| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1931-01-19)January 19, 1931 Palmerton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 12, 2024(2024-12-12) (aged 93) Medford, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Stephen S. Palmer (Palmerton, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Temple (1949–1952) |
| NBA draft | 1952:territorial pick |
| Drafted by | Philadelphia Warriors |
| Playing career | 1952–1953 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 16 |
| Career history | |
| 1952–1953 | Philadelphia Warriors |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 181 (5.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 101 (3.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 62 (2.0 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
William Paul Mlkvy[1] (January 19, 1931 – December 12, 2024) was an American professionalbasketball player who spent his one-year career with the Philadelphia Warriors (now theGolden State Warriors). Philadelphia selected Mlkvy with aterritorial pick of the1952 NBA draft out ofTemple University.
A 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) and 190 pounds (86 kg) forward, he was nicknamed "the Owl without a Vowel."[2] His parents, John and Margaret, migrated to the United States in 1907 from present-daySlovakia, then part of theAustro-Hungarian Empire, when his father got a job withThe New Jersey Zinc Company.[1] Mlkvy was one of eight children.[3]
After being drafted, Mlkvy continued with his schooling, attendingTemple's dental school while playing with the Warriors. After his rookie season, Warriors general manager and coachEddie Gottlieb made Mlkvy choose between school and basketball. Mlkvy initially chose basketball but changed course when he was informed that he would be drafted into theUnited States Army as aprivate if he was no longer enrolled in school but, if he finished school, he would be drafted as a dentalofficer.[2]
Mlkvy finished dental school the following year and enlisted in the Army as adentist and served from 1955 to 1962, eventually reaching the rank ofmajor and was stationed inKorea for the last few years of his service.[4]
In 1992, Mlkvy was inducted into thePennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.[5] Mlkvy died inMedford, New Jersey, on December 12, 2024, at the age of 93.[6]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Source[7]
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952–53 | Philadelphia | 31 | 19.6 | .305 | .646 | 3.3 | 2.0 | 5.8 |
| * | Led NCAA Division I |
Source[8]
| Year | Team | GP | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949–50 | Temple | 24 | .782 | 16.3 | |||
| 1950–51 | Temple | 25 | .314 | .691 | 18.9 | 7.0 | 29.2* |
| 1951–52 | Temple | 24 | .497 | .777 | 15.8 | 5.2 | 17.4 |
| Career | 73 | .362 | .739 | 17.4 | 6.1 | 21.1 | |
· Basketball Reference 
