Ernie Beck
American basketball player (1931–2024)
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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.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 11, 1931 |
| Died | December 12, 2024 (aged 93) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | West Philadelphia Catholic (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Penn (1950–1953) |
| NBA draft | 1953: territorial pick |
| Drafted by | Philadelphia Warriors |
| Playing career | 1953–1964 |
| Position | Small forward / shooting guard |
| Number | 7, 12, 3 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1953–1954 | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1954 | Lancaster Red Roses |
| 1955–1960 | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1961 | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1961 | Syracuse Nationals |
| 1961–1964 | Sunbury Mercuries |
Coaching | |
| 1963–1964 | Sunbury Mercuries |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 2,325 (6.3 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,191 (3.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 669 (1.8 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
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 | |
