Pete Lalich Explained

Pete Lalich
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lb:190
Birth Date:23 June 1920
Birth Place:Lorain, Ohio
Death Place:St. Petersburg, Florida
Nationality:American
High School:East Technical (Cleveland, Ohio)
College:Ohio (1939–1942)
Career Start:1942
Career End:1946
Career Position:Forward / center
Years1:1942–1943
Team1:Sheboygan Red Skins
Years2:1943–1944
Team2:Cleveland Brass
Years3:1944–1945
Team3:Pittsburgh Raiders
Years4:1945–1946
Team4:Youngstown Bears
Years5:1946
Team5:Cleveland Rebels
Bbr:lalicpe01

Peter Todd Lalich (June 23, 1920 – February 1, 2008) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Cleveland Rebels of the Basketball Association of America (now known as the National Basketball Association).[1] [2]

High school career

Lalich played basketball for East Technical High School in Cleveland, Ohio, where he captained a championship team in 1938.[3]

College career

A multi-sport athlete, Lalich played basketball and baseball at Ohio University. Playing the center position,[4] he was a four-year starter for the basketball team.[5] In 1987 he was inducted into the Ohio University Athletics Hall of Fame.[6]

Professional career

Lalich played professionally in the National Basketball League with the Sheboygan Redskins, the Cleveland Chase Brassmen, the Pittsburgh Raiders and the Youngstown Bears.[7] In 1946, Lalich joined the Cleveland Rebels. He appeared in one game for the team in the Basketball Association of America where he attempted one field goal and was credited with one personal foul.[8]

Later life

Following his basketball career, Lalich worked for 35 years for Western & Southern Life Insurance Company, retiring in 1980 as divisional vice-president of sales.[5]

Personal

He was the son of Serbian immigrants and his older brother, Nick Lalich, was also a professional basketball player for the 1945–46 Youngstown Bears in the NBL and was the leader of the OSS team that rescued about 550 downed air crews during World War II Operation Halyard, without losing a single life or a single plane.[9]

BAA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played
 FG% Field-goal percentage
 FT% Free-throw percentage
 APG Assists per game
 PPG Points per game

Regular season

YearTeamGPFG%FT%APGPPG
1946–47Cleveland1 .000 .000 .0 .0
Career1 .000 .000 .0 .0

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pete Lalich. Basketball-Reference.com.
  2. News: Carlos Frias . A basketball pro from a simpler time . 15 March 2022 . . 20 May 1998.
  3. News: Classy Ball-Handler is Pete Lalich; And a great player! . 15 March 2022 . . 17 November 1942 . 26.
  4. News: Pat Yasinskas . NIT once was the big game for basketball . 15 March 2022 . . 6 April 1992.
  5. News: Walter Riddle . Lalich's name is synonymous with Ohio University . 15 March 2022 . . 14 March 1988.
  6. Web site: OHIOBOBCATS.COM - Ohio Official Athletic Site - Hall of Fame. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140719132740/http://www.ohiobobcats.com/hallfame/ohio-hallfame.html. 2014-07-19.
  7. News: Stephanie Hayes . He played pro basketball when it was a second job . 15 March 2022 . . 8 February 2008.
  8. Web site: Pete Lalich Past Stats, Playoff Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120925222730/http://www.databasebasketball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=LALICPE01 . 2012-09-25 .
  9. Web site: Nick A. Lalich, 85, leader of OSS team that rescued downed air crews in WWII . . May 15, 2001 . 14 June 2016.