Nick Lalich (basketball)

Nick Lalich
Lalich in 1944
Personal information
Born(1916-05-08)May 8, 1916
Lorain, Ohio
DiedMay 11, 2001(2001-05-11) (aged 85)
Baltimore, Maryland
NationalityAmerican
Listed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Career information
High schoolEast Technical (Cleveland, Ohio)
CollegeOhio (1935–1938)
Playing career1938–1946
PositionGuard
Career history
1938–1942Cleveland May Co.
1945–1946Youngstown Bears
Other information
Military career
Allegiance United States
BranchU.S. Army
Service yearsc. 1943–c. 1945
UnitOffice of Strategic Services
Known forOperation Halyard
ConflictsWorld War II
AwardsLegion of Merit
Alma mater
Spouse
Mira Vukcevich
​
(m. 1952)​
Children1
Other work

Nikola Andrew Lalich (May 8, 1916 – May 11, 2001)[1] was a Serbian American[1] professional basketball player and World War II army officer, renown for his role in Operation Halyard.

Basketball career

He played for the Youngstown Bears in the National Basketball League (NBL) during the 1945–46 season.[2] He was a star college basketball player at Ohio University in the 1930s, where he earned a bachelor's degree in industrial arts. Later, Lalich earned a master's degree from Columbia University in New York. In 1984, Lalich was inducted into the Ohio Bobcats Hall of Fame.[3]

His younger brother, Peter, played four seasons in the NBL and one game in the BAA.

Military career

Lalich also served with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II, helping to rescue and evacuate approximately 550 downed Allied fliers during Operation Halyard, without losing a single life or plane.[1][4] Lalich was Head of Mission from 29 August to 27 December 1944, taking over from George Musulin,[5][6] and was awarded with the Legion of Merit for his service.[3] Lalich later worked for the Central Intelligence Agency in Greece from 1952 to 1957[1] and the U.S. Department of Commerce.[4]

Personal life

Lalich married Mira Vukcevich in 1952[7][8] and they had one child. He died, aged 85 years, in Baltimore on May 11, 2001.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Nick Lalich". Peach Basket Society. 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  2. ^ "Nick Lalich NBL stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Hall of Fame: Nick Lalich". Ohio Bobcats. 1984. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  4. ^ a b Garland, Greg (May 15, 2001). "Nick A. Lalich, 85, leader of OSS team that rescued downed air crews in WWII". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  5. ^ "Operation Halyard" (PDF). legionpost146.org. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  6. ^ "Withdrawal of George Musulin". Halyard Mission Foundation. 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  7. ^ "They Moneyed Into Marriage". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. February 26, 1952. p. 6. Retrieved January 23, 2026 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "SPECIAL IMAGES...O.S.S. Captain Nick and wife Mira Lalich, with George "Guv" Musulin 1952 in Greece/ Heroes of the Halyard Mission Rescue Operation of WWII" (photo dated c. 1952). generalmihailovich.com. January 1, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  9. ^ "Death notices: Lalich, Nick A." The Baltimore Sun. May 14, 2001. p. 20. Retrieved January 23, 2026 – via newspapers.com.

Media related to Nick Lalich (basketball) at Wikimedia Commons

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