Walter Dukes

Walter Dukes
Personal information
Born (1930-06-23)June 23, 1930
Rochester, New York
Died February, 2001 (aged 70)
Detroit, Michigan
Nationality American
Listed height 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight 220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school East (Rochester, New York)
College Seton Hall (1950–1953)
NBA draft 1953 / Pick: Territorial
Selected by the New York Knicks
Playing career 1953–1969
Position Center
Number 6, 24, 14, 23
Career history
1953–1955 Harlem Globetrotters
1955–1956 New York Knicks
1956–1957 Minneapolis Lakers
19571963 Detroit Pistons
1963–1964 Camden Bullets (EPBL)
1964–1967 Trenton Colonials (EPBL)
1967–1968 Asbury Park Boardwalkers (EPBL)
1968–1969 Scranton Miners (EPBL)
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points 5,765 (10.4 ppg)
Rebounds 6,223 (11.3 rpg)
Assists 608 (1.1 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Walter F. Dukes (June 23, 1930 – February, 2001) was a center for the New York Knicks (1955–56), Minneapolis Lakers (1956–57) and Detroit Pistons (1957–63).

Born in Rochester, New York, Dukes played high school basketball at Seton Hall Preparatory School, and attended Seton Hall University. He graduated from New York Law School in 1960.[1]

Dukes helped the Lakers win the 1956-57 NBA Western Division in his second season. While with the Pistons, he was named to the 1960 and 1961 NBA All-Star West Teams. Dukes averaged double figures in rebounds in six of his eight seasons in the NBA, and had career averages of 11.3 rebounds per game and 10.4 points per game.

Dukes led the NBA in personal fouls in 1958 (311) and 1959 (332) and led the NBA in disqualifications four consecutive seasons between 1958–59 and 1961-62[2] still an NBA record. His 121 career disqualifications (in only eight seasons) rank second in the NBA to Vern Mikkelsen, and he holds the record for the highest career percentage of games fouled out (21.9%) for any player with over 400 games played.[3]

On March 14, 2001, Dukes was found dead in his apartment in Detroit, Michigan. According to a police spokesman, he had been dead for about a month when his body was found. He died of natural causes, aged 70.[4]

References

  1. Goldstein, Richard. "Walter Dukes, 70, a Standout At Seton Hall and in the N.B.A.", The New York Times, March 16, 2001. Accessed November 2, 2007. "A native of Rochester, Dukes moved to South Orange, N.J., in 1948 to attend Seton Hall Prep."
  2. The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia. Villard Books. 1994. p. 379. ISBN 0-679-43293-0.
  3. "nba.com: Regular Season Records: Miscellaneous - Series". Retrieved 2008-04-20.
  4. "ESPN: Dukes remembered as Seton Hall's best". Retrieved 2007-08-26.
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