Lee Shaffer
Lee Shaffer | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 23, 1939 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player (retired) |
| Years active | 1961–1964 |
| Known for | NBA All-Star (1963) |
Lee Philip Shaffer II (born on February 23, 1939) is a retired professional basketball athlete from the United States.
Standing 6 feet 7 inches tall and playing as a forward, Shaffer hailed from Chicago and made a significant impact at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1960, he was honored as the ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year.
In the 1960 NBA draft, Shaffer was chosen fifth overall by the Syracuse Nationals. Notably, he was selected after Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson (first pick) and Jerry West (second pick), and before future Hall of Famers Lenny Wilkens (sixth pick) and Satch Sanders (eighth pick).
During a period when player salaries were relatively low, Shaffer, along with fellow first-round draftee Al Bunge (seventh pick), initially opted to play in the AAU. They spent the 1960–1961 season with the Cleveland Pipers.
Subsequently, Shaffer competed in the NBA for three seasons from 1961 to 1964 with the Philadelphia 76ers franchise. He earned NBA All-Star recognition in 1963 and maintained career averages of 16.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961–62 | Syracuse | 75 | 27.8 | .436 | .771 | 6.8 | 1.3 | 16.9 |
| 1962–63 | Syracuse | 80 | 29.9 | .429 | .784 | 6.6 | 1.2 | 18.6 |
| 1963–64 | Philadelphia | 41 | 24.7 | .370 | .767 | 5.0 | .9 | 13.1 |
| Career | 196 | 28.0 | .420 | .776 | 6.3 | 1.2 | 16.8 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Syracuse | 5 | 34.8 | .354 | .774 | 11.0 | 1.4 | 18.8 |
| 1963 | Syracuse | 5 | 34.6 | '".479"' | '".800"' | 4.6 | 1.2 | '".27.2"' |