Francis Patrick "Chink" Crossin Jr. (July 4, 1923 – January 10, 1981) was an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player and coach.
["Chink Crossin Stats"]
Basketball Reference. Retrieved on June 3, 2017. He earned
his nickname from the sound that the chain-link nets made when his shots dropped through.
[Zeitlin, Dave]
"Common Bonds"
Penn Gazette. June 30, 2010. Retrieved on June 3, 2017.
During his high school basketball career at Luzerne High School in
Luzerne, Pennsylvania
Luzerne is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough located north of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, Wilkes Barre in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States.
The population was 2,703 at the time of the 2020 census.
History
The community was first ...
, Crossin averaged 24 points per game, and led all Pennsylvania high school players in scoring in 1941. He played basketball at the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
in the 1942–43 and 1943–44 seasons before serving in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
with the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
for two years.
Crossin returned to Penn for the 1946–47 season. After the end of his college career, Crossin was selected with the 6th pick in the inaugural
1947 BAA draft
The 1947 BAA draft was the first ever draft of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which later merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to become the National Basketball Association (NBA). The fledgling BAA held this draft as a ...
by the
Philadelphia Warriors
The history of the Golden State Warriors began in Philadelphia in 1946. In 1962, the franchise was relocated to San Francisco, California and became known as the San Francisco Warriors until 1971, when its name was changed to the current Golden ...
. In three seasons with the team, Crossin averaged 4.7 points and 1.5 assists per game.
Crossin played five seasons in the
Eastern Professional Basketball League
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...
(EPBL) from 1950 to 1955 for the
Pottsville Pros/Packers, Wilkes-Barre Aces, Williamsport Billies,
Berwick Carbuilders, Hazleton Pros and Sunbury Mercuries.
[ He was named the EPBL Most Valuable Player in 1952 and was a two-time All-EPBL First Team selection.][ He won a second EPBL championship with the Billies in 1953.]
BAA/NBA career statistics
Regular season
Playoffs
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crossin, Chink
1923 births
1981 deaths
All-American college men's basketball players
American Basketball League (1925–1955) players
American men's basketball coaches
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Pennsylvania
Basketball players from Pennsylvania
Guards (basketball)
Penn Quakers men's basketball players
Philadelphia Warriors draft picks
Philadelphia Warriors players
United States Navy personnel of World War II