George Ratkovicz
George Ratkovicz | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | November 10, 2008 (aged 85) Webster, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 1941–1955 |
| Known for | Playing in the National Basketball League (NBL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) |
George Ratkovicz (November 13, 1922 – November 10, 2008) was a professional American basketball athlete who participated in five seasons within the National Basketball League (NBL) and six seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), predominantly playing as a center and power forward.
National Basketball League
Ratkovicz launched his professional basketball journey at age 19 with the Chicago Bruins during the 1941–42 NBL campaign, featuring in 13 games. Following a three-year interruption due to military service, he returned to the court in 1945 with the Chicago American Gears, where he competed for two seasons. Subsequently, he spent one season each with the Rochester Royals and Tri-Cities Blackhawks, further establishing his career in the NBL.
After the NBL merged with the Basketball Association of America to create the National Basketball Association, Ratkovicz became a member of the Syracuse Nationals for the 1949–1950 season. Teaming up with future Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Dolph Schayes and Al Cervi, he averaged 8.5 points per contest during his rookie NBA year and took part in the 1950 NBA Finals, where the Nationals were defeated by the Minneapolis Lakers in a six-game series.
Ratkovicz reached his career-high during the 1950–1951 season by appearing in all 66 games and posting averages of 13 points and over eight rebounds per game. His field goal shooting percentage of 41.5% ranked sixth across the league, and he was also among the top players in free throw conversions and attempts.
In the 1951–1952 season, his playing time decreased; serving primarily as a reserve behind Dolph Schayes, he averaged 7.5 points and five rebounds while logging roughly 20.5 minutes per game.
Milwaukee Hawks
Ratkovicz transferred to the Milwaukee Hawks for the 1952–1953 season, where his minutes increased to more than 30 per game. He recorded averages of 9.5 points and nearly 7.5 rebounds, maintaining similar production throughout the 1953–1954 season. His final NBA campaign in 1954–1955 saw limited participation, with only nine games played. Over his career, Ratkovicz accumulated more than 3,000 points and close to 2,000 rebounds.
Death
Ratkovicz passed away on November 10, 2008, in Webster, New York, just three days shy of celebrating his 86th birthday.
NBA
Source
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949–50 | Syracuse | 62 | – | .369 | .606 | – | 2.0 | 8.6 |
| 1950–51 | Syracuse | 66 | – | .415 | .731 | 8.3 | 2.9 | 12.9 |
| 1951–52 | Syracuse | 66* | 20.5 | .349 | .674 | 5.0 | 1.4 | 7.5 |
| 1952–53 | Baltimore | 10 | 19.7 | .372 | .514 | 5.2 | 1.8 | 5.1 |
| 1952–53 | Milwaukee | 61 | 33.4 | .333 | .723 | 7.7 | 3.3 | 10.3 |
| 1953–54 | Milwaukee | 69 | 31.4 | .393 | .645 | 7.6 | 2.2 | 8.3 |
| 1954–55 | Milwaukee | 9 | 11.3 | .158 | .435 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| Career | 343 | 27.3 | .372 | .673 | 6.9 | 2.3 | 9.2 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Syracuse | 11 | – | .388 | .685 | – | 1.9 | 13.1 |
| 1951 | Syracuse | 7 | – | .475 | .745 | 9.0 | 2.0 | 13.9 |
| 1952 | Syracuse | 6 | 9.8 | .333 | .400 | 3.7 | 0.5 | 3.0 |
| Career | 24 | 9.8 | .410 | .669 | 6.5 | 1.6 | 10.8 | |