Lee Knorek

Infobox NBA player
name = Lee Knorek
nickname =


caption =
position = Center
height_ft = 6
height_in = 7
weight_lbs = 215
nationality = USA
birth_date = birth date|1921|07|16|
birth_place = Rossford, Ohio
death_date = July 22, 2003
death_place = Rossford, Ohio
college = DeSales University
University of Detroit
draft
draft_year =
draft_team =
career_start = 1946
career_end = 1950
former_teams = New York Knicks
Baltimore Bullets
awards =

Leonard J. Knorek (July 14, 1921–July 22, 2003 [ [http://www.toledolibrary.org/obits/view1.asp?id1=132316 "Toledo Blade" Obituary Index] . Toledo-Lucas County Public Library. Retrieved on December 28, 2007.] ) was a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'7" center, he spent the majority of his career with the New York Knicks of the NBA.

Born in Rossford, Ohio, Knorek graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1939. He played basketball at DeSales University and the University of Detroit, then enlisted in the United States Navy to serve in the Pacific theater of World War II. Ater returning home at the end of the war, a friend, Paul Taylor, signed him to the New York Knicks.

Knorek participated in the first NBA game, a November 1, 1946 contest between the Knicks and the Toronto Huskies. The Knicks won 68-66. Knorek remained with the Knicks until 1950, when he was sold to the Baltimore Bullets. He only played one game with the Bullets before quitting, claiming that he was hobbled by an old knee injury ["Knorek through as a player". "New York Times". 14 December 1949. 47.] (though he later explained that he had grown too used to the "beautiful facilities" in New York.) The Bullets sued him for breach of contract in a case that lasted almost two years. Knorek eventually promised the Bullets that he would not play professional basketball with any team. He ended his NBA career with 873 career points.

Knorek and his wife settled in Ohio, where he operated a liquor distribution company called Schenley Distillers. Knorek briefly returned to basketball in 1959 to join a team of retired players at the NBA All-Star Game. His team competed against a lineup of college all-stars, who won the game. [Louis Effrat. "West Defeats East in Ninth Annual All-Star Basketball Contest at Detroit". "New York Times". 24 January 1959. 15.]

Birthplace

Although an Ohio native, Knorek's birthplace is listed in official NBA records as Warsaw, Poland. This is the result of a joke between Knorek and Paul Taylor as Knorek signed his contract with the Knicks. "When I signed my contract my friend had me put down Warsaw because he thought it was better," he later explained.Ignazio Messina. "Basketball now a different game since Knorek played for Knicks". "The Toledo Blade". 1 April 1999. E1.] Knorek did speak Polish, [Steve Jacobson. "Remembering the Good Old Days". "Newsday". Sports, 04.] and teammate Nat Militzok recalled that Knorek once pretended to be an ambassador from Poland while staying at a hotel on a road trip. [Steve Jacobson. "Memories of a Game Long Ago". "Newsday". 1 November 1996. A101.]

Notes

External links

*basketball-reference