| Lew Hitch | |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 8 |
| Weight Lb: | 200 |
| Birth Date: | 16 July 1929 |
| Birth Place: | Griggsville, Illinois |
| Nationality: | American |
| High School: | Griggsville-Perry (Griggsville, Illinois) |
| College: |
|
| Draft Round: | 2 |
| Draft Pick: | 19 |
| Draft Year: | 1951 |
| Draft Team: | Minneapolis Lakers |
| Career Start: | 1951 |
| Career End: | 1957 |
| Career Position: | Power forward / center |
| Career Number: | 11, 12, 15, 14 |
| Years1: | – |
| Team1: | Minneapolis Lakers |
| Years2: | – |
| Team2: | Milwaukee Hawks |
| Years3: | – |
| Team3: | Minneapolis Lakers |
| Team4: | Philadelphia Warriors |
| Highlights: |
|
| Stats League: | NBA |
| Stat1label: | Points |
| Stat1value: | 2,075 (5.0 ppg) |
| Stat2label: | Rebounds |
| Stat2value: | 2,183 (5.3 rpg) |
| Stat3label: | Assists |
| Stat3value: | 499 (1.2 apg) |
| Bbr: | hitchle01 |
Lewis Rufus Hitch (July 16, 1929 - February 8, 2012) was an American professional basketball player. He was born in Griggsville, Illinois.
A 6'8" forward/center from Kansas State University, Hitch played six seasons (1951–1957) in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Minneapolis Lakers, Milwaukee Hawks, and Philadelphia Warriors. He averaged 5.0 points per game in his career and won the 1952 and 1953 championships with the Lakers.
He died on February 8, 2012, after an extended illness.[1]
Source[2]
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951–52† | Minneapolis | 61 | 13.9 | .358 | .670 | 4.0 | .8 | 3.6 | |
| 1952–53† | Minneapolis | 70 | 14.7 | .349 | .610 | 3.9 | .9 | 3.7 | |
| 1953–54 | Milwaukee | 72 | 34.1 | .367 | .639 | 9.6 | 2.0 | 8.0 | |
| 1954–55 | Milwaukee | 57 | 25.5 | .387 | .675 | 6.1 | 1.8 | 6.2 | |
| Minneapolis | 17 | 19.0 | .471 | .694 | 5.5 | 1.4 | 5.8 | ||
| 1955–56 | Minneapolis | 69 | 16.4 | .400 | .758 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 4.2 | |
| 1956–57 | Rochester | 30 | 18.5 | .372 | .725 | 4.0 | .5 | 4.8 | |
| Philadelphia | 38 | 15.2 | .377 | .703 | 3.5 | .7 | 3.7 | ||
| Career | 414 | 20.2 | .376 | .674 | 5.3 | 1.2 | 5.0 | ||
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952† | Minneapolis | 13 | 11.7 | .360 | .286 | 3.4 | .7 | 1.8 | |
| 1953† | Minneapolis | 12* | 15.8 | .348 | .531 | 5.3 | .9 | 4.1 | |
| 1955 | Minneapolis | 7 | 19.6 | .400 | .793 | 6.0 | 1.4 | 7.9 | |
| 1956 | Minneapolis | 3 | 18.0 | .308 | .700 | 5.0 | .7 | 5.0 | |
| 1957 | Philadelphia | 2 | 1.5 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.0 | .0 | 1.0 | |
| Career | 37 | 14.5 | .360 | .585 | 4.5 | .9 | 3.9 | ||