1961 Fleer #56 John Kerr (In ACtion)

John G. “Red” Kerr (July 17, 1932 - February 26, 2009) held the record for most consecutive games played (844) at the time of his retirement in 1966, until it was topped in 1983. The Syracuse Nationals selected Red Kerr sixth overall kin the 1954 NBA Draft out of the University of Illinois. Kerr scored 1,299 points with the Illini and helped them to the 1952 Big Ten title and the NCAA Final Four. Red played center and power forward for 12 seasons with the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1954-1965) and the Baltimore Bullets (1965-66). In his rookie season with the Nationals, he helped the club to the 1955 NBA Finals Championship alongside Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes. He was selected for three NBA All-Star Games as a National and a 76er. Following the 1966 season, Johnny was taken by his hometown Chicago Bulls in the expansion draft, but he retired instead to take over the reigns of the upstart Bulls franchise. Johnny retired from playing with 12,480 career points, 10,092 total rebounds and 2.004 assists. Though posting a losing record of 33-48, Red led the Chicago Bulls to a relatively successful first season, leading them to a playoff berth and earned the 1967 NBA Coach of the Year Award. He coached another year with the Bulls before spending two seasons with the Phoenix Suns, then retired from coaching for a position in the broadcast booth. As a coach, Red Kerr compiled a record of 93-190. Following his days on the basketball court either as a player or coach, Red became the color commentator for the Chicago Bulls until the end of the 2007-08 season.

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Rudolph A. “Rudy” LaRusso (November 11, 1937 - July 9, 2004) made a cameo appearance on the show Gilligan’s Island in 1967, the show’s third season, to help increase the ratings. Rudy played forward and center for 10 seasons in the NBA with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (1959-1967) and the San Francisco Warriors (1967-1969). He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 1959 NBA Draft out of Dartmouth College. His teams only missed the playoffs one time during his career and he was a member of four Lakers teams (1962, 1963, 1965, 1966) to win the Western Conference title only to lose to the high-powered Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. LaRusso was selected for five NBA All-Star games and was named to the 1969 NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Rudy LaRusso finished his career following the 1968-69 season with 11,507 points, 6.936 total rebounds and 1,556 assists.

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Clyde Edward Lovellette (September 7, 1929 - March 9, 2016) is the first player in NBA history to play for an NCAA, Olympic and NBA champion. Lovellette was a three-time All American at the University of Kansas and led them to the 1952 NCAA Tournament Championship, and garnered the 1952 NCAA Most Outstanding Player Award. During the successful 1952 season, he led the nation in scoring and captured the Helms College Player of the Year Award as well. He remains to only NCAA player to lead the nation in scoring and win the NCAA Tournament title in the same season. He won a gold medal with the United States Olympic Basketball team in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games. The Minneapolis Lakers selected Clyde in the first round of the 1952 Draft teaming him with future Hall of Famers Slater Martin, Vern Mikkelsen and George Mikan. The power packed Lakers won the Western Conference and the 1954 NBA Finals in his first season. Lovellette played center and power forward for the Lakers (1953-1957), the Cincinnati Royals (1957-58), the St. Louis Hawks (1958-1962) and the Boston Celtics (1962-1964). He was named to four NBA All-Star Games and the 1956 All-NBA Second Team. In 1963 and 1964, Clyde joined the already Hall of Fame-laden Boston Celtics and won two more NBA Finals Championships. Clyde finished his career with 11,947 points, 6,663 total rebounds and 1,165 assists. Clyde Lovellette was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame in 1988.

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Robert Lee “Bob” Pettit Jr. (December 12, 1932-) retired in 1965 as the first player in the history of the NBA to surpass the 20,000 point mark, was second in career rebounds and remains behind only fellow Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell in career rebounds per game with 16.2. A standout center at the Louisiana State University, Pettit was the second overall pick in the 1954 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Hawks and was immediately converted to a forward. Despite transitioning to a new position, Pettit won the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1955 and was named to his first of eleven NBA All-Star games (named All-Star Game MVP four times). He was also named to his first of ten All-NBA First Teams. In his sophomore season, after the team relocated to St. Louis in 1956, Pettit led the league in scoring, rebounding, free throws and field goals and was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.  During the late 1950s-early ‘60s, St. Louis made frequent appearances in the NBA Finals, often facing the Boston Celtics, and in 1958, captured the title over the high-powered squad from Beantown. Bob won a second NBA MVP Award and scoring title in 1959. Pettit made a couple more appearances in the NBA Finals before retiring in 1965 as one of only two players in NBA history to average more than 20 points per game in every season they played. Pettit finished his career after 11 seasons with 20,880 points, 12,849 total rebounds and 2,369 assists. Bob Pettit was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971. In 1996, Bob was named to the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list.

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Frank Vernon Ramsey, Jr. (July 13, 1931 - July 8, 2018) helped his alma mater Kentucky Wildcats complete an undefeated 25-0 season in 1954 after he graduated from the university and was already drafted by the Boston Celtics. He helped Kentucky to the 1951 NCAA Tournament Championship and their undefeated campaign in 1954 alongside fellow Hall of Famer and fellow graduate Cliff Hagan. The Celtics selected Ramsey as the fifth overall pick in the 1953 NBA Draft. Frank joined the star-studded Celtics team that included Hall of Famers Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, Bill Russell, Sam and K.C. Jones, Tom Heinsohn and John Havlicek. He won seven NBA Finals Championships with the Celtics including six consecutive titles (1957, 1959-1964). Frank Ramsey virtually became Red Auerbach’s first sixth man, coming off the bench to contribute to Auerbach’s potent offense. Ramsey retired with 8,378 points, 3,410 total rebounds and 1,134 assists. Frank Ramsey spent a short time coaching the Kentucky Generals of the ABA during the 1970-71 season compiling a record of 32-35 over 67 games. Frank Ramsey was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.

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Oscar Palmer Robertson (November 24, 1938-) made an immediate impact in the NBA being awarded the 1961 NBA Rookie of the Year, is the only player in the history of the NBA to average a triple-double for an entire season, and honored for his collegiate career with the College Player of the Year Award being renamed the Oscar Robertson Trophy. Oscar attended the University of Cincinnati where he was an All-American, named the college Player of the Year and won the NCAA National Championship in each of his three seasons with the Bearcats. When he left Cincinnati, he held 14 NCAA records and 19 school records. In 1960, Robertson was a member of the gold medal winning basketball team in the Rome Olympic Summer Games with fellow Hall of Famers Jerry West, Jerry Lucas and Walt Bellamy. He was taken as the Number 1 overall (territorial) pick by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1960 NBA Draft where he played for 10 seasons (1960-1970) before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks (1970-1974). With Cincinnati, The Big O, as he was called, led the league in assists six times, four times in free throws, twice in free throw percentage and in 1964 was name d the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.

After being traded to the Bucks, Robertson teamed with second year center, Kareem Abdul Jabbar to win the Bucks first and only NBA Championship over the Baltimore Bullets. Robertson was a 12-time NBA All-Star selection and thrice was named NBA All-Star Game MVP. He was named to nine All-NBA First Teams and two All-NBA Second Teams. Robertson, at 6’5” weighing in at 220 lbs., was the NBA’s first “big guard” as he revolutionized the position for players like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. Oscar finished his career in 1974 with 26,710 points 7,804 total rebounds and 9,887 assists. In 1976, amidst the ABA-NBA merger, the Oscar Robertson suit was filed in court (named after the president of the Players Association) attacking the antitrust laws of the league and essentially creating free agency. Oscar Robertson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1996, The Big O was named to the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history list. He maintains the notion that even today, in his seventies, he could average a triple-double for an entire season.

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William Felton “Bill” Russell (February 12, 1934-) is arguably the greatest NBA player of all-time, having won two NCAA championships, a gold medal in the 1956 Olympics as captain of the U.S. National Basketball Team, and a record 11 National Basketball Associations titles with the Boston Celtics. (He shares the record for most championships by a professional player (11) with Henri Richard of the Montreal Canadiens.) Drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in 1956, Russell was highly coveted by Celtics coach Red Auerbach, who agreed to trade Ed McCauley and, reluctantly, Cliff Hagan to the Hawks for the rights to Russell on draft day. This trade remains one of the most important in NBA history. Bill made an immediate impact on the high-scoring Boston team, as well as the NBA, with a more defensive minded game and absolute dominance in the paint. His unorthodox manner of defending and man-to-man effectiveness, helped guide the Celts to their first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history, capturing the crown over the favored St. Louis Hawks. Russell was the key component on the court that led Boston to 11 titles in his 13-year career.

Playing alongside fellow Hall of Famers Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones and John Havlicek, the Celtics became the most feared team in the league. His matchups with other centers were legendary, but none more so than that with Wilt Chamberlain, who played ferociously against one another. Bill won five NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, was a five-time NBA Rebound Champion, was a 12-time NBA All-Star selection and was a three-time NBA All-NBA First Team player (though he was likely slighted on many occasions being named as an All-NBA Second Team player eight times). Bill Russell retired with 14,522 points, 21,620 total rebounds and 4,100 assists. He was also a prolific shot blocker, though the statistics for blocking shots was not kept until the 1973-74 season. Bill Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. Russell was player/coach during his final three seasons with the Celtics, winning two championships, and coached for the Seattle Supersonics and the Sacramento Kings for five more seasons. He posted a 341-290 record in 631 games. In 1996, he was named to the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list. In 2011, Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama for his accomplishments during the Civil Right Movement both on and off the court.

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Adolph “Dolph” Schayes (May 19, 1928 - December 10, 2015) possessed both a powerful drive to the basket as defenders tried to keep him from taking the outside shot, the weapon that was much more difficult to defend against due to its extremely high arc. Teammates referred to his outside shot as “Sputnik” because of the loft. Dolph played his entire career with the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers franchise (1948-1964), guiding them to 15 postseason appearances in his 16-year career. Drafted out of New York University, Schayes was the fourth overall pick in the 1948 BAA Draft by the New York Knicks, but was also drafted by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks of the NBL Draft. The Blackhawks traded his rights to the Nationals and he chose Syracuse due to the much higher salary offer. Schayes was named the 1949 NBL Rookie of the Year. Named to twelve All-Star games, he was also honored with sis All-NBA First Team selections. In 1955, he led the Nationals the NBA Championship leading the playoffs with 60 field goals in 167 attempts, 89 free throws in 106 attempts, 141 total rebounds, 48 personal fouls and 209 points over 11 games. Schayes led the league in the regular season four times in games played, three times in free throw percentage, twice in minutes played and free throws and once in total rebounds. Schayes ended his career with 18,438 points, 11,256 total rebounds and 3,072 assists. When Dolph retired in 1964, he held the NBA career records for scoring, games, minutes and playoff games played, foul shots made and personal fouls. After retiring as a player, Schayes remained with the Sixers for three seasons as coach. Dolph Schayes was inducted in to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973. 

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Eugene William “Gene” Shue (December 18, 1931-) was named the NBA Coach of the Year twice in his career (1969, 1982) and led the Philadelphia 76ers to the Eastern Conference title and the NBA Finals in 1977 only to lose to the Portland Trailblazers in six games. The Philadelphia Warriors selected Gene as the third overall pick in the 1954 NBA Draft out of the university of Maryland. He played guard for ten seasons with the Warriors (1954), New York Knicks (1954-1956, 1962-63), Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons (1956-1962) and Baltimore Bullets (1963-64). From 1958-1962, Shue was selected for five consecutive NBA All-Star Games, was an All-NBA First Team selection in 1960 and Second Team choice in 1961. Gene Shue finished his playing career with 10,068 points, 2,855 total rebounds and 2,608 assists. In 1966, Gene took over the head coaching duties of the Baltimore Bullets, leading them to the Eastern Conference title in 1971. In 1973, he became head coach with the 76ers and again guided them to the Eastern Conference title in 1977, his last NBA Finals appearance. Gene Shue spent 22 seasons on the bench with the Baltimore/Washington Bullets (1966-1973, 1980-1986), the 76ers (1973-1978) and the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers (1978-1980, 1987-1989). Once retired from head coaching, following the 1989 season, he became a scout for the 76ers.

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John Kennedy “Jack” Twyman (May 21, 1934 - May 30, 2012) became the legal guardian for teammate Maurice Stokes after he suffered a career ending head injury during a game in 1958. The Rochester Royals selected Twyman in the second round of the 1955 NBA Draft out of the University of Cincinnati. The durable forward played his entire career with the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals (1955-1966). He led the league seven times in games played during his 11-year career. He also led the league once in field goal attempts, field goal percentage and free throws. From 1957-1963, he was named to six NBA All-Star Games and was twice selected to the All-NBA Second Team. His humanitarian efforts, specifically those to assist his teammate, are unmatched, as he became the guardian and provider for his fallen comrade for the remainder of his life. Twyman finished his career with 15,840 points, 5,424 total rebounds and 1,861 assists. Twyman became an analyst in the 1960s and ‘70s for NBC following his playing days. Jack Twyman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.

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Jerry Alan West (May 28, 1938-) has been the heart and soul of the Los Angeles Lakers since 1960, as a player, coach and executive, guiding the franchise to its first NBA Championship after moving to LA in 1972 and the 7 of the 10 subsequent championships since his arrival after the 1960 NBA Draft. Jerry was a highly sought-after standout player from West Virginia, having a successful high school career and before becoming one of the best players in the country with the University of West Virginia. Leading the Mountaineers to the NCAA Final Four and eventual championship game, West was named the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player despite losing the final game to California. West was made the second overall pick by the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1960 NBA Draft, shortly before the organization’s relocation to Los Angeles, making Jerry the first draft pick ever of a relocated franchise. Also in 1960, West co-captained the Olympic Basketball team with Oscar Robertson capturing the gold medal at the Rome Summer Olympiad.

Mr. Clutch, as Lakers announcer dubbed West, was named to his first of 14 NBA All-Star Games playing in twelve of fourteen All-Star Games during the span of his career (1960-1974). In 1972, Jerry was named the All-Star Game MVP during a season that he drove his Lakers to an NBA Championship where he also named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Jerry was named to ten All-NBA First Teams and four All-Defensive NBA First Teams. In 1970, he was the NBA’s leading scorer from the free throw line as well as leading the NBA in points per game with a 31.2 average. Various injuries took their toll on West’s playing ability during the waning years of his career and combined with a bitter contract dispute with management, he was forced to retired after the 1973-74 season. West walked away as the leading scorer in Lakers history. He finished his career 25,192 points, 5,366 total rebound and 6,238 assists. Jerry West was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980. West was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. He coached the Lakers from 1976-1979 compiling a record of 145-101 before moving into the front office, taking over as the club’s general manager. West can be credited as the one of the architects of the 1980s Lakers Dynasty teams as well as the three-peating Lakers of 2000-2002. From 2002-2007, he served as the Memphis Grizzlies as a GM. One of the most visible contributions West provided to the NBA is that of his silhouette used to create the NBA’s longstanding and current logo.

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