Loading AI tools
American basketball player (born 1945) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Byron Beck (born January 25, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player.
![]() |
![]() | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Ellensburg, Washington, U.S. | January 25, 1945
Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Kittitas (Kittitas, Washington) |
College |
|
NBA draft | 1967: 2nd round, 15th overall pick |
Selected by the Chicago Bulls | |
Playing career | 1967–1977 |
Position | Forward / center |
Number | 40 |
Career history | |
1967–1977 | Denver Rockets / Nuggets |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Career ABA and NBA statistics | |
Points | 8,603 (11.5 ppg) |
Rebounds | 5,261 (7.0 rpg) |
Assists | 978 (1.3 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
A 6 foot 9 inch forward/center from the University of Denver, Beck was one of six players (along with Louie Dampier, Gerald Govan, Bob Netolicky, Stew Johnson, and Freddie Lewis) who participated in all nine seasons (1967–1976) of the original American Basketball Association (ABA). He played for the Denver Rockets, who later became the Denver Nuggets. Beck was not blessed with superior athleticism, but he was a hard worker known for his tenacious rebounding and efficient hook shot.[original research?] He represented Denver in two ABA All-Star Games (1969 and 1976).
Beck also played one season in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after the Nuggets joined the NBA through the ABA–NBA merger in 1976, and he retired in 1977 with 8,603 career ABA/NBA points and 5,261 career rebounds. On December 16, 1977, he became the first player in the Denver franchise to have his jersey number (#40) retired. In 1981, Beck was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.[1]
After retiring from professional basketball, Beck moved to Kennewick, Washington where he worked as an engineer.[2]