George Ratkovicz (November 13, 1922 – November 10, 2008) was an American basketball player who played for five seasons in the National Basketball League and for six seasons in the

National Basketball Association 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 ...

. He played

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

and forward during his career.

Career

National Basketball League

Ratkovicz's pro career began when he was 19 years old, playing 13 games for the

Chicago Bruins The Chicago Bruins were an American basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by Chicago Bears football team owner George Halas, the Bruins were a member of the American Basketball League, a league that also featured other National Football ...

of the National Basketball League during the 1941–1942 season. Ratkovicz missed the next three seasons due to military service, Cached copy, NBRPA site was down as of December 18, 2008. then returned to Chicago in time for the 1945–1946 season, this time playing for the

Chicago American Gears The Chicago American Gears were a National Basketball League (NBL) team who played from 1944 to 1947. The team also played in the Professional Basketball League of America (PBLA) in 1947–48 after leaving the NBL. About They are notable in prof ...

. He spent two seasons with the Gears, then went on to play for the NBL's

Rochester 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 ...

and

Tri-Cities Blackhawks Tri-Cities most often refers to: *Tri-Cities, Tennessee, United States *Tri-Cities, Washington, United States Tri-City, Tricity or Tri-Cities may also refer to: Populated places Americas Canada *Tri-Cities (British Columbia), consisting of Co ...

for one season apiece.

Syracuse Nationals

When the NBL merged with the Basketball Association of America and formed the

, Ratkovicz joined the

Syracuse Nationals The Philadelphia 76ers are an American basketball team currently playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 76ers are third in NBA history in wins and playoff appearances. 1946– ...

for the 1949–1950 season. Playing alongside future Basketball Hall of Famers

Dolph Schayes Adolph Schayes (May 19, 1928 – December 10, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A top scorer and rebounder, he was a 12-time NBA All-Star and a 12-time All-NBA selection. ...

and Al Cervi, Ratkovicz averaged eight and a half points per game in his first NBA season and played in the NBA Finals, where the Nationals lost to 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 six games. Statistically, Ratkovicz's best season came the following year during the 1950–1951 season. Playing in all 66 of the Nationals' team games, he averaged thirteen points and over eight rebounds per game. His 41.5% field goal percentage was the sixth highest in the NBA that season, and he also ranked in the top ten in

free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...

s and free throw attempts. Ratkovicz's role was reduced during the 1951–1952 season; playing in twenty and a half minutes a game, he averaged seven and a half points and five rebounds per game while serving as a backup to Dolph Schayes.

Milwaukee Hawks

For the 1952–1953 season, Ratkovicz joined the

Milwaukee 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 ...

. His playing time increased with the Hawks, and he averaged over thirty minutes a game in his first year with the Hawks. That season, he averaged nine-and-a-half points and nearly seven-and-a-half rebounds per game. He recorded similar numbers during the 1953–1954 season. During the 1954–1955 season, his final year in the NBA, he played in just nine games. He retired with over 3,000 points and nearly 2,000 rebounds in his career.

Death

Ratkovicz died in

Webster, New York Webster is a town in the northeastern corner of Monroe County, New York, United States. The town is named after orator and statesman Daniel Webster. The population was 42,641 at the 2010 census. The town's motto is "Where Life Is Worth Living." ...

on November 10, 2008, three days before his 86th birthday.

Career statistics

NBA

Source

Regular season

Playoffs

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratkovicz, George 1922 births 2008 deaths American men's basketball players Baltimore Bullets (1944–1954) players Basketball players from Chicago Centers (basketball) Chicago American Gears players Chicago Bruins players Milwaukee Hawks players Power forwards Professional Basketball League of America players Rochester Royals players Syracuse Nationals players Tri-Cities Blackhawks players Robert Lindblom Math & Science Academy alumni