Frank Selvy facts for kids
Selvy as a senior at Furman
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 9, 1932 Corbin, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | August 13, 2024 (aged 91) Simpsonville, South Carolina, U.S. |
| High school | Corbin (Corbin, Kentucky) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Furman (1951–1954) |
| NBA Draft | 1954 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall |
| Selected by the Baltimore Bullets | |
| Pro career | 1954–1964 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1954 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1954–1958 | Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks |
| 1958 | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1958–1959 | New York Knicks |
| 1959 | Syracuse Nationals |
| 1959–1964 | Minneapolis / Los Angeles Lakers |
| As coach: | |
| 1964–1966 | Furman (assistant) |
| 1966–1970 | Furman |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Points | 6,120 (10.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,097 (3.7 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,569 (2.8 apg) |
Frank Selvy (born November 9, 1932 – died August 13, 2024) was an American basketball player. He was famous for scoring 100 points in a college game. This is a record for a top-level college player! Frank was born in Corbin, Kentucky. He was a great player in high school. Later, he was the very first player picked in the 1954 NBA draft. He played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was an NBA All-Star twice.
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Early Life and College Years
Frank Selvy grew up in Corbin, Kentucky. He played basketball at Corbin High School. His older brother Curt and younger brother Edd also played there.
After high school, Selvy went to Furman University. He became a two-time Southern Conference Player of the Year. At first, big colleges like Kentucky didn't offer him a scholarship. They thought he was too short at 6 feet 2 inches and too small.
But Frank grew three more inches! He also became the MVP (Most Valuable Player) in a Kentucky all-star game. Then Kentucky offered him a scholarship. However, Selvy had already promised to play for Furman. He liked his coach there, Lyles Alley, and some friends from his hometown went with him.
During his first year at Furman (1951–52), Selvy scored 24.6 points per game. The team won 18 games and lost 6. In his second year (1952–53), he averaged 29.5 points. Furman finished with 21 wins and 6 losses.
In his senior year (1953–54), Selvy led the NCAA in scoring for the second year in a row. He scored 1,209 points, averaging an amazing 41.7 points per game! Furman ended the season with 20 wins and 9 losses. Overall, Frank Selvy averaged 32.5 points in 78 college games.
The 100-Point College Game
Frank Selvy is best known for a special game on February 13, 1954. He scored 100 points for Furman University against Newberry College. He is the only NCAA Division I player to ever score 100 points in a single game!
This game was played near the end of his last college season. Furman's coach, Lyles Alley, called it "Frank Selvy Night." They wanted to celebrate Frank, who was already leading the nation in scoring. This game was also the first college game broadcast live on TV in South Carolina. Frank's family and many people from his hometown came to watch. It was even the first time his mother saw him play in college!
Coach Alley told the team to pass the ball to Selvy as much as possible. Frank scored 41 out of 66 field goals and 18 out of 22 free throws. His last two points came from a long shot near half-court right as the buzzer sounded! Back then, there was no three-point line. Selvy later said that about eight or nine of his shots that day would have been three-pointers today.
NBA Career Highlights
Frank Selvy was the very first player picked in the 1954 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets. He played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association. His career was interrupted for a time when he served in the U.S. Army.
As a professional player, Selvy was most known for his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played alongside famous players like Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. He was chosen as an NBA All-Star twice.
After the Baltimore Bullets team closed down, Selvy moved to the Milwaukee Hawks. As a rookie, he averaged 19.0 points per game. The Hawks later moved and became the St. Louis Hawks. Selvy missed the 1956–57 season because he was serving in the military.
In 1957–58, Selvy played a smaller role for the St. Louis Hawks. They won the 1958 NBA Championship, beating the Boston Celtics. However, Selvy was traded before the playoffs, so he didn't get a championship ring.
He then played for the New York Knicks for a season. In 1959, he joined the Syracuse Nationals briefly. Then, he was traded back to the Minneapolis Lakers. He stayed with the Lakers for the last five seasons of his career.
In 1960–61, the Lakers moved to Los Angeles. Selvy played with superstars Elgin Baylor and Jerry West. The team reached the Western Division Finals. In 1961–62, the Lakers won 54 games. Selvy averaged 14.7 points. They made it to the 1962 NBA Finals but lost to the Boston Celtics in a close seven-game series.
The Lakers reached the NBA Finals again in 1962–63. Selvy averaged 10.3 points. They lost to the Celtics again, this time in six games.
Over his nine-season NBA career, Selvy averaged 10.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He played in the NBA All-Star Games in 1955 and 1962.
The Famous Missed Shot in the 1962 NBA Finals
One of Frank Selvy's most remembered NBA moments happened in Game 7 of the 1962 NBA Finals. His Lakers were playing against the Boston Celtics. In the last minute of the game, the Lakers were down by four points. Selvy grabbed two important rebounds and scored two baskets. This tied the game at 100 points with only 5 seconds left!
With seconds ticking away, Selvy got the ball in the left corner. He took a 12-foot jump shot right before the buzzer. If it had gone in, the Lakers would have won the championship! But he missed. The game went into overtime, and the Celtics won.
This missed shot became very important because the Lakers kept losing to the Celtics in the NBA Finals for many years. Selvy's shot was a chance to break that losing streak early on.
Another player, Hot Rod Hundley, had passed the ball to Selvy for that final shot. Hundley sometimes called Selvy later and just said, "Nice shot!" before hanging up, teasing him about the miss. Selvy admitted it was a tough shot, but he wished it had gone in. He once said, "I would trade all my points for that last basket."
Coaching Career and Later Life
After his NBA career, Frank Selvy had several injuries. He returned to Furman University in 1964 as an assistant basketball coach. His former coach, Lyles Alley, was still there.
In 1966, Selvy became the head coach for Furman's basketball team. He coached for four seasons. His brother, Charles Selvy, was a key player on his teams. Selvy's coaching record at Furman was 44 wins and 59 losses. He left coaching in 1970.
Later, Selvy worked for 25 years at the St. Joe Paper Company.
Honors and Legacy
Frank Selvy received many honors for his basketball career:
- He was named the United Press National Player of the Year in 1954.
- He was a first-team All-American in 1954 and a second-team All-American in 1953.
- Selvy led NCAA Division I in scoring twice (1953, 1954).
- He was named SoCon Player of the Year twice (1953, 1954).
- Selvy was an NBA All-Star in 1955 and 1962.
- In 2009, he was one of the first people inducted into the Southern Conference Hall of Fame.
- He was also a first member of the Furman Athletic Hall of Fame (1981).
- Furman University retired his jersey number, 28.
- A street in his hometown, Corbin, Kentucky, is named "Frank Selvy Way."
- The video boards at Timmons Arena at Furman University also honor Frank Selvy.
Frank Selvy passed away at his home in Simpsonville, South Carolina, on August 13, 2024, at the age of 91.
See also
In Spanish: Frank Selvy para niños
- History of the Los Angeles Lakers
- List of basketball players who have scored 100 points in a single game
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 60 or more points in a game
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season scoring leaders
