Vern B. Gardner (May 14, 1925 – August 26, 1987) was an American basketball player. He was a two-time consensus All-American at the

University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...

and played three seasons with the

Philadelphia Warriors The history of the Golden State Warriors began in Philadelphia in 1946. In 1962, the franchise was relocated to San Francisco, California and became known as the San Francisco Warriors until 1971, when its name was changed to the current Golden St ...

. Vern Gardner was a 6'5 forward/center who played at

Star Valley High School Star Valley High School is a high school located in rural Afton, Wyoming, Afton, Lincoln County, Wyoming, Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. It is one of three high schools in Lincoln County School District Number 2, along with Cokeville High ...

Afton, Wyoming Afton is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,911 at the 2010 census. Afton is home to the world's largest arch made of elk antlers. Spanning across the four lanes of U.S. Highway 89, the arch consists of 3,011 ...

and played collegiately at the University of Utah, where he was a second team consensus All-American in 1947 and 1949. Gardner led the Utes to the NIT championship in 1947, at a time where this tournament was considered as prestigious as the NCAA Tournament is today. Gardner was named tournament

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

. His number 33 was retired by the University of Utah. After the completion of his college career, Gardner was selected in the first round of the 1949 BAA draft by the Philadelphia Warriors. Gardner played three seasons for the Warriors, averaging 8.9 points per game over his career. Following his retirement from the BAA, Gardner became a high school coach and teacher, first at his alma mater Star Valley High, then at Bonneville High School in

Ogden, Utah Ogden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau, making it Utah's eighth ...

. Gardner died of a stroke on August 26, 1987.

Career statistics

NBA

Source

Regular season

Playoffs

References

External links

NBA stats
1925 births 1987 deaths All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Wyoming Centers (basketball) High school basketball coaches in the United States People from Afton, Wyoming Philadelphia Warriors draft picks Philadelphia Warriors players Power forwards (basketball) Utah Utes men's basketball players {{collegebasketball-stub