position | Small forward / shooting guard |
Number | 23 |
Career history | |
As player: | |
1954–1955, 1956–1964 | Boston Celtics |
As coach: | |
1970–1971 | Kentucky Colonels |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Career statistics | |
Points | 8,378 (13.4 ppg) |
Rebounds | 3,410 (5.5 rpg) |
Assists | 1,134 (1.8 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 |
Frank Vernon Ramsey Jr. (July 13, 1931 – July 8, 2018) was an American professional basketball player and coach. A 6-3 forward/guard, he played his entire nine-year (
University of Kentucky
Raised in
In the fall of 1952, a
Ramsey, Hagan and Tsioropoulos all graduated from Kentucky in 1953 and, as a result, became eligible for the
Ramsey also played on Kentucky Wildcats baseball team, earning All-SEC honors as an outfielder in 1951, 1952 and 1954.[2]
Upon completion of his college basketball career, Ramsey scored 1344 points (14.8 ppg), which at the time ranked him fourth in the school's history, and grabbed 1038 rebounds (11.4 rpg), a school record later surpassed by one of his future Kentucky Colonels players, Dan Issel.
Boston Celtics
After playing his rookie season with the Celtics (1954–1955), Ramsey spent one year in the military before rejoining the team. In the eight seasons he played after military service, he was a member of seven championship teams (1957, 1959–1964).[1] He was a major contributor of the Celtics dynasty, playing behind the duo of Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman and playing with Bill Russell, Sam Jones, K. C. Jones, Tom Heinsohn, John Havlicek and Satch Sanders. In his 623 NBA games Ramsey scored 8378 points for an average of 13.4 points per game. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1981. His #23 is retired by the Celtics.
Ramsey's best statistical season was
Brief coaching career
Ramsey was also a head coach for one season (1970–71) in the ABA with the Kentucky Colonels,
Prior to coaching in the ABA, Ramsey had been Red Auerbach's first choice to replace his mentor as Celtics coach after Auerbach retired at the end of the 1965–66 season. However, Ramsey decided to move back to Madisonville; his father, Frank Sr., wasn't in good health and Frank Jr. had three children to raise.[3]
The NBA's first sixth man
Auerbach is often credited throughout basketball with creating the sixth man. Though Ramsey was one of the Celtics' best players, he felt more comfortable coming off the bench and Auerbach wanted him fresh and in the lineup at the end of close games. Ramsey was the first in a series of sixth men who won championship rings with the Celtics. In the championships the Celtics won after Ramsey's retirement, they have had successful sixth men such as Havlicek, Paul Silas, Kevin McHale, Bill Walton, and James Posey.
Ramsey was mentioned in the episode "
Personal life
On November 15, 2005, Ramsey's house was destroyed in a tornado that hit his residence in Madisonville. One of his plaques was found miles away from his home, and Ramsey himself was found unhurt.
As of June 2008[update], Ramsey was a bank president in Dixon, Kentucky.[4]
Ramsey died of natural causes in his hometown of Madisonville, Kentucky on July 8, 2018, at the age of 86.[5]
Honors
- Ramsey was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.[6]
- In 2005, Ramsey was inducted into the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame.[7]
- In 2006, Ramsey was a charter inductee to the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
- Ramsey's #23 jersey is retired by the Boston Celtics.[8]
- Ramsey's #30 jersey is retired by the University of Kentucky Wildcats.[2]
NBA 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 |
† | Won an NBA championship |
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1954–55 | Boston
|
64 | 27.4 | .399 | .755 | 6.3 | 2.9 | 11.2 |
1956–57† | Boston
|
35 | 23.1 | .393 | .791 | 5.1 | 1.9 | 11.9 |
1957–58 | Boston
|
69 | 29.7 | .419 | .811 | 7.3 | 2.4 | 16.5 |
1958–59† | Boston
|
72 | 28.0 | .378 | .782 | 6.8 | 2.0 | 15.4 |
1959–60† | Boston
|
73 | 27.5 | .397 | .787 | 6.9 | 1.9 | 15.3 |
1960–61† | Boston | 79 | 25.6 | .407 | .833 | 5.5 | 1.8 | 15.1 |
1961–62† | Boston | 79 | 24.2 | .428 | .825 | 4.9 | 1.4 | 15.3 |
1962–63† | Boston | 77 | 20.0 | .382 | .816 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 10.9 |
1963–64† | Boston | 75 | 16.4 | .374 | .841 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 8.6 |
Career | 623 | 24.6 | .399 | .804 | 5.5 | 1.8 | 13.4 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1955
|
Boston
|
7 | 22.0 | .519 | .731 | 5.0 | 2.3 | 10.7 |
1957 †
|
Boston
|
10 | 22.9 | .463 | .780 | 4.3 | 1.7 | 12.2 |
1958
|
Boston
|
11 | 32.0 | .425 | .915 | 8.2 | 1.5 | 18.4 |
1959 †
|
Boston
|
11 | 27.5 | .495 | .802 | 6.2 | 1.8 | 23.2 |
1960 †
|
Boston
|
13 | 35.3 | .413 | .873 | 7.7 | 2.1 | 16.7 |
1961 †
|
Boston | 10 | 30.0 | .404 | .813 | 6.4 | 2.3 | 17.1 |
1962 †
|
Boston | 13 | 16.2 | .375 | .911 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 9.2 |
1963 †
|
Boston | 13 | 19.3 | .356 | .723 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 8.3 |
1964 †
|
Boston | 10 | 13.8 | .349 | .857 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 6.2 |
Career | 98 | 24.4 | .424 | .826 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 13.6 |
References
- ^ a b c Goldstein, Richard (July 8, 2018), "Frank Ramsey, First Among 'Sixth Men' in the N.B.A., Dies at 86", The New York Times
- ^ a b "Kentucky basketball Hall of Famer Frank Ramsey dies at age 86". The Courier-Journal.
- ^ "Hometown Hero - Frank Ramsey". Celtic Pride. March 27, 2009.
- ^ Stavro, Barry (June 2, 2008). "It wasn't about rings" – via LA Times.
- NBA.com. July 8, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
- ^ Ramsey was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.
- ^ "UK Players in the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame". www.bigbluehistory.net.
- ^ "Frank Ramsey, NBA Hall of Famer and versatile 'sixth man,' dies at 86 - The Washington Post". The Washington Post.