Bob Kinney Explained

Bob Kinney
Height Ft:6
Height In:6
Weight Lbs:215
Nationality:American
Birth Date:16 September 1920
Birth Place:Bexar County, Texas
Death Place:Asheville, North Carolina
High School:Jefferson (San Antonio, Texas)
College:Rice (1939–1942)
Career Start:1945
Career End:1951
Career Position:Center / forward
Career Number:32, 22
Years1:1945–1949
Team1:Fort Wayne Pistons
Years2:1949
Team2:Boston Celtics
Years3:1950–1951
Team3:Anderson Packers
Highlights:
  • Consensus first-team All-American (1942)
  • Consensus second-team All-American (1941)
  • 3× All-SWC (1940–1942)
  • No. 23 retired by Rice Owls
Stats League:BAA/NBA
Stat1label:Points
Stat1value:1,125
Stat2label:Rebounds
Stat2value:Not tracked
Stat3label:Assists
Stat3value:177
Bbr:kinnebo01

Robert Paul Kinney (September 16, 1920 – September 2, 1985) was an American professional basketball player in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Professional Basketball League (NPBL).[1] [2] Besides Bob, his nicknames included Hi-Pocket and Bat-em Bob.[1] Kinney, who attended high school in San Antonio, Texas, went to college at Rice University where he was a standout on the basketball team in 1940–41 and 1941–42.

During his career at Rice, Kinney, who was an imposing, 215lb center and forward, was a two-time consensus All-American. He was a Second Team selection in 1941 and a First Team All-American in 1942. He joined the Fort Wayne Pistons of the National Basketball League (a precursor to the NBA) in 1945.[3] On January 30, 1949, he was sold by the Pistons to the Boston Celtics and finished out the year with them.[1] At the conclusion of the season, the BAA merged with some of the teams from the NBL to form the NBA. Kinney was retained for the season, which was the NBA's first, and therefore the Celtics' first in the league.[1] In 60 games that year, Kinney scored 667 points (11.1 ppg).[1] Kinney's NBA career ended after that season, but he played for the Anderson Packers of the NPBL in 1950–51.[2] In 23 games, he averaged 12.4 points.[2] On November 19, 1950, he tied a Packers franchise record with 28 points in a 73–81 loss to the Louisville Alumnites.[4]

BAA/NBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played FG% Field-goal percentage
 FT% Free-throw percentage APG Assists per game
 PPG Points per game Bold Career high

Regular season

YearTeamGPFG%FT%APGPPG
1948–49Fort Wayne37 .317 .573 1.4 6.9
1948–49Boston21 .335 .593 1.2 9.7
Boston60 .375 .628 1.7 11.1
Career118 .353 .608 1.5 9.5

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bob Kinney. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2010. September 16, 2010.
  2. Web site: 1950–51 National Professional Basketball League. APBR.org. The Association for Professional Basketball Research. 2010. September 16, 2010.
  3. Official NBA Encyclopedia. Doubleday, 2000. pg. 592.
  4. Web site: Luchter. Paul S.. Single-Game Scoring Record Holders for U.S. Professional Basketball Franchises. luckyshow.org. June 7, 2010. September 16, 2010.