Bob Lavoy Explained

Bob Lavoy
Height Ft:6
Height In:7
Weight Lb:185
Birth Date:29 June 1926
Birth Place:Aurora, Illinois
Death Place:Tampa, Florida
Nationality:American
High School:East Aurora (Aurora, Illinois)
College:Western Kentucky (1947–1950)
Draft Year:1950
Draft Round:1
Draft Pick:8
Draft Team:Indianapolis Olympians
Career Start:1950
Career End:1954
Career Number:8, 16
Career Position:Power forward / center
Years1:
Team1:Indianapolis Olympians
Team2:Milwaukee Hawks
Team3:Syracuse Nationals
Cyears1:1958–1966
Cteam1:Tampa Spartans
Stats League:NBA
Stat1label:Points
Stat1value:2,156 (8.2 ppg)
Stat2label:Rebounds
Stat2value:1,634 (6.2 rpg)
Stat3label:Assists
Stat3value:391 (1.5 apg)
Bbr:lavoybo01
Highlights:

Bob Lavoy (June 29, 1926 – December 18, 2010[1]) was an American professional basketball player and coach. Lavoy played for three years at Western Kentucky University before a short stint in the National Basketball Association. Lavoy spent most of his time in the NBA with the Indianapolis Olympians but also played a season with the Syracuse Nationals. He also coached at the University of Tampa for eight years.[2]

College career

Lavoy played his college ball at Western Kentucky University and led the Hilltoppers to a 78–12 record during his three years in Bowling Green. He helped Western Kentucky capture a Kentucky Intercollegiate Conference title and two Ohio Valley Conference championships. Lavoy and the Hilltoppers played in the National Invitational Tournament three years in a row. The closest the Hilltoppers came to winning the NIT was in 1948 when the Hilltoppers fell in the semifinals to Saint Louis University 60–53. Saint Louis was led by future member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, Ed Macauley.

Lavoy was inducted into the Western Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, the Illinois Athletic Hall of Fame and the East Aurora High School.

Professional career

Lavoy was drafted by the Indianapolis Olympians with the 9th overall pick in the 1950 NBA draft. Lavoy started for the Olympians for three seasons and was 10th in the league in field goal percentage in 1952 and 9th in 1953. The Olympians folded after the 1952–53 season and Lavoy was selected by the Milwaukee Hawks in the dispersal draft. He never played a game for the Hawks though, and was traded to the Syracuse Nationals for Noble Jorgensen. Lavoy only played one season in Syracuse and in that season, the Nationals lost in the 1954 NBA Finals to the Minneapolis Lakers in seven games. During his four-year career in the NBA, Lavoy averaged 27 minutes a game, 8.2 points a game (.384 FG%, .707 FT%), 6.2 rebounds a game and 1.5 assists a game.

Career statistics

NBA

Source:[3]

Regular season

YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1950–51Indianapolis63 .357 .632 4.9 1.2 8.3
1951–52Indianapolis63 29.0 .397 .753 7.6 1.7 10.3
1952–53Indianapolis70 33.2 .402 .694 7.5 1.9 8.8
1953–54Milwaukee8 15.6 .444 .563 3.8 1.3 5.1
1953–54Syracuse60 19.2 .372 .752 4.8 1.1 5.4
Career264 27.0 .384 .707 6.2 1.5 8.4

Playoffs

YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1951Indianapolis3 .000 .600 2.0 1.3 1.0
1952Indianapolis2 39.0 .333 .750 10.0 2.0 12.0
1953Indianapolis2 23.5 .250 .400 5.0 1.0 5.0
1954Syracuse13* 27.5 .389 .800 6.5 1.5 9.1
Career20 28.4 .345 .753 6.1 1.5 7.8

Notes and References

  1. http://stei-23784.tributes.com/show/Robert-Lavoy-90332786 Obituary
  2. http://www.wku.edu/tradition/HOF/96hof.html#anchor396996 Western Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame Bio
  3. Web site: Bob Lavoy NBA stats. Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. 11 July 2023.