 Meschery, circa 1965 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 26, 1938 Harbin, Manchukuo (now China) |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lowell (San Francisco, California) |
| College | Saint Mary's (1958–1961) |
| NBA draft | 1961: 1st round, 7th overall pick |
| Selected by the Philadelphia Warriors | |
| Playing career | 1961–1971 |
| Position | Power forward |
| Number | 14 |
| Coaching career | 1971–1972, 1974–1976 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1961–1967 | Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors |
| 1967–1971 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| As coach: | |
| 1971–1972 | Carolina Cougars |
| 1974–1976 | Portland Trail Blazers (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 9,904 (12.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 6,698 (8.6 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,331 (1.7 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Thomas Nicholas Meschery (/mɛˈʃɛərriː/ meh-SHAIR-ree;[1] born Tomislav Nikolayevich Meshcheryakov (Russian: Томислав Николаевич Мещеряков); October 26, 1938)[2] is an American former professional basketball player. Born in China, Meschery was a power forward with a 10-year National Basketball Association career from 1961 to 1971. He played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors and the Seattle SuperSonics. He played in the 1963 NBA All-Star Game, making him the first foreign-born NBA player to be selected as an NBA All-Star. The Warriors not only retired his number 14, but also gave him a unique honor by incorporating the number into the team's logo from 1967 to 1974.[3]
- ^ Pomerantz, Gary M. Wilt, 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawn of a New Era. New York City: Crown Publishing Group, 2005. Retrieved October 28, 2021
- ^ TOM MESCHERY: THE FIRST RUSSIAN IN THE NBA Archived January 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "A retired number tribute like no other". December 17, 2020.