Bob Netolicky
Encyclopedia
Robert Netolicky is a retired American
basketball
player. A 6'9" power forward
/center
, he played professionally in the now-defunct American Basketball Association
(ABA) from 1967 to 1976.
Netolicky was an All-America
n selection at Drake University
in the 1960s before being drafted by the National Basketball Association
's (NBA) San Diego Rockets
in 1967. However, he never played for the Rockets, joining the ABA's Indiana Pacers
instead. A four-time ABA All-Star
and two-time ABA Champion, Netolicky was a well-rounded player who could rebound, defend, and shoot the ball equally well. Indeed, Jim O'Brien of The Sporting News
once claimed that Netolicky was the "smoothest shooting big man in the ABA" http://www.remembertheaba.com/TributeMaterial/Netolicky.html. Besides the Pacers, Netolicky briefly played for the Dallas Chaparrals
and San Antonio Spurs
, and he ended his ABA career with 9,876 career points and 5,518 career rebounds.
He was also a fan favorite, well-known for his advocacy of mod lifestyle and his exotic pets (including a lion
and an ocelot
). One sportswriter called him the "Broadway Joe Namath
of the ABA", since he had become a veritable sex symbol
to many of Indiana's female fans http://www.remembertheaba.com/TributeMaterial/Netolicky.html.
Netolicky is one of the few (if not the only) professional basketball players to play for both teams in the same game. On November 14, 1973, Netolicky was playing for the San Antonio Spurs when they lost at home to the Indiana Pacers on a last-second shot. The Spurs protested the loss, and the ABA Commissioner ruled for San Antonio. The Pacers' last-second basket was disallowed, and the remaining 30 seconds of the game (which was the portion that San Antonio had protested) was ordered replayed immediately before the next Pacers-at-Spurs game, on December 2, 1973. By that time, however, Netolicky had been traded to Indiana. He played the final 30 seconds of regulation for the Pacers, plus the subsequent overtime.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. A 6'9" power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
/center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
, he played professionally in the now-defunct American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
(ABA) from 1967 to 1976.
Netolicky was an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n selection at Drake University
Drake University
Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....
in the 1960s before being drafted by the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's (NBA) San Diego Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
in 1967. However, he never played for the Rockets, joining the ABA's Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
instead. A four-time ABA All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
and two-time ABA Champion, Netolicky was a well-rounded player who could rebound, defend, and shoot the ball equally well. Indeed, Jim O'Brien of The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
once claimed that Netolicky was the "smoothest shooting big man in the ABA" http://www.remembertheaba.com/TributeMaterial/Netolicky.html. Besides the Pacers, Netolicky briefly played for the Dallas Chaparrals
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
and San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, and he ended his ABA career with 9,876 career points and 5,518 career rebounds.
He was also a fan favorite, well-known for his advocacy of mod lifestyle and his exotic pets (including a lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
and an ocelot
Ocelot
The ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...
). One sportswriter called him the "Broadway Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
of the ABA", since he had become a veritable sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
to many of Indiana's female fans http://www.remembertheaba.com/TributeMaterial/Netolicky.html.
Netolicky is one of the few (if not the only) professional basketball players to play for both teams in the same game. On November 14, 1973, Netolicky was playing for the San Antonio Spurs when they lost at home to the Indiana Pacers on a last-second shot. The Spurs protested the loss, and the ABA Commissioner ruled for San Antonio. The Pacers' last-second basket was disallowed, and the remaining 30 seconds of the game (which was the portion that San Antonio had protested) was ordered replayed immediately before the next Pacers-at-Spurs game, on December 2, 1973. By that time, however, Netolicky had been traded to Indiana. He played the final 30 seconds of regulation for the Pacers, plus the subsequent overtime.
External links
- Career stats at basketball-reference.com
- Bob Netolicky at Remember the ABA