Paul Walther obit

Paul Walther, NBA player in 1950s, dies at 87

 

He was not on the list.

ATLANTA (AP) — Paul Walther, who played six seasons in the NBA in the 1950s after a stellar college career at Tennessee, has died. He was 87.

Son Brian Walther said Tuesday his father died Sunday in an Atlanta hospice.

Walther played from 1949-50 to 1954-55 for the Minneapolis Lakers, Indianapolis Olympians, Philadelphia Warriors and Fort Wayne Pistons. He scored more than 2,800 points for his career. He started for the West in the 1952 All-Star game.

A native of Covington, Kentucky, Walther led Tennessee to an 18-5 record in 1945 before serving in the Navy during World War II. He returned to Tennessee from 1947-49 and was team captain in his final season.

 

After his NBA career, he worked for Merrill Lynch in Chicago for 32 years.

 

Career history

1949            Minneapolis Lakers

1949–1953            Indianapolis Olympians

1953–1954            Philadelphia Warriors

1954–1955            Fort Wayne Pistons

Career highlights and awards

NBA All-Star (1952)

First-team All-SEC (1949)

Career NBA statistics

Points   2,838 (7.7 ppg)

Rebounds            1,168 (3.7 rpg)

Assists  974 (2.6 apg)