| Steve Puidokas | |
| Birth Date: | 12 April 1955 |
| Birth Place: | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Sardinia, Italy |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 11 |
| Weight Lb: | 265 |
| High School: | St. Laurence (Burbank, Illinois) |
| College: | Washington State (1973–1977) |
| Draft Year: | 1977 |
| Draft Round: | 3 |
| Draft Pick: | 57 |
| Draft Team: | Washington Bullets |
| Career Position: | Center |
| Highlights: |
|
Steven John Puidokas (April 12, 1955 – August 12, 1994) was an American professional basketball player in Europe.[1] He played college basketball for the Washington State Cougars from 1973 to 1977.[2] [3] He left Washington State as both their all-time leading scorer with 1,894 points and all-time leading rebounder with 992 rebounds. He was inducted posthumously into the Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Hall of Honor in 2012.[2]
Puidokas was the first Washington State men's basketball player to have his number (55) retired, and remained the only one until the school retired Klay Thompson's in 2020.[4]
As a high school player, Puidokas was named a third-team All-American by Parade Magazine in 1973.[5]
In 1955, Steve Puidokas was born in a Lithuanian American family of John Julian Puidokas and Genovaitė Giedraitis in Chicago.[6] Puidokas was married to an Italian woman and had five children. He died at the age of 39, because of problems with his heart while living in Sardinia, Italy.[6]