Clyde Lovellette
Inducted:
1988
Player Stats
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
234 lb (106 kg)
Born
September 7, 1929
Petersburg, Indiana, U.S.
Died
March 9, 2016
North Manchester, Indiana, U.S.
Position
Center
College
Kansas (1949–1952)
Clyde Lovellette was one of basketball’s earliest dominant big men, excelling at the collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels. After leading the University of Kansas to the 1952 NCAA championship and capturing Olympic gold in 1952, Lovellette transitioned seamlessly to the NBA.
He played for the Minneapolis Lakers, helping the franchise win the 1954 NBA championship, and later starred with the Boston Celtics, earning two more NBA titles (1963, 1964). A powerful scorer with a soft shooting touch, Lovellette was among the league’s most reliable offensive centers during the 1950s and early 1960s.
His impact across multiple championship teams secured his legacy as one of the game’s early greats. A four-time NBA All-Star, Lovellette was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.
Lovellette's Awards & Records
- NCAA champion (1952)
- NCAA Final Four MOP (1952)
- Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1952)
- 2× Consensus first-team All-American (1951, 1952)
- Third-team All-American – AP (1950)
- NCAA scoring champion (1952)
- 34 honored by Los Angeles Lakers
NBA Records
- 3× NBA champion (1954, 1963, 1964)
- 4× NBA All-Star (1956, 1957, 1960, 1961)
- All-NBA Second Team (1956)
NBA Teams
Minneapolis Lakers (1953–1957)
Cincinnati Royals (1957–1958)
St. Louis Hawks (1958–1962)
Boston Celtics (1962–1964)
NBA Draft
1952: 1st round, 9th overall pick
Minneapolis Lakers
Number Worn
4, 34, 89
NBA Stats
Seasons:
11 (1953–1964)
Games Played:
704
Points:
11,947 (17.0 ppg)
Rebounds:
6,663 (9.5 rpg)
Assists:
1,165 (1.6 apg)
Field Goal(%):
44.3
Free Throw(%):
50.0
Playoff Games:
69