 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1943-10-01)October 1, 1943 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
| Died | September 19, 2020(2020-09-19) (aged 76) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | West (Salt Lake City, Utah) |
| College | BYU (1963–1966) |
| NBA draft | 1966: 5th round, 44th overall pick |
| Selected by theSt. Louis Hawks | |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Number | 11 |
| Career history | |
| 1970–1971 | Utah Stars |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Richard Samuel Nemelka (October 1, 1943 – September 19, 2020) was an American professionalbasketball player for theAmerican Basketball Association (ABA). As a college player, he earnedAll-American recognition atBrigham Young University (BYU).
Nemelka was born inSalt Lake City,Utah. He played basketball atUtah'sWest High School where he was an all-state selection. He also played shortstop on the varsity baseball team.[1][2]
Nemelka played in thirteen games for theBYU Cougars freshman team, averaging 16.2 points per game.[1]
Nemelka started every game for BYU his sophomore season, averaging 10.8 points per game.[1]
In his junior season at BYU, Nemelka averaged 15.4 points per game as BYU finished 21-7 and won theWestern Athletic Conference championship. He was also named to the All-WAC second team and was an Academic All-WAC selection.[1]
As a junior at BYU, Nemelka averaged 24.0 points per game as BYU won the1966 NIT. Nemelka was named as a first team All-American by theUSBWA and a third team All-American by theNABC. He was also named to the All-WAC first-team and to the Academic All-Wac team.[1]
Nemelka was drafted with the fourth pick in the fifth round of the1966 NBA draft by the St. Louis Hawks (now based inAtlanta). However, he never played in theNBA. Nemelka played one season in the ABA for theUtah Stars, and averaged 5.5 points, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game. He played in nine playoff games for the Stars in the1971 ABA playoffs, on the way to the Stars winning the 1971 ABA championship.[3]
Following his professional basketball career, Nemelka worked as an attorney inUtah.[4] On May 13, 2008, the Chair of the Ethics and Discipline Committee of the Utah Supreme Court entered a public reprimand against Nemelka for the violation of three rules.[5]
Nemelka died on September 19, 2020, at age 76 after a battle with cancer.[6][7]
Media related toDick Nemelka at Wikimedia Commons