B. H. Born
Personal information
BornJune 6, 1932
Osawatomie, Kansas[1]
DiedFebruary 3, 2013(2013-02-03) (aged 80)
Peoria, Illinois
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High schoolMedicine Lodge
(Medicine Lodge, Kansas)
CollegeKansas (1951–1954)
NBA draft1954: 3rd round, 22nd overall pick
Selected by the Fort Wayne Pistons
Playing career1954–1959
PositionCenter
Number23
Career history
1954–1959Peoria Caterpillars
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Representing  United States
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1954 Rio de Janeiro USA

Bertram H. "B. H." Born (June 6, 1932[1] – February 3, 2013) was an American basketball center. After graduating from Medicine Lodge High School in 1950,[2] he played for the Kansas Jayhawks from 1951 to 1954.

College career

During the 1951–52 season, in which Kansas earned a berth in the championship game of the NCAA tournament, Born was a reserve behind Clyde Lovellette,[3] averaging 1.6 points per game.[4] The following season, he had 18.9 points per game for the Jayhawks as the team reached the NCAA tournament final. Indiana defeated Kansas 69–68 in the championship game, but Born won the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award. During the final, Born scored 26 points, compiled 15 rebounds, and blocked 13 shots.[5]

International and AAU career

Born posted an average of 19 points per game in the 1953–54 season, and competed for the U.S. national team in the 1954 FIBA World Championship.[3] At that tournament, he scored 10.4 points per game in nine appearances and had a 12-point performance in a 62–41 U.S. win over Brazil that clinched the gold medal for the American team.[6] The Fort Wayne Pistons selected Born with the 22nd overall pick of the 1954 NBA draft.[7] However, he did not join the team.[3] In the mid-1950s, he played for the Peoria Caterpillars Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team, and he was named an AAU All-American in 1957 and 1958.[5][8] With Born, the Caterpillars won the AAU championship twice.[9] In addition, he helped the Jayhawks recruit Wilt Chamberlain, a leading high school player at the time.[5] In Peoria, Illinois, Born was employed with Caterpillar Inc.'s tractor business for 43 years.[2]

Honors

In 1992, the University of Kansas retired Born's jersey, 23.[4] He has also been inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.[1]

Death

Born died on February 3, 2013, in Peoria.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Born, B.H. (Bert)". Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Anderson, Ric (May 23, 2002). "Born Blvd.: Medicine Lodge to name street, gym for B.H. Born". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Men's Basketball: The KUsports.com All-Time 'Hawks Hoops Team". Lawrence Journal-World. Archived from the original on October 7, 2007. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
  4. 1 2 "In The Rafters: B.H. Born". Lawrence Journal-World. Archived from the original on October 4, 2007. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 Mayer, Bill (March 27, 2009). "Born first to triple double". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Second World Championship – 1954". USA Basketball. June 10, 2000. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  7. ↑ "1954 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
  8. ↑ Grundman, Adolph H. (2004). The Golden Age of Amateur Basketball: The AAU Tournament, 1921–1968. University of Nebraska Press. pp. 263–268. ISBN 978-0-8032-7117-3.
  9. 1 2 Wessler, Kirk (February 4, 2013). "B.H. 'Bert' Born, Kansas and Peoria basketball star, dies at 80". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
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