Frank Selvy obit

Frank Selvy, Furman Paladin basketball great, dies at 91

 

He was not on the list.

Furman All-American Frank Selvy, one of the greatest players in college basketball history, passed away this morning at his home in Simpsonville, S.C., surrounded by his family, which made the announcement.  He was 91 years old.

“It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Frank Selvy, Furman’s all-time greatest athlete, a consensus All-American, NBA all-star, distinguished member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame, and one of the greatest scorers in the history of college basketball,” said Jason Donnelly, Furman’s Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics. “More than his accomplishments on the court, Frank’s devotion to his family was his greatest achievement. Our thoughts and prayers are with Barbara and the entire Selvy family. We will miss Frank dearly but will remember him forever — a true Paladin legend.”

Frank Selvy, an All-America guard at Furman who scored an NCAA Division I-record 100 points in a game and later played nine NBA seasons, died Tuesday. He was 91.

Selvy’s family announced that he died at his home in Simpsonville. The Furman athletic department released the news, with the school’s vice president of intercollegiate athletics, Jason Donnelly, calling Selvy “Furman’s all-time greatest athlete.”

A cause of death was not revealed.

The 6-foot-3 Selvy was born in Corbin, Kentucky. He played at Furman from 1952-54 and twice led the NCAA in scoring, averaging 41.7 points as a senior. That year, Selvy made history by scoring 100 points (41 field goals, 18 free throws) in a 145-95 victory over Newberry on Feb. 13, 1954 in Greenville.

Selvy scored 40 points or more 22 times in 78 collegiate games.

He was named Southern Conference player of the year in 1952-53 and 1953-54 and was a three-time All-America selection.

Selvy was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1954 by the Baltimore Bullets. He was a two-time All-Star during his nine-year NBA career, during which he played for five franchises. He spent his last 4 1/2 seasons with the Lakers, moving with the franchise from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in 1960.

Selvy came back to Furman after his playing career and coached the Paladins for four seasons.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Barbara; two children, Valerie S. Miros and Mike Selvy; 11 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Selvy was drafted first overall by the Baltimore Bullets in the 1954 NBA draft. He went on to play nine seasons in the National Basketball Association during the late 1950s and early 1960s, interrupted by a stint in the U.S. Army. As a professional, Selvy was mostly known for his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, teaming with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. He was twice an NBA All-Star.

Drafted No. 1 overall by the Bullets, Selvy quickly moved to the Milwaukee Hawks on November 28, 1954, as the Baltimore franchise was folded. Selvy was drafted by Milwaukee in the dispersal draft of Baltimore players. Selvy averaged 19.0 points as a rookie as the Hawks finished 29–46 under Red Holzman.

The Hawks moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1955–56 and Selvy averaged 11.0 points, as future Naismith Hall of Fame inductee Bob Pettit became the centerpiece of the 33–39 Hawks. Selvy then missed the 1956–57 season to military service. with the U.S. Army.

In 1957–58, Selvy played a reserve role as the St. Louis Hawks captured the 1958 NBA Championship, defeating the Boston Celtics in six games. Selvy missed a ring, as he was traded on February 16, 1958, by the Hawks to the Minneapolis Lakers for Dick Boushka and Terry Rand.

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

2× NBA All-Star (1955, 1962)

Consensus first-team All-American (1954)

Consensus second-team All-American (1953)

2× SoCon Player of the Year (1953, 1954)

2× NCAA season scoring leader (1953, 1954)

No. 28 retired by Furman Paladins

Career statistics

Points   6,120 (10.8 ppg)

Rebounds            2,097 (3.7 rpg)

Assists  1,569 (2.8 apg)