John Albert Beckman (October 22, 1895, in New York, NY – June 22, 1968, in

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

) was a professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player. During his 27 years lasting pro career (1914–41) he was known as the "

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

of basketball". He is mostly known for his time with the

Original Celtics The Original Celtics were a barnstorming professional American basketball team. At various times in their existence, the team played in the American Basketball League, the Eastern Basketball League and the Metropolitan Basketball League. The tea ...

(1918/19, 1921–27, 1929). He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973.

Professional career

Beckman began playing for St. Gabriel's Catholic School in Manhattan as a 15 year old in 1910. He did not attend college but instead played for the Opals of the Hudson County League in 1910. In 1915, Beckman played for De Neri, an EL team based in Philadelphia, he played 34 of the team's 40 games, making 88 field goals and 74 free throws. Concluding the season with 250 points and finishing third in scoring in the EL, with an average of 7.4 points per game - a high average in a low-scoring basketball era. In the 1917-18 season, the EL was postponed early because of World War I. Beckman led the EL in scoring with 9.25 points per game.

Player profile

The 156 pound forward, was referred to as one of the true stars of the earliest years of basketball. He was considered the best free-throw shooter of his era. His prolific free-throw shooting and gritty playing style always excited crowds. In 1918, Beckman's teammate, Chris Leonard of the Original Celtics, considered Beckman, "a master of the fastbreak", due to his lightning speed. Beckman was a complete offensive player respected for his scoring ability, having outstanding shooting ability along with his slashing ability. He was credited as a valuable team player, for his selflessness and commitment in teamwork, passing and team defense.

References

External links

Basketball Hall of Fame profile
1895 births 1968 deaths Basketball players from New York City Cleveland Rosenblums players Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Original Celtics players {{1890s-US-basketball-bio-stub