Clyde Edward Lovellette ( ;
September 7, 1929 – March 9, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. Lovellette was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
in 1988. He was the first basketball player in history to play on an
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
championship team, Olympics gold medal basketball team, and
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
championship squad.
Basketball career
Lovellette fostered the trend of tall, physical and high-scoring centers. A two-time All-State performer at
Garfield High School in
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...
. As a high school junior (1946-47), Lovellette's previously undefeated high school team in
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...
lost in the Indiana state championship finals to
Shelbyville, Indiana
Shelbyville is a city in Addison Township, Shelby County, in the U.S. state of Indiana and is the county seat. The population was 20,067 as of the 2020 census.
History
In 1818, the land that would become Shelbyville was ceded to the Un ...
led by
Bill Garrett. The six-foot-nine Lovellette later attended the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
where he became a member of the
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi () International Fraternity is one of the largest North American fraternal literary societies. The fraternity has 244 active (undergraduate) chapters and 152 alumni chapters across the United States and Canada and has initiated more tha ...
fraternity.
While at the University of Kansas he led Jayhawks to the 1952 NCAA title, capturing MVP honors and scoring a then-NCAA-record 141 points. A two-time first-team All-American at Kansas,
Clyde led the Big Seven in scoring in each of his three seasons. Playing for
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
coach
Forrest "Phog" Allen, Lovellette led the nation in scoring his senior year (1952, 28.4 ppg) and was named the
Helms College Player of the Year.
Lovellette and basketball legend
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith (February 28, 1931 – February 7, 2015) was an American men's college basketball head coach. Called a "coaching legend" by the Basketball Hall of Fame, he coached for 36 years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hi ...
were teammates at Kansas. He is still the only college player to lead the nation in scoring and win the NCAA title in the same year. Lovellette's dominance in the paint landed him a place on the
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...
gold medal team in
Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city' ...
and he was the team's dominating player and leading scorer.
Lovelette was the 1st Round pick (#9) of the
Minneapolis Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history, predating the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Founded in 1947, the Lakers are one of the NBA's most famous and successful franchises. As of summer 2012, th ...
in the
1952 NBA draft.
Following graduation, Lovelette played in 1951-1952 and 1952-1953 seasons for the
Bartlesville Phillips 66ers
The Phillips 66ers (also known as the Oilers) were an amateur basketball team located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and sponsored and run by the Phillips Petroleum Company. The 66ers were a national phenomenon that grew from a small-town team to an ...
.
At the pro level, Clyde became one of the first big men to move outside and utilize the one-handed set shot that extended his shooting range and offensive repertoire. This tactic enabled him to play either the small forward, power forward or center positions, forcing the opposition's big man to play out of position.
In 1957, Lovelette led Minneapolis to the NBA Western Division Finals by averaging a playoffs career best 24.2 points along with 9.4 rebounds per game. Despite performing big, including scoring 33 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in Game 2 of the series, Lovelette and the Lakers were eliminated by
Bob Pettit
Robert Lee Pettit Jr. (born December 12, 1932) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954–1965). In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA's Mo ...
and the
St. Louis Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
.
That offseason, Lovelette was traded to Cincinnati for 5 players, including
Hot Rod Hundley
Rodney Clark "Hot Rod" Hundley (October 26, 1934 – March 27, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and television broadcaster. Hundley was the number 1 pick of the 1957 NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals out of West Virginia Uni ...
and
Monk Meineke
Don "Monk" Meineke (October 30, 1930 – September 3, 2013) was an American professional basketball player.
Meineke averaged 20.6 points as a junior for the Dayton Flyers, carrying the team to an NIT runner-up finish in 1951. He averaged 21 ...
. A year later he was traded again, this time to St. Louis for
Wayne Embry
Wayne Richard Embry (born March 26, 1937) is a retired American basketball player and basketball executive. Embry's 11-year playing career as a center spanned from 1958 to 1969 playing for the Cincinnati Royals, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Buck ...
, among others.
In 704 NBA games with the
Minneapolis Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history, predating the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Founded in 1947, the Lakers are one of the NBA's most famous and successful franchises. As of summer 2012, th ...
,
Cincinnati Royals
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
,
St. Louis Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
and
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
, Lovellette scored 11,947 points (17.0 ppg) and grabbed 6,663 rebounds (9.3 rpg). Selected to play in four NBA All-Star Games, Lovellette was an integral component of championships in Minneapolis (1954) and Boston (1963, 1964).
In 1972–73, he coached the Decatur Bullets of the
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...
for one season before the team folded. He was paid $150 per game.
Honors
Lovellette is one of only eight players in history to win an NCAA championship, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal.
medal Basketball's Triple Crown - The Post Game.com
/ref> He also became the first player to win a championship with both the Boston Celtics and Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers. Rajon Rondo
Rajon Pierre Rondo (, born February 22, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Rondo played two years of college basketball for ...
became the second player ever in 2020.
Lovellette was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.
Lovelette had his #16 jersey retired by the University of Kansas.
Lovelette was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
in 1988. As of 2018, Lovellette is the only player from the 1952 NBA draft to make the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
He was featured in the 1950s All-Star roster on NBA Live
''NBA Live'' is a series of basketball video games published by EA Sports. The series, which debuted in 1994, is the successor to the previous ''NBA Playoffs'' and '' NBA Showdown'' series.
Beginning in the late 2000’s, NBA Live sales had dro ...
2007.
Personal
Clyde married Sally Wheeler while attending Kansas University. They had three daughters, Cynthia, Linda, and Cherie
After retiring from his career as a professional basketball player he was a elected as Sheriff of Vigo County, Indiana
Vigo County ( ) is a county on the western border of the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2020 United States Census, it had a population of 105,994 . Its county seat is Terre Haute.
Vigo County is included in the Terre Haute metropolita ...
. He owed a small farm, raising and showing cattle, and engaged in various business activities, and eventually getting his Masters Degree.
A
Whites Residential Services
a faith-based school in Wabash County, Indiana for at-risk teenagers, he served for 20 years and was successful in providing a positive influence on their lives.
A summer residence in the UP of Michigan ultimately became a full time residence in the small town of Munising in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where he served as the Varsity Basketball Assistant Coach and on the Munising City Council.
Clyde came back to Indiana as a full time resident where he eventually passed alway surrounded by his family.
Lovellette died from cancer in North Manchester, Indiana
North Manchester is a town in Chester Township, Wabash County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 6,112 at the 2010 census.
Geography
North Manchester is located at (41.003951, -85.772573).
According to the 2010 census, North ...
at the age of 86.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
Playoffs
References
External links
Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame bio
University of Kansas Men's Basketball
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lovellette, Clyde
1929 births
2016 deaths
All-American college men's basketball players
American men's basketball coaches
American men's basketball players
Basketball players at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Basketball players from Indiana
Boston Celtics players
Centers (basketball)
Cincinnati Royals players
Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball players
Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Minneapolis Lakers draft picks
Minneapolis Lakers players
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
National Basketball Association All-Stars
National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball
People from Petersburg, Indiana
Phillips 66ers players
Power forwards (basketball)
Sportspeople from Terre Haute, Indiana
St. Louis Hawks players
United States men's national basketball team players