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Walt Bellamy

For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Walt Bellamy (ice hockey).

Walt Bellamy
Bellamy with the Atlanta Hawks in 1972
Personal information
Born(1939-07-24)July 24, 1939
New Bern, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedNovember 2, 2013(2013-11-02) (aged 74)
College Park, Georgia, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High schoolJ.T. Barber
(New Bern, North Carolina)
CollegeIndiana (1958–1961)
NBA draft1961: 1st round, 1st overall pick
Selected by the Chicago Packers
Playing career1961–1974
PositionCenter
Number8
Career history
1961–1965Chicago Packers / Zephyrs / Baltimore Bullets
1965–1968New York Knicks
1968–1970Detroit Pistons
1970–1974Atlanta Hawks
1974New Orleans Jazz
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points20,941 (20.1 ppg)
Rebounds14,241 (13.7 rpg)
Assists2,544 (2.4 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference
Basketball Hall of Fame
Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1960 Rome Team competition

Walter Jones Bellamy (July 24, 1939 – November 2, 2013) was an American professional basketball player. A four-time NBA All-Star, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Early life

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Bellamy was born on July 24, 1939, in New Bern, North Carolina. Money was tight and food sparse for his family. He attended West Street School and J.T. Barber High School where the 6 ft 1 in 14-year old learned basic basketball skills from coach Simon Coates. As a senior in 1956, he was on the football team that won a state championship, with Bellamy gaining all-state honors as a football player. In the same year, he had 47 points in a state playoff basketball game. He graduated in 1957. There is a street named for him in New Bern.[1]

College career

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Bellamy chose to play basketball at Indiana University. About the experience, he recalled: "In the summer after my junior year of high school I played with some guys from Indiana. Indiana at the time was the closest school to the South that would accept African-Americans. It was an easy transition for me to make. Not that I was naive to what was going on in Bloomington in terms of the times, but it didn't translate to the athletic department or the classroom. Every relationship was good."[2]

Bellamy graduated from Indiana University with the most school rebounds in a career with 1,087 in only 70 games, or 15.5 per game. He also averaged 20.6 points per game and shot 51.7 percent from the floor for his college career. As a senior, Bellamy averaged 17.8 rebounds per game (still Indiana's record).[3][4] He also holds the school records for most rebounds in a season (649) and most double-doubles in a career (59). In 2000, he was selected to Indiana University's All-Century Team.[4]

In his final college game, he set an Indiana and Big Ten Conference record that still stands with 33 rebounds in an 82–67 win over Michigan.[5][6] Bellamy was named an All-American in both his junior and senior year (1960 and 1961). Bellamy was the first Hoosier taken No. 1 in the 1961 NBA draft and the first Hoosier named NBA Rookie of the Year.[4]

1960 Olympics

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Bellamy was the starting center on the gold medal-winning 1960 American basketball team at the 1960 Summer Olympics.[7] 10 of the 12 college players on the undefeated American squad went on to play professionally in the NBA, including fellow Big Ten player Terry Dischinger (a future Bellamy NBA teammate in Chicago and Baltimore[8][9][10]), and fellow future Hall-of-Famers Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry Lucas. The team produced four consecutive NBA rookies of the year, and three members of the NBA's 50 greatest players list announced in 1996.[11][12][13]

NBA career

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Bellamy (No. 8) averaged 31.6 points per game and 19.0 rebounds per game during his rookie season.

Bellamy had a stellar 14-year career in the NBA, and was the NBA first overall draft pick in 1961, drafted by the Chicago Packers.[14] Bellamy was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1962 after having arguably one of the three greatest rookie seasons in NBA history along with Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson.[4][15] His 31.6 points per game average that season is second all-time for a rookie to Wilt Chamberlain's 37.6, and the 19 rebounds per game[16] he averaged that season is the third-best all-time rookie mark (to Chamberlain's 27 and Bill Russell's 19.6).[4] No NBA rookie has since surpassed Bellamy's 973 field goals during the 1961–62 season, and the only rookie with more field goals was Wilt Chamberlain with 1,065.[17] Bellamy also led the NBA in field goal percentage in his rookie season (ahead of Chamberlain),[18] and had a 23-point, 17-rebound performance in the 1962 NBA All-Star Game.[19] From 1964-1966 he was the all-time leader in field goal percentage, but was passed by Chamberlain.[7] In his first game against Chamberlain, in 1961, Bellamy did not score in the first half, Chamberlain blocking Bellamy's first nine shots.[20][21]

Members of the 1963–64 Baltimore Bullets, from left to rightː Rod Thorn, Charles Hardnett, Walt Bellamy, Gus Johnson, and Terry Dischinger. Thorn, Bellamy and Johnson were elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

In the 1964–65 season, Bellamy scored 37 points and had 37 rebounds in a win against the St. Louis Hawks.[22][23] His 37 rebounds was his career-high in rebounds.[24] Bellamy played with the Chicago Packers (1961-1962), renamed the Chicago Zephyrs the next season (1962-1963), and then the Baltimore Bullets,[25] for his first four seasons. He was traded from the Bullets to the New York Knicks for Johnny Green, Johnny Egan, Jim Barnes and cash on November 1, 1965. He had been coveted by the Knicks since he entered the league.[26]

Due to trades to teams with offset game schedules during the 1968–69 season when he was traded (with Howard Komives) from the Knicks to the Detroit Pistons for Dave DeBusschere, Bellamy set a still-standing record for NBA games played in a single season with 88,[15] playing 35 games with the Knicks and 53 with the Pistons.[16] Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award writer Peter Vecsey believes that the significance of this trade to the Knicks future success obscured the fact that Bellamy was one of the top players in NBA history.[27] He later played for several seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, and finished his career with the New Orleans Jazz.[16]

Bellamy ended his NBA career with 20,941 points and 14,241 rebounds,[15] and is a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, being inducted in 1993 for his individual career,[15] and in 2010 as a member of the 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team.[11]

When Bellamy retired, he was the sixth all-time leading scoring and third all-time in rebounding.[15]

Personal life

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After his retirement from the NBA, Bellamy was active with the NAACP, the Urban League and the YMCA in the Atlanta area.[28] He served as a Goodwill Ambassador and member of the Executive Committee of the NAACP's Georgia State Conference.

Bellamy was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[29] His half-brother is professional boxer Ron Bellamy.[1]

Bellamy died on November 2, 2013, at the age of 74.[30] He was survived by his wife of 53 years, Helen Hollie Ragland Bellamy, son Derrin Bellamy, and two grandsons. He was buried at Atlanta's South-View Cemetery.[31]

NBA career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1961–62 Chicago 79 – 42.3 .519 – .644 19.0 2.7 – – 31.6
1962–63 Chicago 80 – 41.3 .527 – .674 16.4 2.9 – – 27.9
1963–64 Baltimore 80 – 42.4 .513 – .651 17.0 1.6 – – 27.0
1964–65 Baltimore 80 – 41.3 .509 – .685 14.6 2.4 – – 24.8
1965–66 Baltimore 8 – 33.5 .452 – .597 12.8 2.3 – – 19.0
1965–66 New York 72 – 42.8 .512 – .627 16.0 3.0 – – 23.2
1966–67 New York 79 – 38.1 .521 – .636 13.5 2.6 – – 19.0
1967–68 New York 82 – 32.9 .541 – .662 11.7 2.0 – – 16.7
1968–69 New York 35 – 32.5 .507 – .619 11.0 2.2 – – 15.2
1968–69 Detroit 53 – 38.2 .512 – .663 13.5 1.9 – – 18.8
1969–70 Detroit 56 – 20.9 .547 – .562 7.1 1.0 – – 10.0
1969–70 Atlanta 23 – 37.2 .491 – .605 13.5 3.8 – – 15.5
1970–71 Atlanta 82 – 35.5 .493 – .604 12.9 2.8 – – 14.7
1971–72 Atlanta 82 – 38.9 .545 – .585 12.8 3.2 – – 18.6
1972–73 Atlanta 74 – 37.9 .505 – .538 13.0 2.4 – – 16.1
1973–74 Atlanta 77 – 31.7 .486 – .608 9.6 2.5 .7 .6 13.1
1974–75 New Orleans 1 – 14.0 1.000 – 1.000 5.0 .0 .0 .0 6.0
Career 1,043 – 37.3 .516 – .632 13.7 2.4 .7 .6 20.1
All-Star 4 3 20.8 .500 – .526 7.5 1.0 – – 12.0

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1965 Baltimore 10 – 42.7 .468 – .663 15.1 3.4 – – 20.9
1967 New York 4 – 39.3 .519 – .586 16.5 3.0 – – 18.3
1968 New York 6 – 46.2 .421 – .625 16.0 3.5 – – 20.0
1970 Atlanta 9 – 40.9 .468 – .717 15.6 3.9 – – 16.8
1971 Atlanta 5 – 43.2 .594 – .759 14.4 2.0 – – 20.8
1972 Atlanta 6 – 41.2 .488 – .628 13.7 1.8 – – 18.5
1973 Atlanta 6 – 41.2 .395 – .452 12.2 2.2 – – 13.7
Career 46 – 42.2 .471 – .642 14.8 3.0 – – 18.5

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Thompson, Adam (November 3, 2013). "Basketball: Bellamy leaves legacy". New Bern Sun Journal. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  2. ^ Houser, Lynn (January 9, 2007). "Bellamy still a staple of IU record book". Herald Times. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  3. ^ Hammel, Bob (1999). Glory of Old IU. United States: Sports Publishing Inc. pp. 130. ISBN 1-58261-068-1.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Former IU Basketball Player, Walt Bellamy, Dies at 74", Indiana's NewsCenter, November 2, 2013
  5. ^ "2018–19 Big 10 Men's Basketball Record_Book" (PDF). p. 38. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 21, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  6. ^ "Former Indiana basketball great Walt Bellamy dies; he was 74". The Indianapolis Star. November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Walter Jones Bellamy, Jr". olympics.com.
  8. ^ Klingaman, Mike (October 16, 2013). "Fifty years later, 1963 Bullets remember an interesting first season in Baltimore". Baltimore Sun.
  9. ^ "Terry Dischinger". basketball-reference.com.
  10. ^ "SCOUTING REPORTS". Sports Illustrated. 19 (18). October 28, 1963.
  11. ^ a b "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: 1960 United States Olympic Team". www.hoophall.com. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  12. ^ "NBA at 50: Top 50 Players". NBA.com. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  13. ^ "1960 Stats - United States Men's National Basketball Team". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  14. ^ "1961 NBA Draft". basketball-reference.com.
  15. ^ a b c d e "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Walt Bellamy". www.hoophall.com. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c "Walt Bellamy Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  17. ^ "NBA Individual Regular Season Records For Field Goals". basketball-reference.com.
  18. ^ "Season Leaders | Stats | NBA.com, 1961-1962 Regular Season Totals FG%". www.nba.com. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  19. ^ "1962 NBA All-Star Game Box Score". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  20. ^ Bhargava, Yakshpat (April 4, 2024). ""You won't get a shot off in the first half"". BasketballNetwork.net.
  21. ^ UPI (November 20, 1961). "Wilt Scores 51 In Warrior Triumph; Royals Triumph". Reading Eagle.
  22. ^ "Hawks vs Bullets, December 4, 1964". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  23. ^ "Bullets Beat Hawks, 108-106". New York Times. December 5, 1964.
  24. ^ "Top 5 all-time Washington Wizards' rebounding leaders". NBA.com. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  25. ^ "Sports Team History". sportsteamhistory.com. December 27, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  26. ^ "Knicks Grab Bellamy: For 3 Players, $$," United Press International (UPI), Tuesday, November 2, 1965. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  27. ^ Vecsey, Peter (March 16, 2021). "Hoop Du Jour: Gone But Not Forgotten". legendsofbasketball.com.
  28. ^ Goldstein, Richard (November 3, 2013), "Walt Bellamy, Hall of Famer and Footnote, Dies at 74", The New York Times
  29. ^ "Walt Bellamy". The Sphinx. 84 (2). Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity: 51. Spring 1999.
  30. ^ Golliver, Ben (November 2, 2013). "Hall of Famer Walt Bellamy dies at 74". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  31. ^ "Walter BELLAMY Jr. Obituary (2013) Atlanta Journal-Constitution". Legacy.com.
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