Joe Graboski Explained

Joe Graboski
Position:Power forward / center
Height Ft:6
Height In:7
Weight Lb:195
Number:15, 9, 29, 23, 44
Birth Date:15 January 1930
Death Place:Columbus, Ohio
Nationality:American
High School:Tuley (Chicago, Illinois)
Career Start:1948
Career End:1967
Years1:1948
Team1:Chicago Stags
Years2:1950–1951
Team2:Kansas City Hi-Spots
Years3:1951
Team3:Louisville Alumnites
Years4:
Team4:Indianapolis Olympians
Years5:
Team5:Philadelphia Warriors
Team6:St. Louis Hawks
Team7:Chicago Packers
Team8:Syracuse Nationals
Years9:1962–1963
Team9:Camden Bullets
Years10:1966–1967
Team10:Asbury Park Boardwalkers
Highlights:
Stats League:NBA
Stat1label:Points
Stat1value:9,280
Stat2label:Rebounds
Stat2value:5,999
Stat3label:Assists
Stat3value:1,502
Bbr:grabojo01

Joseph W. Graboski (January 15, 1930 – July 2, 1998) was an American professional basketball player. He spent 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the third player to enter the NBA without having played in college: (Tony Kappen and Connie Simmons being the first two prep-to-pro players).[1] He was also the second player to play in the league while still being 18 years old. A star at Tuley High School in Chicago, the 6'7" power forward had previously played some basketball with the Illinois Tool Works while he was a high school junior and senior before he began his professional career with the hometown Chicago Stags, with whom he played from 1949 to 1950. He also played for the Indianapolis Olympians, Philadelphia Warriors, St. Louis Hawks, and Chicago Packers, and he left the NBA in 1962 with 9,398 career points and 6,104 career rebounds.

BAA/NBA career statistics

Regular season

YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1948–49Chicago45 .344 .357 .4 2.8
Chicago57 .304 .596 .6 3.6
Indianapolis66 37.0 .387 .667 9.9 2.0 13.7
Indianapolis69 40.1 .340 .682 10.0 2.3 13.0
Philadelphia71 38.9 .354 .674 9.4 2.3 13.3
Philadelphia70 35.9 .340 .686 9.1 2.6 13.6
Philadelphia72 33.0 .369 .706 8.9 2.6 14.4
Philadelphia72 34.7 .349 .783 8.5 1.9 14.3
Philadelphia72 28.8 .335 .749 7.9 1.7 12.6
Philadelphia72 34.5 .353 .750 10.4 2.1 14.7
Philadelphia73 17.4 .372 .753 4.9 1.5 7.7
Philadelphia68 14.9 .333 .694 3.9 1.1 6.8
St. Louis / Chicago / Syracuse38 12.3 .348 .600 4.1 .7 5.1
Career845 30.5 .352 .700 8.1 1.8 11.0

Playoffs

YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1949Chicago1 .000 .000 .0 .0
1950Chicago1 .000 .000 .0 .0
1952Indianapolis2 48.0 .396 .533 11.5 1.5 23.0
1953Indianapolis2 38.0 .500 .750 8.0 .0 17.0
1956Philadelphia10 31.3 .344 .743 9.4 2.7 13.2
1957Philadelphia2 45.5 .325 .818 11.0 2.0 17.5
1958Philadelphia8 31.5 .290 .783 10.3 3.8 12.3
1960Philadelphia9 14.3 .293 .778 3.3 1.0 4.6
1961Philadelphia1 1.0 .000 .000 .0 .0 .0
1962Syracuse4 6.0 .143 1.000 1.0 .0 .8
Career40 25.8 .328 .735 7.1 1.8 9.7

Notes and References

  1. Web site: High School Players to enter NBA . 2008-05-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130512103446/http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0765788.html . 2013-05-12 .