| Mike LaRoche | |
| Position: | Shooting Guard |
| Birth Date: | May 24, 1946 |
| Birth Place: | Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States |
| Death Date: | July 30, 2020 |
| Death Place: | Granite Bay, California, United States |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Weight Lb: | 200 |
| High School: | Fillmore High School |
| College: | Cal Poly |
| Draft Year: | 1968 |
| Draft Round: | Additional |
| Draft Team: | Los Angeles Stars (ABA) |
| Career Start: | 1968 |
| Career End: | 1968 |
| Career Position: | Shooting Guard |
| Career Number: | 14 |
| Highlights: | 3x All-CCAA (1966–68) |
| Years1: | 1968–1969 |
| Team1: | Los Angeles Stars |
| Height In: | 4 |
| Draft League: | ABA |
Mike LaRoche (May 24, 1946 – July 30, 2020) was an American professional basketball player in the American Basketball Association, rostered briefly in the 1968–69 season with the then-Los Angeles Stars.
LaRoche attended Fillmore High School, and in 2010 was inducted into the school's inaugural Hall of Fame.[1]
Playing for Cal Poly, LaRoche was the CCAA's leading scorer in 1966–67, and earned all-conference status three consecutive times.
| 1965–66 | 24 | 127 | 5.3 | 445 | 18.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966–67 | 23 | 200 | 8.7 | 550 | 23.9 | |
| 1967–68 | 23 | 178 | 7.7 | 505 | 21.9 | |
| Career | 70 | 505 | 7.2 | 1,500 | 21.4 |
Los Angeles selected LaRoche with a pick in the additional rounds of the 1968 ABA Draft.[2] Standing 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, LaRoche signed with the Stars in June 1968, for $12,000 with a signing bonus of $3,000, after scoring eight points each in two summer intrasquad games at the L.A. Sports Arena. Of the signing, L.A. coach Bill Sharman commented: "LaRoche showed us a lot during our rookie summer camp. He is a fine shooter, very aggressive and an excellent defensive player."[3]
He was assigned uniform number 14, and netted 14, 26 and then 10 points in a trio of the club's preseason scrimmages.[4]
While then rostered for the Stars' first two regular-season games,[5] LaRoche did not see any floor time during either of the two games, and thereafter was released.
After basketball, he went on to a lengthy law career.[6]