Frank Howard Card (December 28, 1944 – April 14, 2021) was an American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player who played five seasons in the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

(ABA). Born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, he played collegiately for the

South Carolina State University South Carolina State University (SCSU or SC State) is a public, historically black, land-grant university in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only public, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina, is a mem ...

. He was selected by the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

in the 7th round (77th pick overall) of the

1967 NBA draft The 1967 NBA draft was the 21st annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 3 and 4, 1967 before the 1967–68 season. In this draft, 12 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball play ...

. He played for the

Minnesota Pipers Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to i ...

(1968–69),

Washington Caps The Washington Caps were an American Basketball Association team from 1969 through 1970. The franchise had previously been the Oakland Oaks. From 1970 through 1976 the team played as the Virginia Squires. Origins With the formation of the ABA i ...

(1969–70),

Virginia Squires The Virginia Squires were a basketball team based in Norfolk, Virginia, and playing in several other Virginia cities. They were members of the American Basketball Association from 1970 to 1976. The team originated in 1967 as the Oakland Oaks, a ...

(1970–71),

Carolina Cougars The Carolina Cougars were a basketball franchise in the American Basketball Association that existed from 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Ca ...

(1970–71) and

Denver Rockets Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

(1971–73) in the ABA for 306 games. Following his retirement from basketball, Card worked for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority for nearly 25 years. He died on April 14, 2021.

Early life and education

Frank Howard Card was born to Catherine Cheers and Frank Card on December 28, 1944 in Philadelphia, PA. Card graduated from West Philadelphia High School and earned a scholarship to South Carolina State University. His passion in life at that time was to play basketball, and growing up he honed his skills on the playgrounds of his West Philly neighborhood.

Work and career

Card served in the Army from April 1965 for three years. During this time he started playing for the Baker League, where he became known for his jumping ability and earned the nick name “Watusi”. He went on to be selected by the 76ers in the 7th round of the 1967 NBA draft. He played for the Minnesota Pipers, Washington Caps, Virginia Squires, Carolina Cougars and Denver Rockets. He also played pro ball in Europe for several years. During that time he also served in the Army from April 1965 to April 1968. Following his retirement from basketball, Card worked for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority

EPTA EPTA may refer to: * European Parliamentary Technology Assessment * European Pulsar Timing Array * Phosphotungstic acid * Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance, a United Nations aid network * European Piano Teachers Association {{Disambiguati ...

for nearly 25 years.

Death and legacy

Card was known for socializing and making friends. His infectious smile, energy and sense of humor was as big as he was. He mentored many of his younger male coworkers who often called him “Mr. Frank”. He showed respect to everyone he met and felt one of the most important jobs he ever had was being a positive role model and father to his two step sons. Card was honored at the ABA's 50th Anniversary for his professional achievements and a proud supporter of the Dropping Dimes Foundation.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Card, Frank 1944 births 2021 deaths Allentown Jets players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Philadelphia Camden Bullets players Carolina Cougars players Denver Rockets players Minnesota Pipers players Philadelphia 76ers draft picks Power forwards Small forwards South Carolina State Bulldogs basketball players Virginia Squires players Washington Caps players