Nat Hickey
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Hoboken, New Jersey | January 30, 1902
Died | September 16, 1979 | (aged 77)
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
Career information | |
Playing career | 1921–1948 |
Position | Guard / Forward |
Number | 11 |
Coaching career | 1944–1951 |
Career history | |
As player: | |
1921–1922 | Hoboken St. Joseph's |
1922–1923 | Eddie Holly's Majors |
1922–1923 | New York Crescents |
1923–1925 | Eddie Holly's Majors |
1925–1929 | Cleveland Rosenblums |
1929–1931 | Chicago Bruins |
1931–1934 | Original Celtics |
1934–1935 | Boston Trojans |
1935–1942 | Original Celtics |
1944–1945 | Pittsburgh Raiders |
1945–1946 | Indianapolis Kautskys |
1946–1948 | Buffalo Braves / Tri-Cities Blackhawks |
1948 | Providence Steamrollers |
As coach: | |
1944–1945 | Pittsburgh Raiders |
1945–1946 | Indianapolis Kautskys |
1946–1948 | Tri-Cities Blackhawks |
1948 | Providence Steamrollers (interim HC) |
1950–1951 | Johnstown Clippers |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com |
Matthew J. "Nat" Hickey (January 30, 1902 – September 16, 1979)[1] was an American professional basketball coach/player and baseball player. He turned to coaching basketball after his retirement from playing full-time in 1942 but occasionally activated himself as a player for the teams he was coaching. In 1948, at the age of 45, Hickey played two games with the Providence Steamrollers of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) while serving as the team's head coach, making him the oldest player in NBA history.
Basketball
As a 5'11" guard/forward, Hickey played from the 1920s through 1940s with multiple early professional teams, including the Hoboken St. Joseph's, Eddie Holly's Majors, New York Crescents, Cleveland Rosenblums, the Chicago Bruins, Boston Trojans, Original Celtics of the American Basketball League and the Pittsburgh Raiders, Indianapolis Kautskys, and Tri-Cities Blackhawks of the National Basketball League.
In the second year after the formation of the Basketball Association of America (the forerunner to the NBA), Hickey served 29 games as head coach of the Providence Steamrollers during the 1947–48 season. Hickey's team posted a 4–25 record during his tenure. He activated himself as a player on January 27, 1948, three days before his 46th birthday, and appeared in two games. He attempted six field goals – making none – and committed five personal fouls. He scored two points off of foul shots.[2] All of the shots occurred in his debut game as a player against the St. Louis Bombers. While he also played a day later against the New York Knickerbockers, he didn't record anything in that game. As a result of these games, Hickey still holds the record for the oldest player in NBA history at 45 years and 363 days.[3]
Baseball
Aside from basketball, Hickey enjoyed a lengthy career in baseball, playing 15 minor league seasons and managing two. Hickey managed and played several seasons of minor league baseball as an outfielder. Notably, he was baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial's first minor league manager with the Williamson Colts in 1938.[4]
Death
Nat Hickey died on September 16, 1979 and the date of death appeared in the Johnstown Tribune Obituary Index.
BAA career statistics
Legend | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | Games played | ||||
FG% | Field-goal percentage | ||||
FT% | Free-throw percentage | ||||
APG | Assists per game | ||||
PPG | Points per game |
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | FG% | FT% | APG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1947–48 | Providence | 2 | .000 | .667 | .0 | 1.0 |
Career | 2 | .000 | .667 | .0 | 1.0 |
See also
- List of oldest and youngest National Basketball Association players
- List of National Basketball Association player-coaches
References
- ^ "Obituary Index" (PDF). Johnstown Tribune-Democrat.
- ^ Sachare, Alex (1994). The Official NBA basketball encyclopedia (1994 ed.). Villard Books. p. 577.
{{cite book}}
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(help) - ^ Boeck, Greg (April 2, 2007). "Mavericks make motivated Willis, 44, NBA's oldest player". USA Today. Retrieved May 15, 2010.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ Akin, William E. (2006). West Virginia Baseball: A History, 1865-2000. McFarland. p. 147. ISBN 9780786425709.
External links
- 1902 births
- 1979 deaths
- Allentown Brooks players
- American men's basketball coaches
- American men's basketball players
- Basketball players from New Jersey
- Chicago Bruins players
- Cleveland Rosenblums players
- Dayton Ducks players
- Decatur Commodores players
- Fitchburg (minor league baseball) players
- Forwards (basketball)
- Guards (basketball)
- Indianapolis Kautskys coaches
- Indianapolis Kautskys players
- Johnstown Johnnies players
- Minor league baseball managers
- Original Celtics players
- Pittsburgh Raiders players
- Player-coaches
- Providence Steamrollers coaches
- Providence Steamrollers players
- Reading Brooks players
- Scranton Miners players
- Sportspeople from Hoboken, New Jersey
- Tri-Cities Blackhawks players
- Waynesboro Villagers players
- Williamson Colts players
- Williamsport Grays players
- Worcester Boosters players
- American basketball biography, pre-1910 birth stubs