The NBA mourns the loss of former star Bob Boozer as he passed away Saturday night at the age of 75 from a brain aneurysm.
Boozer had a great college career in Kansas State. He was a two-time All American in the late 50's. Boozer broke into the NBA in the 1960-1961 season with the Cincinnati Royals as he was the No. 1 overal pick.
Boozer will be remembered for being a part of the 1960 U.S. Olympic basketball team, which was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2010. Alongside Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Jerry Luca, the olympic team would crush opponents by an average of 42.2 points. They won gold that year as they defeated Brazil 90-63.
As a player in the NBA, Boozer played with six teams, including the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, and averaged 14.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He made his lone All-Star appearance in 1968 as a Chicago Bull and averaged 20.4 points in his three seasons there. He won his lone championship as a Milwaukee Buck in 1971 alongside Oscar Robertson and retired a champion.
Ella Boozer, his wife, said Boozer was in good health conditions before his death. Friday night, while having dinner with friends, Boozer became ill and was admitted to a hospital in Omaha. The aneurysm was discovered here. Ella and her son decided to remove Boozer from life support Saturday afternoon.
