![Jack Laub](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Jack_Laub.jpg)
Jack Laub (born May 9, 1926) is a first-generation American retired professional basketball player and pharmaceutical executive best known as the only
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 ...
player to ever play six varsity years. He is a recipient of the
French Legion of Honor
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...
for his military service in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and an inductee to the
National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
The National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, in Commack, New York, is dedicated to honoring American Jewish figures who have distinguished themselves in sports.
Its objective is to foster Jewish identity through athletics, and to commemo ...
, the City College of New York Basketball Hall of Fame, the University of Cincinnati's James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame and the Brooklyn Jewish Hall of Fame. He was also a pioneer in the development of generic drugs and is recognized for his commitment to reducing the cost of prescription drugs for consumers.
Early years
Laub was born in
Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach is a List of Brooklyn neighborhoods, neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn, within the greater Coney Island area along the Atlantic Ocean coastline. Brighton Beach i ...
, New York in 1926. He lived with his parents and five brothers in a flat above Laub's, a kosher restaurant his family opened after immigrating to the U.S. from Poland to escape persecution.
He attended
Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, New York, where he played on the varsity basketball team and graduated with honors in 1943.
Laub was the first Abraham Lincoln graduate to be drafted into the NBA, and he is succeeded by other notable NBA players to graduate from that school, including
Stephon Marbury
Stephon Xavier Marbury (born February 20, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player and current head coach in the Chinese Basketball Association. After his freshman year with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, he was selected as th ...
and
Sebastian Telfair
Sebastian Telfair (born June 9, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the NBA and the Chinese Basketball Association. Telfair was picked thirteenth overall in the 2004 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers on ...
.
College career
Laub's college basketball career spanned two colleges and was interrupted by his military service during World War II. While the NCAA typically granted only four years of eligibility, an exception was made for veterans whose eligibility was interrupted by their military services.
Consequently, he is the only player in NCAA history to play for a total of six varsity years.
City College, 1943–1945
After graduating from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1943, Laub enrolled at
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...
. From 1943 to 1945, he played for two varsity years under legendary City College coach
Nat Holman
Nat Holman (October 19, 1896 – February 12, 1995) was an American professional basketball player and college coach. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and is the only coach to lead his team to NCAA and National In ...
.
Laub was recognized for his contributions to City College basketball with an Honorable Mention Award from the NY City All-Stars, and his election to the City College of New York Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Military service in WWII, 1944–1946
Upon graduating from City College in 1944, Laub served in the
Merchant Marine during World War II, where he was commissioned as Ensign Officer in Maritime Service, and was later discharged as a Lieutenant of Senior Grade. In October 1946, he served as a Staff Officer for the
U.S. Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...
.
In 2011, Laub was conferred the honor of "Chevalier" of the French Legion of Honor, in recognition of his contribution to the United States’ crucial role in the liberation of France during World War II.
University of Cincinnati, 1946–1950
In 1946, Laub was awarded a basketball scholarship at the
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...
, where he played with the
Bearcats for four varsity years, making him the only player in NCAA to play for a total of six varsity years. In Cincinnati, he became known as the "Black Cat" because of his dark hair, defensive crouch and quick reflexes.
Laub was considered one of the team's best shooters, helping the Bearcats win four conference championships and gain a reputation as one of the top teams in the country.
Refused to throw games in point shaving scandal
In 1951, several college basketball teams were involved in a
point shaving scandal that was at that time considered the biggest scandal in the history of college sports. The scandal primarily centered on players at City College of New York who accepted bribes to fix games by preventing their teams from covering a point spread. Several players were indicted for their participation.
In January 1952, as the point-shaving scandal was spreading to other schools in New York and the Midwest, sports promoter Sam D. Feinberg was accused of attempting, unsuccessfully, to bribe Laub and Alvin Rubenstein, another University of Cincinnati player, to throw games during the 1948–1949 and 1949–1950 seasons.
Assistant District Attorney Vincent O’Connor praised Laub and Rubenstein for turning down the bribes. Sam Feinberg's half-brother Saul Feinberg was indicted for bribing players at the
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
and
Bradley University
Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. The ...
in
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria ( ) is the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and the largest city on the Illinois River. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the city had a population of 113,150. It is the principal city of the Peoria ...
.
NBA career, 1950–1952
In 1950, Laub was drafted by the
Baltimore Bullets, becoming one of the first two University of Cincinnati players to be drafted into the NBA. During his NBA career, he also played for 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 ...
and
Scranton Miners
The Scranton Miners, known as the Scranton Apollos from 1970 to 1977, were a professional basketball team based in Scranton, Pennsylvania that was a member of the American Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association. Arthur Pacht ...
. While Laub was with the Miners, he helped the team win two regular season championships from 1951 to 1952.
Coaching career
In 1951, Laub was appointed University of Cincinnati's first assistant basketball coach and later became its head scout.
He is credited with recommending the team give a scholarship to NBA Hall of Fame player
Jack Twyman
John Kennedy Twyman (May 21, 1934 – May 30, 2012) was an American professional basketball player and sports broadcaster. Twyman is a namesake of the NBA's Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. Twyman was inducted into the Naismith Basketb ...
and the recruitment of
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson played ...
. In 1951, with Laub's help, the Bearcats made their first appearance at the National Invitation Tournament.
In 1959, at age 32, he became the head coach of the U.S. Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy.
Pharmaceutical career
In 1954, Laub left basketball to join
Pfizer
Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfizer ...
, where he began a long and notable career in pharmaceuticals. Laub is chiefly recognized for his commitment to reducing the cost of prescription drugs through generic drugs and purchasing plans. He also helped open the first discounted drug store chain in the New York area and established the first mail-order pharmacy in New York.
In May 2010, the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Cincinnati honored Laub with the Distinguished Alumni Award for his contribution to the reduction of prescription drug costs for consumers, hospitals and insurance companies in the US.
Awards and recognition
In 2002, Laub was inducted into the City College of New York Basketball Hall of Fame.
In May 2010, the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Cincinnati honored Laub with the Distinguished Alumni Award for his contribution to the reduction of prescription drug costs for consumers, hospitals and insurance companies in the US.
In 2011, Laub was conferred the honor of "Chevalier" of the French Legion of Honor, in recognition of his contribution to the United States’ crucial role in the liberation of France during World War II.
In 2012, Laub funded a scholarship to the
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Florida, Dania Beach, Davie, Florida, Davie, Fort Lauderd ...
(FAU)
Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
The Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine is the medical school of Florida Atlantic University located in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The college offers the degrees of Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Doctor of Medicine/Doctor of Philosophy ( ...
for medical students interested in breast cancer research. Laub is an active supporter of breast cancer research and pilot studies, in part because he lost two wives to the disease.
In September 2014, he was inducted into the
National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, in Commack, New York, is dedicated to honoring American Jewish figures who have distinguished themselves in sports.
Its objective is to foster Jewish identity through athletics, and to commemo ...
for his contributions to basketball.
In November 2016, Laub was inducted into the James P. Kelly University of Cincinnati Athletics Hall of Fame and the Brooklyn Jewish Hall of Fame.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laub, Jack
Living people
1926 births
Abraham Lincoln High School (Brooklyn) alumni
American business executives
American men's basketball players
Baltimore Bullets (1944–1954) players
Basketball coaches from New York (state)
Basketball players from New York City
CCNY Beavers men's basketball players
Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball coaches
Merchant Marine Mariners men's basketball coaches
Minneapolis Lakers players
Scranton Miners players
University of Cincinnati alumni
United States Merchant Mariners of World War II