John Albert Beckman (October 22, 1895, in

New York, NY New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

– June 22, 1968, in

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) was a 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. During his 27 years lasting pro career (1914–41) he was known as the "

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...

of basketball". He is mostly known for his time with the Original Celtics (1918–19, 1921–27, 1929). He was enshrined in the

Naismith Memorial 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 pre ...

in 1973.

Professional career

Beckman began playing for St. Gabriel's Catholic School in Manhattan as a 15 year old in 1910. He did not attend college but instead played for the Opals of the Hudson County League in 1910. In 1915, Beckman played for De Neri, an EL team based in Philadelphia, he played 34 of the team's 40 games, making 88 field goals and 74 free throws. Concluding the season with 250 points and finishing third in scoring in the EL, with an average of 7.4 points per game – a high average in a low-scoring basketball era. In the 1917–18 season, the EL was postponed early because of World War I. Beckman led the EL in scoring with 9.25 points per game.

Player profile

The 156 pound forward, was referred to as one of the true stars of the earliest years of basketball. He was considered the best free-throw shooter of his era. His prolific free-throw shooting and gritty playing style always excited crowds. In 1918, Beckman's teammate, Chris Leonard of the Original Celtics, considered Beckman, "a master of the fastbreak", due to his lightning speed. Beckman was a complete offensive player respected for his scoring ability, having outstanding shooting ability along with his slashing ability. He was credited as a valuable team player, for his selflessness and commitment in teamwork, passing and team defense.

References

External links

Basketball Hall of Fame profile
1895 births 1968 deaths Basketball players from New York City Cleveland Rosenblums players Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Original Celtics players {{1890s-US-basketball-bio-stub