Stephen Phil Kuberski (born November 6, 1947) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player. Kuberski won two NBA titles with the Boston Celtics, in 1974 and 1976 and had a nine-year

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

(NBA) career. Kuberski was the last Celtic to wear number 33 before

Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...

Early life

Born in

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island ...

to Elaine (d.2015) and Felix Kuberski (d. 1983), Steve was raised with siblings Susan, Kathy, Carol and Brian.

High school career

Kuberski played high school basketball at

Moline High School Moline High School is a public four-year high school located in Moline, Illinois, a city in Rock Island County, in the Midwest area of the United States. The school is the only public high school in the city of Moline, and is part of Moline-Coa ...

in Moline, Illinois, one of the

Quad Cities The Quad Cities is a region of cities (originally four, see History) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in northwestern Illinois. These cities are t ...

. Moline played in

Wharton Field House Wharton Field House is a historic arena located at 1800 20th Avenue in Moline, Illinois. It opened in 1928 and was home to the NBA's Tri-Cities Blackhawks, today's Atlanta Hawks, from 1946 to 1951. It has hosted professional teams, high school t ...

, a former home of the early NBA's

Tri-Cities Blackhawks Tri-Cities most often refers to: *Tri-Cities, Tennessee, United States *Tri-Cities, Washington, United States Tri-City, Tricity or Tri-Cities may also refer to: Populated places Americas Canada *Tri-Cities (British Columbia), consisting of Co ...

, who were coached by a young

Red Auerbach Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach (September 20, 1917 – October 28, 2006) was an American professional basketball coach and executive. He served as a head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA), most notably with the Boston Celtics. ...

. Kuberski became a starter for the Moline Maroons in the 1963–64 season, as a 6-foot-5 junior. He averaged a team-high 14.0 points, as Moline finished 15–8 under Coach Harv Schmidt. As a senior in 1964–1965, Kuberski, under new Coach Herb Thompson, led Moline to the

Illinois High School Association The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is an association that regulates competition of interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level for the state of Illinois. It is a charter member of the National Fe ...

Tournament Elite Eight as the Maroons finished 25–3. In his final home game at Wharton Field House, Kuberski scored 50 points against Cedar Rapids Washington. The Maroons lost in the

Tournament semifinal to Chicago Marshall 75–72. "It was the most disappointing loss of my career, college or pro," Kuberski said later. "I had some big losses with the Celtics that cost a lot of money. We lost to the Knicks in the seventh game in the NBA playoff, but the Marshall loss was even more disappointing. We should have been the first Quad City champion."Glory Days Illinois: Legends of Illinois High School Basketball, By Taylor Bell, Publisher: Sports Publishing LLC, (2006) p.57-58. Kuberski made the All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the IHSA Tournament, scoring 64 points in two games. During his senior year at Moline, Kuberski scored 749 points in 28 games, an average of 26.7 per game. Listed as a Top-30 national recruit, Kuberski was recruited by

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

, but ultimately chose to attend the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univer ...

over

Notre Dame University The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

College career

Kuberski attended the

, playing for the Illini freshman team in 1965–1966, as NCAA freshman did not play varsity in that era. Kuberski was then ruled ineligible for the 1967–68 academic year by the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

on March 4, 1967. Kuberski was suspended for receiving financial assistance of US$35 per month from a slush fund established illegally by the school's athletic department. Kuberski, and teammates Rich Jones and Ron Dunlap, along with two others, had been suspended indefinitely while Illinois did an internal investigation during the 1966–1967 Illini season. Numerous other athletes in other sports were involved and Coach

Harry Combes Harry Combes (March 3, 1915 – November 13, 1977), a native of Monticello, Illinois, served as head men's basketball coach at University of Illinois between 1947 and 1967. Biography Combes played high school basketball for Monticello High Scho ...

subsequently resigned. Kuberski, Jones and Dunlap never played for Illinois again. After the ruling, Kuberski transferred from Illinois to

Bradley University Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. Th ...

in Peoria, Illinois after the 1966–1967 school year. In 1966–1967, Kuberski had played in 5 games for

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

under Coach Combes, averaging 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds, before being suspended. After transferring to

Bradley Bradley is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad meadow" in Old English. Like many English surnames Bradley can also be used as a given name and as such has become popular. It is also an Anglicisation of t ...

, Kuberski sat out the 1967–1968 season due to the transfer. In the 1967–68 season, Kuberski played for an

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...

(AAU) team from

Macomb, Illinois Macomb is a city in and the county seat of McDonough County, Illinois, United States. It is situated in western Illinois, southwest of Galesburg. The city is about southwest of Peoria and south of the Quad Cities. A special census held in ...

and landed a tryout with the 1968 U.S. Olympic team. "That was a good experience for me because we played against older, more experienced players," Kuberski said. In 1968–1969, Kuberski averaged 23.0 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the Bradley Braves, as the team finished 14–12 under Coach Joe Stowell in the

Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the midwest. History The MVC was established ...

. "I had planned to play as a senior at Bradley," Kuberski recalled, "but I had played with (former

Rock Island High School Rock Island High School, also known as "Rocky", is a public four-year high school located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. Rocky is within the Rock Island–Milan School District 41, and the school colors are crimson and gold. Administrat ...

star) Don Nelson at the Moline YMCA and he tipped off the Celtics about me." "We were just playing one-on-one but he went back to Boston and said they should take a look at this kid when his class comes up," Kuberski reflected. "They drafted me on whim a year early."

NBA career

Kuberski was drafted out of Bradley University by the Carolina Cougars in the 1969

ABA draft The American Basketball Association draft was held from 1967 to 1975. First overall picks Note: 1974 ABA College Draft, not 1974 ABA Draft of NBA Players Further reading *{{cite book, last=Bradley, first=Robert D., title=The Basketball Draft Fac ...

and by the Boston Celtics in the

1969 NBA draft The 1969 NBA draft was the 23rd annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 7 and May 7, 1969, before the 1969–70 season. In this draft, fourteen NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college ba ...

Boston Celtics 1969–1974)

Kuberski was drafted by the Celtics in the 4th round of the

, as he was eligible because his original class was graduating. Kuberski signed with the Celtics and GM

in September 1969, foregoing a potential final season of collegiate eligibility. Kuberski rejected an initial one-year contract and signed when Boston offered a three-year contract. As a rookie in 1969–1970, Kuberski played alongside

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and prese ...

John Havlicek John Joseph Havlicek ( ; April 8, 1940 – April 25, 2019) was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA championships, four of them coming in his first four seasons with ...

Satch Sanders Thomas Ernest "Satch" Sanders (born November 8, 1938) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played his entire professional career as a power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). ...

, his Quad City friend Don Nelson, Bailey Howell and rookie

Jo Jo White Joseph Henry White (November 16, 1946 – January 16, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. As an amateur, he played basketball at the University of Kansas, where he was named a second-team All-American twice. White was part o ...

, averaging 6.4 points and 5.0 rebounds under Coach

Tommy Heinsohn Thomas William Heinsohn (August 26, 1934 – November 9, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. He was associated with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for six decades as a player, coach and broadcast ...

. In 1970–1971, Kuberski averaged 22 minutes for the 44–38 Celtics, averaging 9.3 points and 6.6 rebounds, playing alongside rookie and future Hall of Famer

Dave Cowens David William Cowens ( ; born October 25, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At , he played the center position and occasionally played power forward. Cowens spent most of his playing career with the B ...

. The Celtics finished 56–26 in 1971–1972, with Kuberski averaging 6.3 points and 4.5 rebounds. The Celtics were defeated by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals 4–1 after defeating the Atlanta Hawks 4–2 in the earlier series. Coach Heinshohn said of Kuberski in 1972, “Steve’s been playing like a Polish lineman from Notre Dame.” The Celtics finished 68–14 in 1972–1973 and Kuberski contributed 4.4 points and 2.5 points in nine minutes per game. As in the previous season, the Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks (4–2) in the playoffs before losing to the New York Knicks 4–3 in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks went on to win the NBA Championship. The Celtics captured the 1974 NBA Championship under Coach Heinsohn in 1973–1974. Kuberski averaged 5.1 points in the regular season, as the Celtics finished 56–26. The Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks with

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran. Given name Karim * Karim A ...

Oscar Robertson Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson playe ...

and

Bob Dandridge Robert L. Dandridge Jr. (born November 15, 1947) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed the "Greyhound", Dandridge was a four-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion, who scored 15,530 points in his career. He was ele ...

in the NBA Finals.

Milwaukee Bucks (1974–1975)

On May 20, 1974 Kuberski was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz from the Boston Celtics in the NBA expansion draft. Later, on October 8, 1974, Kuberski was traded by the New Orleans Jazz with a 1975 2nd round draft pick (

Clyde Mayes Clyde Clauthen Mayes Jr. (born March 17, 1953) is a retired American professional basketball player. He played in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and in Europe for various teams. His international career took him to Italy, Franc ...

was later selected) to the Milwaukee Bucks for Russ Lee and a 1975 1st round draft pick (

Rich Kelley Richard Ryland Kelley (born March 23, 1953) is an American retired basketball player. Kelley played college basketball at Stanford University and was the first round pick (7th pick overall) of the New Orleans Jazz in the 1975 NBA draft. Kelley ...

was later selected). "We have always thought a lot of Kuberski," Bucks Coach

Larry Costello Lawrence Ronald Costello (July 2, 1931 – December 13, 2001) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played for the Philadelphia Warriors, the Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers for the NBA and the Wilkes-Barre Barons. ...

said at the time of the trade. "He's a strong rebounder, he has physical toughness and he can run. He proved himself a winner with the Celtics before New Orleans got him in the expansion draft." Milwaukee finished 38–44 in 1974–1975, under Coach Costello, despite 30.0 points per game from

. Kuberski played sparingly, averaging 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 8 minutes per game.

Buffalo Braves (1975)

On October 16, 1975 Kuberski was claimed on waivers by the Buffalo Braves from the Milwaukee Bucks. Kuberski played 10 games with the Braves, and Coach

Jack Ramsey John Travilla Ramsay (February 21, 1925 – April 28, 2014) was an American basketball coach, commonly known as "Dr. Jack" (as he held an earned doctorate). He was best known for leading the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA championship, a ...

, averaging 1.7 points and 2.1 rebounds. On November 20, 1975, Kuberski was waived by the Buffalo Braves.

Boston Celtics (1975–1977)

On December 11, 1975, Kuberski was signed as a free agent by Red Auerbach and the Boston Celtics, reuniting with his former team. After the Celtics claimed Kuberski off waivers, they immediately put him into the starting lineup and won 14 of their next 16 games, en route to the Atlantic Division and an NBA title. The Celtics captured the 1976 NBA Championship under Coach Heinsohn, as Kuberski played in 60 games, averaging 5.4 points and 3.9 rebounds. He was usually in the starting line-up, enabling

Paul Silas Paul Theron Silas (July 12, 1943 – December 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he was a two-time NBA All-Star and earned five selections to the N ...

to come off the bench. The Celtics defeated Kuberski's former team, the Buffalo Braves, 4–2 and then the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–2 en route to the NBA Finals. In the Braves series, Kuberski started and played for the injured John Havlicek in Game 2 and scored 12 points. In the NBA Finals, the Celtics defeated the Phoenix Suns 4–2, as Kuberski averaged 5.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in the series, earning a second championship ring. In the 1976–77 season, Kuberski played 76 games for the 44–38 Celtics, averaging 4.3 points and 3.8 rebounds. The Celtics were defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers 4–3 in the Eastern Conference semi-finals after defeating the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

2–0. After playing in three 1977–78 season games, Kuberski was placed on waivers by the Celtics on December 8, 1977. He did not play again in the NBA. Overall, Kuberski played nine

seasons for the Boston Celtics,

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

, and

Buffalo Braves The Buffalo Braves were an American professional basketball franchise based in Buffalo, New York. The Braves competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division from 1970 ...

, averaging 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. In 80 career playoff games, Kuberski averaged 5.7 points and 3.0 rebounds. Of his career, Kuberski said, “I was fortunate to be out here (Boston) and play on two championship teams. A lot of guys who are good players and great players never get to experience that. The sense of accomplishment as a team was more gratifying than any individual award I won. Back then you were just one piece of the puzzle and that’s the way

played the game.”

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , 1969–70 , align="left" ,

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, 51 , , - , , 15.6 , , .388 , , - , , .696 , , 5.0 , , 0.6 , , - , , - , , 6.4 , - , align="left" , 1970–71 , align="left" ,

, 82 , , - , , 22.8 , , .420 , , - , , .727 , , 6.6 , , 1.0 , , - , , - , , 9.3 , - , align="left" , 1971–72 , align="left" ,

, 71 , , - , , 15.9 , , .417 , , - , , .784 , , 4.5 , , 0.6 , , - , , - , , 6.3 , - , align="left" , 1972–73 , align="left" ,

, 78 , , - , , 9.8 , , .403 , , - , , .774 , , 2.5 , , 0.3 , , - , , - , , 4.4 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;" , 1973–74† , align="left" ,

, 78 , , - , , 12.6 , , .427 , , - , , .775 , , 3.0 , , 0.5 , , 0.1 , , 0.1 , , 5.1 , - , align="left" , 1974–75 , align="left" ,

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

, 59 , , - , , 8.8 , , .390 , , - , , .786 , , 2.1 , , 0.6 , , 0.2 , , 0.1 , , 2.8 , - , align="left" , 1975–76 , align="left" , Buffalo , 10 , , - , , 8.5 , , .412 , , - , , 1.000 , , 2.5 , , 0.3 , , 0.1 , , 0.2 , , 1.7 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;" , 1975–76† , align="left" ,

, 60 , , - , , 14.7 , , .467 , , - , , .895 , , 3.9 , , 0.7 , , 0.2 , , 0.2 , , 5.4 , - , align="left" , 1976–77 , align="left" ,

, 76 , , - , , 11.3 , , .420 , , - , , .759 , , 2.8 , , 0.5 , , 0.1 , , 0.1 , , 4.3 , - , align="left" , 1977–78 , align="left" ,

, 3 , , - , , 4.7 , , .250 , , - , , .000 , , 2.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.3 , , 0.0 , , 0.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 568 , , - , , 13.9 , , .417 , , - , , .767 , , 3.8 , , 0.6 , , 0.1 , , 0.1 , , 5.5

Playoffs

, - , align="left" , 1971–72 , align="left" ,

, 11 , , - , , 19.8 , , .552 , , - , , .842 , , 5.7 , , 0.3 , , - , , - , , 11.6 , - , align="left" , 1972–73 , align="left" ,

, 12 , , - , , 7.9 , , .413 , , - , , .700 , , 1.2 , , 0.3 , , - , , - , , 3.8 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;" , 1973–74† , align="left" ,

, 9 , , - , , 7.7 , , .200 , , - , , .500 , , 2.2 , , 0.2 , , 0.1 , , 0.1 , , 1.7 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;" , 1975–76† , align="left" ,

, 18 , , - , , 12.9 , , .469 , , - , , .808 , , 2.8 , , 0.9 , , 0.0 , , 0.2 , , 5.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 50 , , - , , 12.3 , , .460 , , - , , .774 , , 3.0 , , 0.5 , , 0.0 , , 0.1 , , 5.7

Personal life

Kuberski and his wife Diane married in 1967, after they met when she was a cheerleader at Moline High School. They have two sons Jason and Matthew. Steve Kuberski founded his own company in the New England area in 1982, making lockers for schools, country clubs, restaurants and warehouse products.

Honors

* Kuberski was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1974. * Moline High School inducted Kuberski as part of the charter class of the Hall of Honor 2000. * In 2001, Kuberski was inducted to the Quad City Sports Hall of Fame. * Bleacher Report named Kuberski as #50 on the list of "50 Greatest Celtics", in 2011.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuberski, Steve 1947 births Living people American men's basketball players American people of Slavic descent Basketball players from Illinois Boston Celtics draft picks Boston Celtics players Bradley Braves men's basketball players Buffalo Braves players Centers (basketball) Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players Milwaukee Bucks players New Orleans Jazz expansion draft picks People from Moline, Illinois Power forwards (basketball)