Don Bragg (basketball) explained

Don Bragg
Height Ft:6
Height In:4
Birth Date:24 February 1933
Birth Place:San Francisco, California, U.S.
Death Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Highschool:Galileo (San Francisco, California)
College:
Draft Year:1955
Draft Round:7
Draft Pick:54
Draft Team:Minneapolis Lakers
Career Position:Forward / Guard
Team1:Los Angeles Kirby's Shoes
Years1:1955–1956
Team2:Air Force All-Stars
Years2:1956–1958
Highlights:
Bbr:braggdo01

Donald Edward Bragg[1] (February 24, 1933 – November 2, 1985) was an American college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins. Three times he earned honorable mention as an All-American. He was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.

Bragg was named California Mr. Basketball as the state's top high school player in 1950. Playing in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) with UCLA, he was a three-time All-Southern Division selection, including twice on the first team. Bragg later served in the United States Air Force, where he won an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championship with the Air Force All-Stars basketball team. He became a savings and loan executive.

Early life

Bragg was born in San Francisco on February 24, 1933.[2] He attended Galileo High School,[3] where he was an honors student with almost straight A's while playing basketball as a center.[4] [5] In 1950, he was named California Mr. Basketball,[6] and helped the Lions to their first undisputed San Francisco championship since Hank Luisetti graduated in 1934.[7] Bragg lettered three years and was a three-time All-City selection.[8] In his final two seasons, he was voted the Northern California player of the year.[9] [10]

Basketball career

College career

Bragg was leaning towards attending the University of California, Berkeley, but switched to the University of California, Los Angeles, after working for a month in Los Angeles and living at a UCLA fraternity in the summer of 1950.[11] As a freshman for the Bruins in 1951–52, he played on the varsity team. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) had temporarily permitted freshmen to play because many students were leaving college to serve in the Korean War.[12] Bragg was converted to a forward at UCLA,[13] as head coach John Wooden decided that he was not tall enough at 6feet to continue at his high school position.[5] He helped the Bruins win the Southern Division and PCC titles,[3] winning two of three games over Washington to win the conference championship.[14] Leading up to the 1952 NCAA tournament, he broke a toe while stumbling coming out of the shower.[15] UCLA lost both of their games with him hobbled.[12] [16] During the season, he consistently scored in double figures,[3] and he ranked second on the team in rebounds behind Don Johnson.[17] Bragg's 186 rebounds remained the UCLA varsity freshman season record until 1989,[18] when it was broken by Don MacLean. A top defender,[3] Bragg received honorable mention in voting by coaches for the PCC All-Southern Division team.[19]

In 1952–53, Bragg was moved to guard to compensate for the Bruins' lack of height and defensive rebounding in their backcourt following Johnson's graduation.[17] Bragg earned second-team All-Southern Division honors at guard,[20] which he played the rest of his career,[8] and received honorable mention from the Associated Press (AP) and United Press (UP) for their All-American teams.[21] [22] UCLA finished in third place with a 6–6 conference record after four seasons of finishing at least tied for first in the Southern Division.[23] In his junior year in 1953–54, he was named an honorable mention All-American by AP, UP, and International News Service (INS)[24] [25] [26] and was voted first-team All-Southern Division with fellow Bruins guard Ron Livingston.[27] Bragg and John Moore were co-captains of the 1954–55 team,[28] which won the Southern Division before losing the conference championship 2–0 to Oregon State.[29] [30] Bragg again was voted first-team All-Southern Division,[31] while INS and UP named him an honorable mention All-American.[32] [33] Wooden said that he was "a great offensive leader, but few realize he is the best defensive leader there is".[34] Bragg was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994.[35]

AAU career

After college, Bragg was selected by the Minneapolis Lakers (now Los Angeles) in the seventh round of the 1955 NBA draft with the 54th overall pick,[2] but he chose not to play professionally. He played AAU basketball for Los Angeles Kirby's Shoes, teaming with former Bruins Ron Bane and Chuck Clustka.[36] Kirby's won the Los Angeles Major AAU League title in February 1956, when Bragg was also named to the league's all-star team.[37] An Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet at UCLA,[38] he served as an Air Force officer and pilot.[39] That February, he was assigned to Lackland Air Force Base.[8]

Bragg was named to the Air Force All-Stars basketball team, which won the Armed Forces Tournament over the Army, Navy, and Marines in 1956.[8] He was a starter on their 1957 squad that won the Air Force's first AAU championship.[8] [40] Bragg then joined Sheppard Air Force Base, where he was named to the 1958 All-Air Force first team by the Air Force Times.[41] He led the Senators to the Air Training Command championship and was voted the tournament's outstanding player.[42] Sheppard won the World-Wide Air Force Basketball Tournament, and Bragg was named to the all-tournament team.[43] [44] They finished the season with a 34–5 record.[43]

Later years

Holding a BS in accounting from UCLA, Bragg earned an MBA at Stanford University.[45] [46] He became an executive with Pauley Petroleum and Great Western Savings.[39] He joined Great Western in 1962 before being elected as a vice president in 1966.[46] Bragg was named executive vice president of their subsidiary First Savings and Loan Association in 1968,[47] before returning to Great Western Savings in an executive VP role in 1973.[48] He also served as treasurer of the UCLA Alumni Association and was a member of the UCLA Foundation board of trustees.[49] [50]

Bragg was married and had three sons. On November 2, 1985, he died in Los Angeles at age 52. According to his father, he had an apparent heart attack after his typical Saturday morning workout.

Accomplishments and awards

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Scholarship Requirements. UCLA. October 3, 2024.
  2. Don Bragg. b/braggdo01. October 7, 2024.
  3. News: Dick. Hyland. Hyland Fling. February 11, 1953. Los Angeles Times. Part IV, p. 2. Newspapers.com. October 2, 2024.
  4. Book: Chapin. Dwight. Prugh. Jeff. The Wizard of Westwood; Coach John Wooden and his UCLA Bruins. 1973. Houghton Mifflin. 91. registration. Internet Archive. 0395154774. October 2, 2024. chapin1973.
  5. News: Paul. Zimmerman. Sportscripts. January 13, 1952. Los Angeles Times. Part II, p. 8. Newspapers.com. October 2, 2024.
  6. News: Ronnie. Flores. Mr. Basketball 2009: Kawhi Leonard. April 9, 2009. CalHiSports.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20091015072057/http://myespn.go.com/blogs/calhisports/0-6-77/Mr--Basketball-2009--Kawhi-Leonard.html. October 15, 2009.
  7. News: Don. Selby. Lincoln Succumbs With 2 Seconds Left. March 4, 1950. San Francisco Examiner. 17. Newspapers.com. October 2, 2024.
  8. News: Senators Have Potent Threat In Don Bragg. November 20, 1957. Wichita Falls Times. 6B. Newspapers.com. October 2, 2024.
  9. News: Bay City Prep Hoop Star Plans UCLA Enrollment. January 27, 1951. Los Angeles Times. Part III, p. 3. Newspapers.com. October 8, 2024.
  10. News: Bob. Panella. New Bruin Cage Blood. November 27, 1951. Citizen-News. 6. Newspapers.com. October 8, 2024.
  11. News: Don. Selby. Don Bragg Gains Nod Of Critics. January 21, 1951. San Francisco Examiner. 27. Newspapers.com. October 2, 2024.
  12. Book: Davis, Seth. Wooden: A Coach's Life. 2014. St. Martin's Press. 125. 9781250060853. davis2014.
  13. News: Charles Jr.. Keely. Bruins Aim for NCAA Tourney With Big Wins. February 14, 1955. Evening Vanguard. 12. Newspapers.com. October 2, 2024.
  14. News: Jack. Geyer. UCLA Can Bragg on Don—He's Great. February 11, 1954. Los Angeles Times. Part IV, p. 2. Newspapers.com. October 2, 2024.
  15. News: Bragg Doubtful Player For Bruins vs. Broncos. March 18, 1952. Los Angeles Times. Part IV, p. 1. Newspapers.com. October 5, 2024.
  16. News: Rube. Samuelsen. Draw Up A Chair. April 1, 1952. Citizen-News. 15. Newspapers.com. October 5, 2024.
  17. News: Bruins to Start Casaba Drills. October 19, 1952. Daily Newss. 69. Newspapers.com. October 4, 2024.
  18. News: Bruins win buy one; Arizona nips Duke. February 27, 1989. The Camarillo Daily News. B1. AP. Newspapers.com. October 4, 2024.
  19. News: Two Stanford Cager on PCC Coaches' Team. March 5, 1952. Oakland Tribune. 39. Newspapers.com. October 5, 2024.
  20. News: Ken Flower Unanimous 'All' Choice. March 7, 1953. Los Angeles Times. Part IV, p. 3. Newspapers.com. October 4, 2024.
  21. News: Seton Hall Cager Makes AP All-America Team. Corpus Christi Times. March 2, 1953. 4-B. AP. Newspapers.com. October 6, 2024.
  22. News: The United Press All-America Cage Team. March 4, 1953. The Kansas City Star. 25. Newspapers.com. October 6, 2024.
  23. [#davis2014|Davis 2014]
  24. News: The All-American Teams. The Asheville Citizen. AP. February 27, 1954. 9. Newspapers.com. October 2, 2024.
  25. News: UP All-America. March 4, 1954. The Patriot. UP. 41. Newspapers.com. October 4, 2024.
  26. News: Pettit Makes INS Team. March 7, 1954. The Shreveport Times. 4-E. INS. Newspapers.com. October 2, 2024.
  27. News: Coaches Pick All-Divisional PCC Teams. March 5, 1954. Telegram-Tribune. UP. 6. Newspapers.com. October 4, 2024.
  28. Book: Naulls, Willie. Levitation's View: Lessons Voiced from an Extraordinary Journey, Volume II: The Wooden Years. 2005. Willie Naulls Ministries. 202–203. registration. 0976370913. Internet Archive. October 7, 2024.
  29. News: UCLA Cagers Meet Oregon Friday Night. March 3, 1955. The California Eagle. 6. Newspapers.com. October 5, 2024.
  30. News: Dick. Strite. OSU Plasters UCLA, 83–64. March 6, 1955. Eugene Register-Guard. 1C, 2C. Newspapers.com. October 5, 2024.
  31. News: Moore, Naulls, Bragg Names On All-Southern Division Team; Halbook All-Northern. March 4, 1955. Gazette-Times. Corvallis, Oregon. 12. May 31, 2021. Newspapers.com.
  32. News: Russell, Green, Gola Top INS All-Star Team. March 6, 1955. The Daily Oklahoman. D-5. INS. Newspapers.com. October 4, 2024.
  33. News: Littleton Given Honorable Nod. February 28, 1955. The Wichita Eagle. 11. UP. Newspapers.com. October 2, 2024.
  34. News: Jack. Tobin. Bragg Is 'Coach' on the Floor. March 3, 1955. The Mirror and Daily News. Part III, p. 3. Newspapers.com. October 5, 2024.
  35. News: Wendy. Weatherspoon. Car Crash Does Not Deter UCLA's Walls. March 1, 1994. Los Angeles Times. C5. Newspapers.com. October 2, 2024.
  36. News: Elks' Debut Tonight in Westmont Clash. December 2, 1955. Santa Maria Times. 2. Newspapers.com. October 7, 2024.
  37. News: Kirby's Shoes Clinches Title. February 5, 1956. Los Angeles Times. Part II, p. 11. Newspapers.com. October 2, 2024.
  38. News: Awards Given Air Force ROTC Unit at UCLA. June 12, 1955. Los Angeles Times. Part II, p. 22. Newspapers.com. October 2, 2024.
  39. Web site: Donald Bragg. UCLA Athletics. October 3, 2024.
  40. News: Carlos. Salazar. Melbourne Trip Was Thrill—Boushka. April 2, 1957. The Albuquerque Tribune. 19. Newspapers.com. October 16, 2024.
  41. News: Warren Picked Tops On AF Cage Squad. March 6, 1958. Wichita Falls Record News. 7B. Newspapers.com. October 5, 2024.
  42. News: Senators Win Tourney, Gain World Wide Berth. February 25, 1958. Wichita Falls Times. 15. Newspapers.com. October 5, 2024.
  43. News: Sheppard Captures World-Wide Cage Title. March 16, 1958. Wichita Falls Times. B1. Newspapers.com. October 5, 2024.
  44. News: Team Picked For AAU Meet. March 16, 1958. Rocky Mountain News. 79. Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. October 6, 2024.
  45. News: Don Bragg. November 13, 1985. San Francisco Examiner. B-13. Newspapers.com. October 3, 2024.
  46. News: Donald Bragg is Great Western Vice President. January 28, 1966. Evening Vanguard. 3. Newspapers.com. October 3, 2024.
  47. News: 1st Saving Post Filled. August 8, 2024. The Berkeley Daily Gazette. 15. Newspapers.com. October 4, 2024.
  48. News: Business & People. December 19, 1973. Los Angeles Times. Part III, p. 19. Newspapers.com. October 4, 2024.
  49. News: West Siders on UCLA Alumni Panel. September 12, 1974. Los Angeles Times. W-8. Newspapers.com. October 7, 2024.
  50. News: Fund Raisers for UCLA Add 13 Trustees. September 29, 1974. Los Angeles Times. W-11. Newspapers.com. October 7, 2024.

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