20 Facts About Walt Bellamy

Walter Jones Bellamy was an American professional basketball player.

Walt Bellamy graduated from Indiana University holding the school record for most rebounds in a career with 1,087 in only 70 games, or 15.5 per game.

Walt Bellamy averaged 20.6 points per game and shot 51.7 percent from the floor for his college career.

Walt Bellamy holds the school records for most rebounds in a season and most double-doubles in a career.

Walt Bellamy was named an All-American in both his junior and senior year.

Walt Bellamy was the first Hoosier taken No 1 in the 1961 NBA draft and the first Hoosier named NBA Rookie of the Year.

Walt Bellamy was the starting center on the gold medal-winning 1960 American basketball team at the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Walt Bellamy had a stellar 14-year career in the NBA, and was the NBA first overall draft pick in 1961, drafted by the Chicago Packers.

Walt Bellamy was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1962 after having arguably one of the three greatest rookie seasons in NBA history along with Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson.

Walt Bellamy led the NBA in field goal percentage in his rookie season, and had a 23-point, 17-rebound performance in the 1962 NBA All-Star Game.

Walt Bellamy played with the Chicago Packers, renamed the Chicago Zephyrs the next season, and then the Baltimore Bullets, for his first four seasons.

Walt Bellamy was traded from the Bullets to the New York Knicks for Johnny Green, Johnny Egan, Jim Barnes and cash on November 1,1965.

Walt Bellamy had been coveted by the Knicks since he entered the league.

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award writer Peter Vecsey believes that the significance of this trade to the Knicks future success obscured the fact that Walt Bellamy was one of the top players in NBA history.

Walt Bellamy later played for several seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, and finished his career with the New Orleans Jazz.

Walt Bellamy ended his NBA career with 20,941 points and 14,241 rebounds, and is a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, being inducted in 1993 for his individual career, and in 2010 as a member of the 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team.

When Walt Bellamy retired, he was the sixth all-time leading scoring and third all-time in rebounding.

Walt Bellamy served as a Goodwill Ambassador and member of the Executive Committee of the NAACP's Georgia State Conference.

Walt Bellamy died on November 2,2013, at the age of 74.

Walt Bellamy was survived by his wife of 53 years, Helen Hollie Ragland Bellamy, son Derrin Bellamy, and two grandsons.