Ernest Joseph Beck (December 11, 1931 – December 12, 2024) was an American professional basketball player. Born in Philadelphia, Beck played seven years in the National Basketball Association for the Philadelphia Warriors, St. Louis Hawks, and Syracuse Nationals. He was a territorial pick in the 1953 NBA draft, selected by the Warriors. Beck attended University of Pennsylvania.
Beck played one game for the Lancaster Red Roses of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL) in 1954.[1] He played for the Sunbury Mercuries of the EPBL from 1960 to 1964.[2] Beck was selected to the All-EPBL Second Team in 1963.[2] He served as head coach of the Mercuries during the 1963–64 season and accumulated a 2–6 record.[3]
He died in West Chester, Pennsylvania on December 12, 2024, one day after his 93rd birthday.[4][5][6]
NBA career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won an NBA championship | * | Led the league |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953–54 | Philadelphia | 15 | - | 28.1 | .275 | - | .791 | 3.3 | 2.3 | - | - | 7.5 |
| 1955–56† | Philadelphia | 67 | - | 15.0 | .387 | - | .717 | 2.9 | 1.2 | - | - | 5.2 |
| 1956–57 | Philadelphia | 72* | - | 24.2 | .384 | - | .707 | 4.3 | 2.6 | - | - | 7.0 |
| 1957–58 | Philadelphia | 71 | - | 27.8 | .398 | - | .837 | 4.3 | 2.7 | - | - | 10.1 |
| 1958–59 | Philadelphia | 70 | - | 14.5 | .390 | - | .662 | 2.5 | 1.3 | - | - | 5.3 |
| 1959–60 | Philadelphia | 66 | - | 12.3 | .388 | - | .844 | 1.9 | 1.1 | - | - | 3.9 |
| 1960–61 | St. Louis | 7 | - | 8.9 | .333 | - | 1.000 | 1.7 | 1.9 | - | - | 2.7 |
| 1960–61 | Syracuse | 3 | - | 6.7 | .375 | - | .500 | 3.7 | 0.7 | - | - | 2.3 |
| Career | 371 | - | 19.0 | .383 | - | .762 | 3.2 | 1.8 | - | - | 6.3 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955–56† | Philadelphia | 10* | - | 25.0 | .431 | - | .710 | 5.1 | 2.2 | - | - | 8.4 |
| 1956–57 | Philadelphia | 2 | - | 44.5 | .368 | - | 1.000 | 5.0 | 2.5 | - | - | 15.5 |
| 1957–58 | Philadelphia | 8 | - | 19.5 | .377 | - | .667 | 4.0 | 1.6 | - | - | 6.5 |
| 1959–60 | Philadelphia | 4 | - | 5.5 | .444 | - | .000 | 1.5 | 0.8 | - | - | 2.0 |
| Career | 24 | - | 21.5 | .400 | - | .705 | 4.1 | 1.8 | - | - | 7.3 | |
See also
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season rebounding leaders
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career rebounding leaders
References
- ^ "Navy Clamps No Play Rule On Ernie Beck". Intelligencer Journal. December 9, 1954. p. 25. Retrieved February 16, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Ernie Beck minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
- ^ "Ernie Beck minor league basketball coaching records". Stats Crew. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
- ^ "Penn Athletics Mourns Passing of Men's Basketball Hall of Famer Ernie Beck". Penn Athletics. December 12, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
- ^ Barth, Brian (December 13, 2024). "1953 Wharton graduate and NBA champion Ernie Beck dies at the age of 93". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
- ^ Ernest Joseph Beck Obituary
External links