Bob Boozer, one of the NBA’s earliest stars, passed away in an Omaha hospital after suffering an aneurysm on Saturday. He was 75 years old.
Bob Boozer, Ex-NBA Star, Dies At 75
Boozer was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a part of the 1960 Olympic team.
Boozer, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1959 NBA Draft, delayed his professional career so he could retain his amateurism in order to play on the 1960 Olympic team.
The team, which also featured Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas, won the gold medal with an average margin of victory of 42 points in their eight games. They were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
The 6'8 Boozer was a two-time All-American at Kansas State and made one All-Star appearance as a member of the Chicago Bulls in 1968. He retired in 1971 after winning the NBA championship with Robertson and Lew Alcindor in Milwaukee.
After his playing career was over, he settled in his native Omaha, where he was a business executive and active in the community.
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