John Mahnken

John E. Mahnken (born June 16, 1922) is an American former professional basketball player.

A 6'8" center from West New York, New Jersey, Mahnken played high school basketball at Memorial High School in his hometown. [ [http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mahnkjo01.html John Mahnken profile] , Basketball Reference. Accessed August 7, 2007.] He played at Georgetown University during the early 1940s, earning All-American honors in 1943. He served in the United States Army from 1943 to 1945, then embarked on a professional career in the National Basketball League with the Rochester Royals. Mahnken won the 1946 league title on a Royals team which included future New York Knicks coach Red Holzman and future television actor Chuck Connors. [http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/j_mahnken.htm John Mahnken] at HoyaBasketball.com.]

In 1946, Mahnken was signed by Red Auerbach to the Washington Capitols of the Basketball Association of America (which merged with the NBL in 1949 to become the modern NBA). Mahnken was traded to the Baltimore Bullets in 1948, and he was traded five other times until finding stability with the Boston Celtics in 1951. [http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/j_mahnken.htm John Mahnken] at HoyaBasketball.com.] Mahnken competed for the Celtics until 1953, retiring from the NBA that year with career statistics of 5.8 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game. [basketball-reference]

Current whereabouts

Since 1955, Georgetown University's alumni records have listed Mahnken's whereabouts as "unknown." He was inducted into Georgetown's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1958, but ongoing efforts by the school and Mahnken's teammates to contact him have been unsuccessful. As of 2002, Mahnken was reportedly living at a veterans' hospital in Maryland, although Georgetown was unable to verify this claim. [http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/j_mahnken.htm John Mahnken] at HoyaBasketball.com.]

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