Zelmo Beaty
Zelmo Beaty was born on October 25, 1939. See ranking, bio blurb, and everyone else born that day.
About Zelmo Beaty
Zelmo "Big Z" Beaty ( BAY-tee; October 25, 1939 – August 27, 2013) was an American basketball player. He played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and four in the rival American Basketball Association (ABA). In 2016, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He was earlier selected to the ABA All-Time Team. Beaty excelled in both high school and college basketball before being selected as a first round draft pick by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1962 NBA draft, with the third overall pick. He was a member of the NBA's inaugural All-Rookie Team in 1963. He was a two-time NBA All-Star in seven years with the Hawks, and averaged double-doubles for six consecutive seasons after his rookie year. The Hawks went to the NBA playoffs every season he was on the team. In October 1969, Beaty signed a contract to join the Los Angeles Stars (later the Utah Stars) in the American Basketball Association. He did not play in the 1969–70 season because of the restriction imposed by the option clause in his NBA contract with the Hawks. In four seasons with the Utah Stars (1970 to 1974), he was an ABA All-Star three times and second-team All-ABA twice, while being a key figure in the Stars run to the 1971 ABA championship, where he recorded 36 points and 16 rebounds in the decisive Game 7 victory on his way to being named the 1971 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player. This is still the only professional basketball championship for the state of Utah. Beaty has also been inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, the NAIA Hall of Fame, and the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame. Beaty played for Prairie View A&M University from 1958 to 1962, averaging 25 points and 20 rebounds per game over his college career. He led Prairie View to the NAIA national basketball tournament championship in 1962, had 28 points and 29 rebounds in the championship game, and was named the 1962 NAIA Chuck Taylor Tournament MVP. Beaty was a two-time first team NAIA All-American (1960, 1962), two-time first-team United Press International small college All-American (1961, 1962), and a first-team Associated Press Little All-American (1962) after being a second-team Little All-American the prior year (1961).