Wally Osterkorn
Encyclopedia
Walter Raymond Osterkorn (born July 6, 1928) was an American
professional basketball
player.
A 6'5" forward from the University of Illinois, Osterkorn began his pro career with the St. Paul Lights of the National Professional Basketball League during the 1950-51 season. When St. Paul folded 20 games into the season, he was obtained by the Sheboygan Red Skins, who at that time were in their 13th season of operation, the longest-running professional basketball franchise in the nation. Osterkorn played the final 19 games for Sheboygan and helped the Red Skins to a league-best 29-16 record. He was named to the NPBL's second team as a forward after averaging 13 points per game, sixth-best in the league.
Osterkorn then played four seasons (1951–1955) in the National Basketball Association
as a member of the Syracuse Nationals
. He averaged 7.0 points per game
and won a league championship in 1955.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player.
A 6'5" forward from the University of Illinois, Osterkorn began his pro career with the St. Paul Lights of the National Professional Basketball League during the 1950-51 season. When St. Paul folded 20 games into the season, he was obtained by the Sheboygan Red Skins, who at that time were in their 13th season of operation, the longest-running professional basketball franchise in the nation. Osterkorn played the final 19 games for Sheboygan and helped the Red Skins to a league-best 29-16 record. He was named to the NPBL's second team as a forward after averaging 13 points per game, sixth-best in the league.
Osterkorn then played four seasons (1951–1955) in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
as a member of the Syracuse Nationals
Syracuse Nationals
The Syracuse Nationals were an American professional basketball team that existed from 1946 to 1963 as part of the National Basketball League and National Basketball Association . They are currently known as the Philadelphia 76ers, and are the NBA's oldest continued franchise.The team began in...
. He averaged 7.0 points per game
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
and won a league championship in 1955.