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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1921-06-04)June 4, 1921 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 23, 2016(2016-01-23) (aged 94) Pittsford, New York, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Benjamin Franklin (New York City, New York) |
| College |
|
| BAA draft | 1948: 1st round, 10th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Rochester Royals |
| Playing career | 1947–1957 |
| Position | Point guard /shooting guard |
| Number | 9 |
| Coaching career | 1955–1987 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1947–1957 | Rochester Royals |
Coaching | |
| 1955–1959 | Rochester / Cincinnati Royals |
| 1963–1987 | St. John Fisher |
| Career highlights | |
As player:
As coach: | |
| Career BAA and NBA statistics | |
| Points | 6,924 (12.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,979 (4.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,830 (3.2 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Robert Francis Wanzer (June 4, 1921 – January 23, 2016) was an American professionalbasketball player and coach. A five timeNBA All-Star and three timeAll-NBA Second Team selection, Wanzer played his entire professional career for theRochester Royals of theBasketball Association of America (BAA) andNational Basketball Association (NBA). He won anNBA championship with the Royals in1951. During his final two years as a player, he served as the team'splayer-coach. After he retired from playing in 1957, he remained as a coach with the Royals for one season, before he became the head coach of theSt. John Fisher Cardinals college basketball team in 1963. He stayed in the role with the college for 24 years until his retirement in 1987. Wanzer was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the newly formedNew York City Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991.
A 6'0" guard, Wanzer played collegiately atSeton Hall University. After leading Seton Hall to a 16–2 record as a sophomore, Wanzer enlisted in theUnited States Marine Corps. He made the All-Pacific Armed Forces All-Star basketball team, and participated in the occupation ofGuam.[1] Wanzer played for theColgate Raiders during the 1943–44 season.[2] He returned to Seton Hall for the 1946–47 season.[2] On November 29, 1947, Wanzer was declared ineligible for the 1947–48 season as he had played varsity for three seasons.[2]
Wanzer made his professional debut for theRochester Royals of theNational Basketball League (NBL) during the 1947–48 season.[3] Royals starBob Davies was a Seton Hall coach and steered the star guard to the NBL contender. Wanzer was selected by the Royals in the1948 BAA draft.[4] The Royals agreed to waive either their territorial draft pick or their regular draft turn to retain Wanzer.[5]
Initially a reserve behindAl Cervi andRed Holzman, Wanzer later teamed with Davies to form a potent backcourt for the day. The Royals were very successful from 1947 to 1954, and their smaller stars, like Wanzer, were considered their biggest assets. With Wanzer, Rochester won the 1950–51National Basketball Association (NBA) title.
Wanzer played his entire career with the Royals, retiring from play after the end of the 1957 season. He was a five-time All-Star with the Royals, made theAll-NBA Second Team three consecutive times and, in the 1951–52 season, Wanzer became the first player to ever shoot over 90% from thefree throw line in a season.[6]
Wanzer served as theplayer-coach of the Royals for two years, and then, after the franchise moved toCincinnati, coached for another season. His1957–58 Cincinnati Royals team were an NBA championship contender, but injuries stopped the team short. When starMaurice Stokes was permanently injured, Wanzer moved on early the following NBA season.
In 1962, Wanzer became the first coach atSt. John Fisher College inPittsford, New York. He coached there for 24 seasons and also served as the school's athletic director. He also served as the schools golf coach for many years before retiring.[7]
Wanzer died on January 23, 2016, at his home in Pittsford, New York.[1][8]
Pre-deceased by his wife, Nina Penrose Wanzer and son-in-law Darrel Dupra he was survived by daughters, Mary and Beth Wanzer and son, Bobby (Nancy) Wanzer; grandchildren Jeff, Zach and Whitney Dupra, Marti and Madison Wanzer; great-granddaughter Seneca Hernandez Dupra; and sister, Marilyn (Robert) Ulrich.
He was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. He is also a member of the Seton Hall College Hall of Fame and theNew York City Basketball Hall of Fame (1991[9]), among others.
On August 17, 2007, Wanzer was inducted into the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame.[1]
| 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 |
| † | Won anNBA championship |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948–49 | Rochester | 60 | – | .379 | .823 | – | 3.1 | 10.2 |
| 1949–50 | Rochester | 67 | – | .414 | .806 | – | 3.2 | 11.8 |
| 1950–51† | Rochester | 68 | – | .401 | .850 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 10.8 |
| 1951–52 | Rochester | 66 | 37.8 | .425 | .904* | 5.0 | 4.0 | 15.7 |
| 1952–53 | Rochester | 70 | 36.8 | .367 | .812 | 5.0 | 3.6 | 14.6 |
| 1953–54 | Rochester | 72 | 35.3 | .386 | .734 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 13.3 |
| 1954–55 | Rochester | 72 | 33.0 | .395 | .786 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 13.1 |
| 1955–56 | Rochester | 72 | 27.5 | .376 | .719 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 10.4 |
| 1956–57 | Rochester | 21 | 7.6 | .469 | .783 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 3.9 |
| Career | 568 | 32.5 | .393 | .802 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 12.2 | |
| All-Star | 5 | 26.2 | .395 | .857 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 9.2 | |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Rochester | 4 | – | .317 | .706 | – | 2.3 | 9.5 |
| 1950 | Rochester | 2 | – | .471 | .846 | – | 2.0 | 13.5 |
| 1951† | Rochester | 14 | – | .471 | .910 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 12.5 |
| 1952 | Rochester | 6 | 41.5 | .429 | .959* | 6.3 | 3.2 | 18.8 |
| 1953 | Rochester | 3 | 38.7 | .378 | .852 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 17.0 |
| 1954 | Rochester | 6 | 40.8 | .405 | .818 | 5.8 | 4.3 | 16.0 |
| 1955 | Rochester | 3 | 33.3 | .457 | .917 | 7.0 | 2.7 | 18.0 |
| Career | 38 | 39.4 | .425 | .880 | 5.8 | 3.5 | 14.6 | |