Paul Walther
Paul Walther | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Covington, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | December 21, 2014 (aged 87) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Professional basketball player, financier |
| Years active | 1949–1955 (basketball) |
| Known for | NBA player, 1952 NBA All-Star |
Paul P. Walther (born March 23, 1927 – deceased December 21, 2014) was an American professional basketball athlete.
Life
Originating from Covington, Kentucky, Walther completed his education at Covington Catholic High School. Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall, he played both guard and forward positions at the University of Tennessee, where Emmett Lowery served as his coach. His collegiate tenure was paused due to his service in the United States Navy during World War II. During the 1948–49 season, he held the role of team captain for Tennessee.
Walther's professional tenure extended over six seasons (1949–1955) within the National Basketball Association, representing the Minneapolis Lakers, Indianapolis Olympians, Philadelphia Warriors, and Fort Wayne Pistons. He maintained an average of 7.7 points per game and earned a spot in the 1952 NBA All-Star Game.
After retiring from basketball, Walther transitioned into finance, dedicating 32 years to a career at Merrill Lynch in Chicago. He died in Atlanta at the age of 87.
Regular season
| Season | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949–50 | Minneapolis | 22 | – | .400 | .524 | – | .5 | 3.4 |
| 1949–50 | Indianapolis | 31 | – | .390 | .591 | – | 1.5 | 7.0 |
| 1950–51 | Indianapolis | 63 | – | .336 | .694 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 9.1 |
| 1951–52 | Indianapolis | 55 | 34.6 | .401 | .750 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 12.2 |
| 1952–53 | Indianapolis | 67 | 36.8 | .352 | .746 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 10.7 |
| 1953–54 | Philadelphia | 64 | 32.3 | .352 | .704 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 6.6 |
| '1954–55 NBA season' | '1954–55 Fort Wayne Pistons season' | '68' | '12.1' | ' .348' | ' .614' | '2.3' | '1.9' | '2.4' |
| 'Career' | '370' | '28.6' | ' .362' | ' .708' | '3.7' | '2.6' | '7.7' |
Playoffs
| Season | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| '1950' | 'Indianapolis' | '6' | ' – ' | ' .293 ' | ' .474 ' | ' – ' | '1.3' | '5.5' |
| '1951' | 'Indianapolis' | '3' | ' – ' | ' .429 ' | ' .733 ' | '1.7' | '3.0' | '5.7' |
| '1952' | 'Indianapolis' | '2' | '42.5' | ' .500 ' | ' .889 ' | '3.5' | '3.0' | '16.0' |
| '1953' | 'Indianapolis' | '2' | '37.5' | ' .250 ' | " .941 " | " 4.0 " | " 2.0 " | " 13.0 " |
| '1955' | 'Fort Wayne' | "10" | "9.5" | " .545 " | " .611 " | " 2.0 " | " .8 " | " 3.5 " |
| "Career" | "23" | "18.2" | " .377 " | " .724 " | " 2.4 " | " 1.5 " | " 6.2 " |
