Paul Ruffner (October 15, 1948 – June 17, 2022) was a retired American

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 who played in both the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four A ...

(ABA) and the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, 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 i ...

(NBA). Ruffner was born on in

Downey, California Downey is a city located in Southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is considered part of the Gateway Cities. The city is the birthplace of the Apollo space program. It is also the home ...

. He played basketball at Earl Warren High School in

. A 6'10" center, Ruffner played college basketball for

Cerritos College Cerritos College is a public community college in Norwalk, California. It offers degrees and certificates in 87 areas of study in nine divisions. History The college was founded in 1955. It was named after Rancho Los Cerritos, a local ...

and then for

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

. He was selected for the Junior College Olympic Trials basketball team in 1968. The

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

selected Ruffner in the second round of the

1970 NBA draft The 1970 NBA draft was the 24th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 23, 1970, before the 1970–71 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball playe ...

and the

Virginia Squires The Virginia Squires were a basketball team based in Norfolk, Virginia, and playing in several other Virginia cities. They were members of the American Basketball Association from 1970 to 1976. The team originated in 1967 as the Oakland Oaks, a ...

selected him in the 1970 ABA draft. Ruffner signed with the Bulls. Ruffner played his rookie season, 1970–71, with the Bulls. Ruffner played for the

Pittsburgh Condors The Pittsburgh Condors were a professional basketball team in the original American Basketball Association (ABA). Originally called the Pittsburgh Pipers, they were a charter franchise of the ABA and captured the first league title. The team pla ...

of the ABA in the next season. After a year out of both leagues, Ruffner played during the 1973–74 and 1974–75 seasons for the NBA's

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 ...

. Ruffner then landed with the Baltimore Claws but the team folded after a few preseason exhibition games. Ruffner concluded his professional career in the final season before the

ABA–NBA merger The ABA-NBA merger was a major pro sports business maneuver in 1976 when the American Basketball Association (ABA) combined with the National Basketball Association (NBA), after multiple attempts over several years. The NBA and ABA had entered m ...

by appearing in two games for the Spirits of St. Louis during the 1975–76 campaign. Paul married Lael Bower in 1970 and they had 6 children. Shannon, Bryon, Kellene, Brett, Erin and Brad. At the conclusion of his basketball career, Ruffner and his family made Provo, Utah their permanent home. He became a successful as a property owner and manager of student housing in Provo. He continued to share his knowledge and expertise of the game through color commentary on KSL Radio which he did for 21 years. Ruffner died at home on June 17, 2022, after a short battle with leukemia.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruffner, Paul 1948 births 2022 deaths American men's basketball players Buffalo Braves players BYU Cougars men's basketball players Centers (basketball) Cerritos Falcons men's basketball players Chicago Bulls draft picks Chicago Bulls players Pittsburgh Condors players Power forwards (basketball) Spirits of St. Louis players Sportspeople from Downey, California Basketball players from Los Angeles County, California Virginia Squires draft picks