Ken Sears
Kenneth Robert Sears (August 17, 1933 – April 23, 2017)[1][2] was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the first basketball player on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, appearing on the December 20, 1954 issue during his senior season in college.[3]
 circa 1958 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 17, 1933 Watsonville, California |
| Died | April 23, 2017 (aged 83) Watsonville, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 198 lb (90 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Watsonville (CA) |
| College | Santa Clara (1951–1955) |
| NBA draft | 1955 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Playing career | 1955–1964 |
| Position | Power forward / small forward |
| Number | 12, 20, 17 |
| Career history | |
| 1955–1961 | New York Knicks |
| 1961–1962 | San Francisco Saints (ABL) |
| 1962 | New York Knicks |
| 1962–1964 | San Francisco Warriors |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 7,355 (13.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,142 (7.8 rpg) |
| Assists | 843 (1.6 apg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Born and raised in Watsonville, California, Sears graduated from its high school in 1951 and played college basketball at nearby Santa Clara University. As a freshman, Sears led the Broncos to the final four (semifinals) of the NCAA tournament in 1952, held in Seattle.[4][5]
A 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) forward, Sears was a first round selection of the New York Knicks in the 1955 NBA draft and played eight seasons (1955–1961, 1962–1964) in the NBA with the Knicks and San Francisco Warriors. He averaged 13.9 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game in his NBA career, appearing as an NBA All-Star in 1958 and 1959. Sears also led the NBA in field goal percentage in consecutive years (1959, 1960).[6]
Sears spent the 1961–62 season with the San Francisco Saints in the short-lived American Basketball League (ABL).[7]
References
- FitzGerald, Tom. (April 24, 2017). "Former Santa Clara, NBA forward Ken Sears dies at 83". SFGATE.com. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- "Men's Basketball Hall of Famer Passes Away". Santa Clara Athletics. April 24, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- "Cover". Sports Illustrated. December 20, 1954.
- "Santa Clara to meet Kansas in NCAA basketball drama". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. March 25, 1952. p. 14.
- Mayer, Bill (March 25, 1952). "Jayhawkers enter home stretch". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). p. 9.
- NBA career statistics. Retrieved May 31, 2007.
- History of the American Basketball League. Retrieved May 31, 2007.