Lauren Gale
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Lauren "Laddie" Gale (April 22, 1917—July 29, 1996) was an American collegiate and professional basketball player.
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[edit] NCAA championship
A native of Oakridge, Oregon,[1] the 6'4" Gale played forward for the University of Oregon under head coach Howard Hobson. He was the second-tallest player (behind 6'8" Urgel "Slim" Wintermute) on the team, which was dubbed "The Tall Firs."[1]
Gale led the Ducks in scoring in 1938 and 1939, earning all-Pacific Coast Conference honors in each season. In 1939, Gale led the Ducks to a national championship in the first-ever Division I men's basketball tournament.[2]
[edit] Professional career and later years
After graduation, Gale played professionally in 1939 and 1940 for the Detroit Eagles of the National Basketball League.[3] He left the Eagles in to serve in World War II,[3] reportedly after being the first Oregon draftee selected by lottery.[1] After the war, he played on several semi-pro teams and retired from basketball in 1949.[3]
He died in Gold Beach, Oregon on July 29, 1996.[1]
[edit] Halls of Fame
For his stellar collegiate play, for being the first college player regularly to employ a one-handed shot, and for helping to popularize the sport of basketball in the American West, Gale was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977[2] and was an inaugural inductee of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.[4] He is also a member of the University of Oregon Hall of Fame.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "Hall of Famer Laddie Gale dies at 79", The Oregonian, July 31, 1996.
- ^ a b Lauren "Laddie" Gale. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2007-05-23.
- ^ a b c Laddie Gale. HickokSports.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-23.
- ^ Honor Roll: Basketball. Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved on 2007-05-23.
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