Ken Sears

Kenneth Robert Sears (August 17, 1933 – April 23, 2017)[1][2] was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the first basketball player on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, appearing on the December 20, 1954, issue during his senior season in college.[3]

For the baseball player, see Ken Sears (baseball).
Ken Sears
c. 1958
Personal information
Born(1933-08-17)August 17, 1933
Watsonville, California, U.S.
DiedApril 23, 2017(2017-04-23) (aged 83)
Watsonville, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight198 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High schoolWatsonville (Watsonville, California)
CollegeSanta Clara (1951–1955)
NBA draft1955 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall
Selected by the New York Knicks
Playing career1955–1964
PositionPower forward / Small forward
Number12, 20, 17
Career history
1955–1961New York Knicks
1961–1962San Francisco Saints
1962New York Knicks
1962–1964San Francisco Warriors
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points7,355 (13.9 ppg)
Rebounds4,142 (7.8 rpg)
Assists843 (1.6 apg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Born and raised in Watsonville, California, Sears graduated from its high school in 1951 and played college basketball at nearby Santa Clara University. As a freshman, Sears led the Broncos to the final four (semifinals) of the NCAA tournament in 1952, held in Seattle.[4][5]

A 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) forward, Sears was a first round selection of the New York Knicks in the 1955 NBA draft and played eight seasons (1955–1961, 1962–1964) in the NBA with the Knicks and San Francisco Warriors. He averaged 13.9 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game in his NBA career, appearing as an NBA All-Star in 1958 and 1959. Sears also led the NBA in field goal percentage in consecutive years (1959, 1960).[6]

Sears spent the 1961–62 season with the San Francisco Saints in the short-lived American Basketball League (ABL).[7]

NBA career statistics
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
 †  Won an NBA championship *  Led the league

Regular season
YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1955–56 New York 7029.6.438.7968.81.612.8
1956–57 New York 72*34.9.418.7908.51.414.8
1957–58 New York 72*37.3.439.82210.91.818.6
1958–59 New York 7135.2.490*.8619.31.921.0
1959–60 New York 6432.8.477*.86813.62.018.5
1960–61 New York 5226.8.424.8255.62.014.4
1962–63 New York 2315.6.522.5652.91.75.3
1962-63 San Francisco 5414.5.533.8612.61.06.1
1963–64 San Francisco 5110.2.442.8101.80.83.3
Career 52928.2.455.8267.81.613.9
All-Star 220.0.529.9004.50.513.5

Playoffs
YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1959 New York 232.0.370.8678.53.016.5
1964 San Francisco 73.4.432–1.70.41.7
Career 99.8.432.8673.21.05.0


References
  1. FitzGerald, Tom (April 24, 2017). "Former Santa Clara, NBA forward Ken Sears dies at 83". SFGATE.com. Retrieved April 25, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. "Men's Basketball Hall of Famer Passes Away". Santa Clara Athletics. April 24, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  3. "Cover". Sports Illustrated. December 20, 1954.
  4. "Santa Clara to meet Kansas in NCAA basketball drama". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. March 25, 1952. p. 14.
  5. Mayer, Bill (March 25, 1952). "Jayhawkers enter home stretch". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). p. 9.
  6. NBA career statistics. Retrieved May 31, 2007.
  7. History of the American Basketball League. Retrieved May 31, 2007.
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