George Ratkovicz was a basketball player who played for five seasons in the National Basketball League

National Basketball League (United States)

Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America  to form the National Basketball Association  in 1949.- League history :The...

 and for six seasons in 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...

. He played 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...

 and forward during his career.

National Basketball League

Ratkovicz's pro career began when he was 19 years old, playing 13 games for the Chicago Bruins

Chicago Bruins

The Chicago Bruins were an American basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois that was a member of the American Basketball League. The Bruins later played in the National Basketball League and World Professional Basketball Tournament....

 of the National Basketball League

National Basketball League (United States)

Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America  to form the National Basketball Association  in 1949.- League history :The...

 during the 1941–1942 season. Ratkovicz missed the next three seasons due to military service, then returned to Chicago in time for the 1945–1946 season, this time playing for the Chicago American Gears

Chicago American Gears

The Chicago American Gears were a National Basketball League team who played from 1944 to 1947.Led by George Mikan and Bobby McDermott, they defeated the Rochester Royals to win the 1947 NBL Championship....

. He spent two seasons with the Gears, then went on to play for the NBL's Rochester Royals

Rochester Royals

The franchise that would become the Sacramento Kings initially started in the city of Rochester, New York, as the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League....

 and Tri-Cities Blackhawks for one season apiece.

Syracuse Nationals

When the NBL merged with the Basketball Association of America

Basketball Association of America

The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ...

 and formed 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...

, Ratkovicz joined the Syracuse Nationals

Syracuse Nationals

The Syracuse Nationals were an American professional basketball team that existed from 1946 to 1963 as part of the National Basketball League and National Basketball Association . They are currently known as the Philadelphia 76ers, and are the NBA's oldest continued franchise.The team began in...

 for the 1949–1950 season. Playing alongside future Basketball Hall of Fame

Basketball Hall of Fame

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...

rs Dolph Schayes

Dolph Schayes

Adolph "Dolph" Schayes is a retired American professional basketball player and coach in the NBA. A top scorer and rebounder, he was a member of the 1955 NBA champion Syracuse Nationals and a 12-time All-Star....

 and Al Cervi

Al Cervi

Alfred Nicholas Cervi was an American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball League and National Basketball Association . 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...

, Ratkovicz averaged eight-anf-a-half points per game in his first NBA season and played in the NBA Finals

1950 NBA Finals

The 1950 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association's first season, the 1949–50 season.6'8" Dolph Schayes of Syracuse led his team out to the finals after a 16.8 ppg average during the regular season. George Mikan, however, averaged 27.4 ppg and led the league...

, where the Nationals lost to the Minneapolis Lakers in six games.

Statistically, Ratkovicz's best season came the following year during the 1950–1951 season. Playing in all 66 of the Nationals' team games, he averaged thirteen points and over eight rebounds per game. His 41.5% field goal percentage was the sixth highest in the NBA that season, and he also ranked in the top ten in free throw

Free throw

In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...

s and free throw attempts.

Ratkovicz's role was reduced during the 1951–1952 season; playing in twenty-and-a-half minutes a game, he averaged seven-and-a-half points and five rebounds per game while serving as a backup to Dolph Schayes.

Milwaukee Hawks

For the 1952–1953 season, Ratkovicz joined the Milwaukee Hawks. His playing time increased with the Hawks, and he averaged over thirty minutes a game in his first year with the Hawks. That season, he averaged nine-and-a-half points and nearly seven-and-a-half rebounds per game. He recorded similar numbers during the 1953–1954 season. During the 1954–1955 season, his final year in the NBA, he played in just nine games. He retired with over 3,000 points and nearly 2,000 rebounds in his career.