Byron Beck : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Byron Beck

American basketball player (born 1945)

Byron Beck
Personal information

Born	(1945-01-25) January 25, 1945 (age 79) Ellensburg, Washington, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school	Kittitas (Kittitas, Washington)
College	Columbia Basin (1963–1965) Denver (1965–1967)
NBA draft	1967: 2nd round, 15th overall pick
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Playing career	1967–1977
Position	Forward / center
Number	40
Career history
1967–1977	Denver Rockets / Nuggets

Career highlights and awards
2× ABA All-Star (1969, 1976) No. 40 retired by Denver Nuggets

Career ABA and NBA statistics
Points	8,603 (11.5 ppg)
Rebounds	5,261 (7.0 rpg)
Assists	978 (1.3 apg)

Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Byron Beck (born January 25, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player.

A 6 foot 9 inch forward/center from the University of Denver, Beck was one of six players (along with Louie Dampier, Gerald Govan, Bob Netolicky, Stew Johnson, and Freddie Lewis) who participated in all nine seasons (1967–1976) of the original American Basketball Association (ABA). He played for the Denver Rockets, who later became the Denver Nuggets. Beck was not blessed with superior athleticism, but he was a hard worker known for his tenacious rebounding and efficient hook shot.^{[original research?]} He represented Denver in two ABA All-Star Games (1969 and 1976).

Beck also played one season in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after the Nuggets joined the NBA through the ABA–NBA merger in 1976, and he retired in 1977 with 8,603 career ABA/NBA points and 5,261 career rebounds. On December 16, 1977, he became the first player in the Denver franchise to have his jersey number (#40) retired. In 1981, Beck was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.^[1]

After retiring from professional basketball, Beck moved to Kennewick, Washington where he worked as an engineer.^[2]

References

^ "Ex-Rocket, Nugget; Byron Beck to be inducted to Hall". The Daily Sentinel. Grand Junction, Colorado. 15 February 1981. p. 30. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
^ Blanchette, John (1 March 1987). "'B' Tourney Past Beckons". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 15. Retrieved 12 November 2022.

External links

Profile at Remember the ABA
Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com

1967 Amateur Athletic Union Men's Basketball All-Americans

John Beasley
Vern Benson
Byron Beck
Ed Correll
Calvin Fowler
Donnie Freeman
Steve Jones
Jim King
Bob Rule
Harold Sergent

v t e 1967 NBA draft
First round	Jimmy Walker Earl Monroe Clem Haskins Sonny Dove Walt Frazier Al Tucker Pat Riley Tom Workman Mel Daniels Dave Lattin Mal Graham Craig Raymond
Second round	Jimmy Jones Steve Sullivan Byron Beck Randolph Mahaffey Phil Jackson Bob Netolicky Bob Rule

v t e Denver Nuggets
Founded in 1967 Formerly the Denver Rockets (1967–1974) Based in Denver, Colorado
Franchise	ABA–NBA merger All-time roster Draft history Records Head coaches Seasons Current season
Arenas	Denver Auditorium Arena Denver Coliseum McNichols Sports Arena Ball Arena
Personnel	Owner(s) Ann Walton Kroenke President Josh Kroenke General manager Calvin Booth Head coach Michael Malone
G League affiliate	Grand Rapids Gold
Retired numbers	2 12 33 40 44 55 432
NBA championships	2023
Rivalries	Utah Jazz
Culture and lore	Alex English Mt. Mutombo The Hey Song "Cartman Finds Love" (South Park) Kansas City (ABA) 1976 ABA All-Star Game Knicks–Nuggets brawl The Joker

This biographical article relating to a United States basketball player, coach, or other figure born in the 1940s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.