John Q. Trapp
John Trapp | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 2, 1945 |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 1968–1973 |
| Known for | NBA player for San Diego Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers; ABA player for Denver Rockets; 1972 NBA champion with Lakers |
John Quincy Trapp (born October 2, 1945) is a retired American professional basketball athlete.
Standing 6 feet 7 inches tall and playing the power forward position, Trapp attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His professional career spanned five seasons (1968–1973) in the National Basketball Association (NBA), during which he competed for the San Diego Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Philadelphia 76ers. Over his NBA tenure, he maintained an average of 7.4 points per game and was part of the Lakers' championship-winning squad in 1972.
Though his playing time on the title-winning Lakers was limited, Trapp earned recognition for his defensive skills and rebounding ability. After being traded to the Sixers—a franchise that endured a historically poor 9-73 season—he continued to demonstrate strong defensive capabilities, receiving commendation from Celtics coach Tom Heinsohn for effectively guarding John Havlicek. Nonetheless, his period with Philadelphia was marred by internal conflicts; teammate Fred Carter observed that Trapp "played with a chip on his shoulder, but it was too big." His behavior included public confrontations and suspension following missed practices. Notably, one incident involved him ignoring substitution instructions while displaying a firearm to a friend on the bench.
Accounts vary regarding the timing of Trapp’s exit from the Sixers: some indicate he was waived shortly after Kevin Loughery assumed player-coach duties in January 1973, while others suggest an earlier trade prior to Roy Rubin’s dismissal as coach.
Trapp finished the 1972–73 season competing in the American Basketball Association (ABA) with the Denver Rockets, after which he ceased to participate in major professional basketball.
Personal life
Trapp’s younger sibling, George, also played basketball at Pasadena City College (PCC) and later in the NBA before passing away in 2002. Both brothers have been inducted into the PCC Athletics Hall of Fame, with John receiving this honor in 2002.
ESPN reports that Trapp has not been publicly documented since at least 1995, when he was last noted residing in Detroit. A 2012 obituary for his aunt referenced him as deceased but did not provide a date. Several other sources also list him as deceased without further details.
NBA/ABA
Source
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Nbay | San Diego | 25 | 5.7 | .363 | .655 | 2.0 | .2 | 3.1 | ||
| Template:Nbay | San Diego | 70 | 14.6 | .426 | .692 | 4.4 | .7 | 6.3 | ||
| Template:Nbay | San Diego | 82 | 25.4 | .420 | .755 | 6.2 | 1.7 | 9.6 | ||
| Template:Nbay† | L.A. Lakers | 58 | 13.1 | .443 | .669 | 3.1 | .7 | 5.7 | ||
| Template:Nbay | L.A. Lakers | 5 | 7.0 | .250 | .700 | 2.8 | .4 | 2.6 | ||
| Template:Nbay | Philadelphia | 39 | 11 | 21.9 | .412 | .741 | 4.8 | 1.2 | '10.7' | |
| Template:Abay | Denver (ABA) | 24 | 14.3 | .422 | .000 | .594 | 3.0 | .8 | '5.3' | |
| Career (NBA) | 279 | 11 | '17.5' | ' .420 ' | ' .725 ' | '4.5' | '1.0' | '7.4' | ||
| Career (overall) | '303' | '11' | '17.3' | ' .420 ' | ' .000 ' | ' .717 ' | '4.4' | '1.0' | '7.2' | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972† | L.A. Lakers | 10 | 7.1 | .242 | .571 | 1.6 | .5 | 2.0 | |
| 1973 | Denver (ABA) | 5 | 10.2 | .438 | – | .667 | 1.4 | .4 | 4.4 |
| Career | 15 | 8.1 | .306 | – | .632 | 1.5 | .5 | 2.8 | |