Ralph O'Brien
American basketball player (1928–2018)
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Ralph E. "Buckshot" O'Brien (April 8, 1928 – August 22, 2018) was an American professional basketball player.
BornApril 8, 1928
Henshaw, Kentucky, U.S.
DiedAugust 22, 2018 (aged 90)
Listed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Listed weight160 lb (73 kg)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 8, 1928 Henshaw, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | August 22, 2018 (aged 90) |
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Listed weight | 160 lb (73 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | George Washington (Indianapolis, Indiana) |
| College | Butler (1946–1950) |
| NBA draft | 1950: 6th round, 68th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Indianapolis Olympians |
| Playing career | 1951–1953 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 6, 20 |
| Career history | |
| 1950-1951 | Grand Rapids Hornets |
| 1951 | Waterloo Hawks |
| 1951–1952 | Indianapolis Olympians |
| 1952–1953 | Baltimore Bullets |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 848 (7.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 192 (1.6 rpg) |
| Assists | 180 (1.5 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
A 5'9" point guard from Butler University, O'Brien played two seasons (1951–1953) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Indianapolis Olympians and Baltimore Bullets. He averaged 7.1 points per game in his NBA career.[1]
O'Brien was the last Butler product to appear in an NBA game for more than a half-century, before the 2010 arrival of Gordon Hayward.
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 |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951–52 | Indianapolis | 64 | 24.6 | .372 | .819 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 9.0 |
| 1952–53 | Indianapolis | 34 | 15.5 | .311 | .877 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 5.1 |
| Fort Wayne | 7 | 7.1 | .417 | .600 | .0 | .6 | 3.3 | |
| Baltimore | 14 | 13.0 | .375 | .818 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 5.1 | |
| Career | 199 | 19.6 | .360 | .830 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 7.1 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Indianapolis | 2 | 24.5 | .455 | 1.000 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 7.5 |
| 1953 | Baltimore | 1 | 18.0 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.0 | .0 | 2.0 |
| Career | 3 | 22.3 | .385 | 1.000 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 5.7 | |
