Melvin Russell Riebe (July 12, 1916 – July 25, 1977) was an American professional
basketball player.
A 5'11"
guard-forward who also played minor league baseball in the Cleveland Indians' organization, Riebe played professionally in both the
National Basketball League (1943–1945) and the
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. Following its third season, 1948–49, the BAA absorbed most of National Basketball League (NBL) and rebranded as the National Ba ...
(1946–1949), finishing his career with two seasons with the Boston Celtics. He led the NBL in scoring twice, averaging 17.9
points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by nu ...
during the 1943–44 season and 20.2 points per game the following year as a member of the Cleveland Chase Brassmen and the Cleveland Allmen Transfers.
From 1950 to 1954 he attended the
College of Wooster, where he was ineligible to play basketball or baseball due to his professional experience but played on the golf team. He spent the rest of his life as a football and basketball coach, athletic director, and physical education teacher at
Waynedale High School in
Apple Creek, Ohio
Apple Creek is a village in East Union Township, Wayne County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,173 at the 2010 census.
The village takes its name from nearby Apple Creek.
Geography
Apple Creek is located at (40.750568, -81.836878).
...
.
Riebe's brother,
Hank Riebe
Harvey Donald "Hank" Riebe (October 10, 1921 – April 16, 2001) was a Major League Baseball catcher for four seasons with the Detroit Tigers (1942, 1947–1949). He also received a Bronze Star and two Purple Heart medals while serving in the Unit ...
, was a catcher in
Major League Baseball from 1942 to 1949.
BAA career statistics
Regular season
Playoffs
References
External links
1916 births
1977 deaths
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Ohio
Basketball players from Cleveland
Boston Celtics players
Cleveland Allmen Transfers players
Cleveland Chase Brassmen players
Cleveland Rebels players
College of Wooster alumni
Forwards (basketball)
Guards (basketball)
High school basketball coaches in Ohio
High school football coaches in Ohio
Providence Steamrollers players
Sportspeople from Cleveland
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