Waite Bellamy facts for kids
Bellamy with the Florida A&M Rattlers during the 1962–63 season
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 1940 (age 86) Bradenton, Florida, U.S. |
| High school | Lincoln (Palmetto, Florida) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Florida A&M (1959–1963) |
| NBA Draft | 1963 / Round: 4 / Pick: 33rd overall |
| Selected by the St. Louis Hawks | |
| Pro career | 1963–1971 |
| Coaching career | 1977–2001 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1963–1971 | Wilmington / Delaware Blue Bombers |
| As coach: | |
| 1977–1986 | Sarasota HS (assistant) |
| 1984 | Sarasota Stingers (assistant) |
| 1986–2001 | Booker HS |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Waite Bellamy Jr. (born in February 1940) is a former American professional basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for the Florida A&M Rattlers. The St. Louis Hawks picked him in the 1963 NBA draft.
Bellamy played his whole professional career with the Wilmington / Delaware Blue Bombers. This team was part of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL). He helped them win two championships in 1966 and 1967. In 1970, he was named the league's Most Valuable Player. After he stopped playing, Bellamy became a teacher and basketball coach at high schools in Florida.
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Early Life and Basketball Dreams
Waite Bellamy Jr. was born in February 1940. His mother, Ruth, was a seamstress. His father, Waite Sr., worked for the railroad. Bellamy was raised by his mother. He dreamed of becoming a basketball player from a very young age.
He practiced every day using a can lid nailed to a tree in his backyard. He would play until it was too dark to see the ball. His first basketball heroes were George Mikan and Paul Arizin.
High School Years
Bellamy went to Lincoln High School in Palmetto, Florida. In his senior year, he scored about 25 points per game. His team had a great season, winning 30 games and losing only 5. They even made it to the state tournament.
Bellamy was also the captain of the football team. He played as a center and tackle. He was also the president of his school's student body. Bellamy graduated from high school in 1959.
College Basketball Career
At first, Bellamy did not get scholarships from big colleges in the South. This was because they did not offer scholarships to Black players at that time. He was offered a football scholarship to Florida A&M University. However, a back injury stopped him from playing football. Florida A&M then gave him a basketball scholarship instead.
Bellamy scored 1,600 points during his college career. He was chosen for the All-SIAC team three times, from 1961 to 1963. He set a record for the Rattlers by scoring 53 points in one game against the Bethune–Cookman Wildcats.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Florida A&M. In 1987, Bellamy was added to the Florida A&M Athletics Hall of Fame. His number 25 jersey was retired by the Rattlers. It now hangs in the Al Lawson Center.
Professional Basketball Journey
The St. Louis Hawks picked Bellamy in the 4th round of the 1963 NBA draft. He went to their summer training camp. But the Hawks found out he had a fractured foot. Bellamy had tried to hide the injury. He was worried he wouldn't be able to play otherwise.
In September 1963, the Hawks told Bellamy they didn't need him. However, they offered him a chance to play with the Scranton Miners in the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL). Bellamy went to Scranton, Pennsylvania, for one day. There, he met Bill Kauffman. Kauffman was starting a new EPBL team called the Wilmington Blue Bombers. He asked Bellamy to join. Bellamy liked the idea of a new team, and Kauffman's offer sounded better.
Playing for the Blue Bombers
Bellamy played for the Blue Bombers for eight seasons. In 1970, he was named the EPBL Most Valuable Player. He was also chosen for the All-EPBL team three times. He helped the Blue Bombers win two championships in 1966 and 1967. During the 1969–70 season, he led the league in scoring with 838 points.
Bellamy also got invitations to training camps for National Basketball Association (NBA) teams. These included the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, the Baltimore Bullets in 1969, and the New York Knicks in 1970. He never knew why he didn't make an NBA team. The 76ers coach, Jack Ramsay, offered to help him join the American Basketball Association (ABA). But Bellamy preferred his life in Wilmington. He worked as a teacher there to earn extra money alongside his basketball career.
In January 1971, Bellamy's salary was cut from $150 to $100 per game. His relationship with the Blue Bombers became difficult. The team stopped playing in July 1971. Bellamy was chosen by a team in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He practiced with them a few times but decided not to join. He felt things were too uncertain there. In December 1971, Bellamy announced he was retiring from playing basketball. He felt disappointed with how things ended.
The EPBL tried to get Bellamy to come back until 1973. The Allentown Jets offered him a spot. The league president also invited him. But Bellamy said no.
Coaching and Teaching Career
After his playing career, Bellamy became a basketball coach. He was an assistant coach at Sarasota High School for nine seasons. In 1986, he became the head coach of the basketball team at Booker High School.
In 1984, Bellamy also worked as an assistant coach for the Sarasota Stingers. This team was part of the Continental Basketball Association.
Bellamy worked as a mathematics teacher in the Sarasota County high school system. He started at Sarasota High School. Later, he moved to Booker High School. He taught there until he retired in May 2001.
Honors and Recognition
In 2008, Bellamy was inducted into the National Negro High School Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2016, he was honored by the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches Court of Legends.
On March 24, 2023, Bellamy and his former Blue Bombers teammates were honored. This happened during a halftime show of an NBA G League game by the Delaware Blue Coats. Bellamy received his 1970 EPBL MVP trophy for the first time. The crowd cheered "MVP" for him.
On February 9, 2024, the Delaware Blue Coats announced they would retire Bellamy's number 9 jersey. It now hangs in the rafters of Chase Fieldhouse. Bellamy said it was "one of the greatest honors any athlete can experience."
Personal Life
Waite Bellamy has two sons. Both of them played basketball at Sarasota High School. His son, Troy, played college basketball for the Rollins Tars.
Bellamy's cousin, Levon Simms, was also a basketball player. He was Bellamy's teammate on the Florida A&M Rattlers during the 1962–63 season.
