 Cervi circa 1949 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 12, 1917 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 9, 2009 (aged 92) Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | East (Buffalo, New York) |
| Playing career | 1937–1953 |
| Position | Forward / guard |
| Number | 15 |
| Coaching career | 1948–1959 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1937–1938 | Buffalo Bisons |
| 1945–1947 | Rochester Royals |
| 1947 | Trenton Tigers |
| 1947–1948 | Rochester Royals |
| 1948–1953 | Syracuse Nationals |
| As coach: | |
| 1948–1958 | Syracuse Nationals |
| 1958–1959 | Philadelphia Warriors |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach:
| |
| Career NBA playing statistics | |
| Points | 1,591 (7.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 261 (1.8 rpg) |
| Assists | 648 (3.2 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Career coaching record | |
| NBA | 326–241 (.575) |
| Record at Basketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Alfred Nicholas Cervi (February 12, 1917 – November 9, 2009) was an American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball League (NBL) and National Basketball Association (NBA). One of the strongest backcourt players of the 1940s and 1950s, he was always assigned to defend against the opposing team's best scoring threat. He earned the nickname "Digger" because of his hard-nosed style of defense.[1] He added coaching to his duties in 1948 before retiring as a player in 1953. As a coach, he went to the NBA Finals three times, winning once.