Elmore Morgenthaler

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Elmore Morgenthaler
File:Elmore Morgenthaler 1947.jpeg
Morgenthaler, circa 1947
Personal information
Born(1922-08-03)August 3, 1922
Otto, Texas, U.S.
DiedNovember 25, 1997(1997-11-25) (aged 75)
Marlin, Texas, U.S.
Listed height7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Listed weight230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High schoolHobbs (Hobbs, New Mexico)
College
Playing career1947–1953
PositionCenter
Number7, 17
Career history
1947Providence Steamrollers
1947Birmingham Skyhawks
1947–1949Philadelphia Sphas
1948–1949Philadelphia Warriors
1949–1950Scranton Miners
1950–1951Waterloo Hawks/Grand Rapids Hornets
1951Mexico Aztecas
1951–1953Scranton Miners
Stats at NBA.comLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Stats at Basketball Reference
Stats at Basketball ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

Elmore Robert Morgenthaler (August 3, 1922 – November 25, 1997) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Providence Steamrollers and the Philadelphia Warriors in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), among other franchises and leagues.[1] Standing at 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m),[2] Morgenthaler is officially recognized as the first seven-foot player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).[3]

Morgenthaler was raised in Mart, Texas.[4] He attended Hobbs High School in Hobbs, New Mexico, after he had been recruited by coach Charles Finley.[4] Morgenthaler followed Finley to play college basketball for the New Mexico Mines and he finished second in the nation in scoring with 21.8 points per game after playing for just the second semester of the 1945–46 season.[4][5] The Mines were abolished at the end of the season and Morgenthaler transferred to play for the Boston College Eagles for the 1946–47 season.[4] He quit college basketball at the end of February 1947 to play professionally for the Providence Steamrollers of the BAA.[6] He was waived by the Steamrollers on September 27, 1947, and did not return to the BAA until he signed with the Philadelphia Warriors on November 18, 1948.[7]

Morgenthaler's health deteriorated after his retirement.[4] He worked at a liquor distillery to support himself.[4] In 1996, aged 74, Morgenthaler was living by himself in a rundown apartment building in Marlin, Texas. His right arm and a part of his left leg were paralyzed from a stroke he suffered in 1984. Like other former professional basketball players in the 1940s and 1950s, Morgenthaler did not receive a pension from the NBA and lived his final years in poverty.[2] At the time of his death, he was residing at Bremond Nursing Home in Bremond, Texas.[8] Morgenthaler died due to pneumonia at Falls Community Hospital in Marlin.[8]

BAA career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played  FG%  Field-goal percentage
 FT%  Free-throw percentage  APG  Assists per game
 PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

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Year Team GP FG% FT% APG PPG
1946–47 Providence 11 .308 .583 .3 1.4
1948–49 Philadelphia 20 .385 .667 .4 2.1
Career 31 .365 .633 .3 1.8

References

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  1. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ^ a b Gustkey, Earl (October 28, 1996). "The NBA's Dirty Secret : Amid Ostentatious Wealth, Old-timers Destitute Without Pensions". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  3. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ^ a b c d e f Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  7. ^ "Elmore Morgenthaler Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved July 1, 2017
  8. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
[edit | edit source]
  • Career statistics from NBA.comLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). · Basketball ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
  • Career statistics from WNBA.comLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). · Basketball ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
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