Clyde Edward Lovellette (/loʊˈvɛlɛt/loh-VEL-et;[1] September 7, 1929 – March 9, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. Lovellette was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988. He was the first basketball player in history to achieve the Triple Crown — playing on an NCAA championship team, Olympics gold medal basketball team, and NBA championship squad.
Basketball career
Lovellette in 1961
Lovellette fostered the trend of tall, physical and high-scoring centers. A two-time All-State performer at Garfield High School in Terre Haute, Indiana. As a high school junior (1946–47), Lovellette's previously undefeated high school team in Terre Haute, Indiana, lost in the Indiana state championship finals to a Shelbyville team led by Bill Garrett. The six-foot-nine Lovellette later attended the University of Kansas where he became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.
Lovellette and basketball legend Dean Smith were teammates at Kansas. He is still the only college player to lead the nation in scoring and win the NCAA title in the same year. Lovellette's dominance in the paint landed him a place on the 1952 Summer Olympics gold medal team in Helsinki, Finland and he was the team's dominating player and leading scorer.[2]
At the professional level, Lovelette became one of the first big men to move outside and utilize the one-handed set shot that extended his shooting range and offensive repertoire. This tactic enabled him to play either the small forward, power forward or center positions, forcing the opposition's big man to play out of position.[4] In 1957, Lovelette led Minneapolis to the NBA Western Division Finals by averaging a playoffs career best 24.2 points along with 9.4 rebounds per game.[5] Despite performing big, including scoring 33 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in Game 2 of the series,[6] Lovelette and the Lakers were eliminated by Bob Pettit and the St. Louis Hawks.
That offseason, Lovelette was traded to Cincinnati for 5 players, including Hot Rod Hundley and Monk Meineke.[7] A year later he was traded again, this time to St. Louis for Wayne Embry, among others.[8]
In 704 NBA games with the Minneapolis Lakers, Cincinnati Royals, St. Louis Hawks and Boston Celtics, Lovellette scored 11,947 points (17.0 ppg) and grabbed 6,663 rebounds (9.3 rpg). Selected to play in four NBA All-Star Games, Lovellette was an integral component of championships in Minneapolis (1954) and Boston (1963, 1964).[9]
In 1972–73, he coached the Decatur Bullets of the Continental Basketball Association for one season before the team folded. He was paid $150 per game.[10]
Honors
Lovellette is one of only eight players in history to achieve the basketball Triple Crown — winning an NCAA championship, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal.[11][12][13] He also became the first player to win a championship with both the Boston Celtics and Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers. Rajon Rondo became the second player ever in 2020.
Lovellette was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.
Lovelette had his #16 jersey retired by the University of Kansas.
He was featured in the 1950s All-Star roster on NBA Live 2007.
Personal
Clyde married Sally Wheeler while attending the University of Kansas. They had three daughters, Cynthia, Linda, and Cherie.
After retiring from his career as a professional basketball player he was elected as Sheriff of Vigo County, Indiana. He owned a small farm, raising and showing cattle. He also engaged in various business activities, eventually getting his master's degree.
At Whites Residential Services, a faith-based school in Wabash County, Indiana for at-risk teenagers, he served for 20 years and was successful in providing a positive influence on their lives.
A summer residence in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan ultimately became a full time residence in the small town of Munising where he served as the Varsity Basketball Assistant Coach and on the Munising City Council.
Clyde came back to Indiana as a full-time resident where he eventually died of cancer in North Manchester, at the age of 86, surrounded by his family.[14]
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