Bud Palmer

John Shove "Bud" Palmer (September 14, 1921 – March 19, 2013) was an American professional basketball player. He was a member of the New York Knicks during the team's first three seasons in the Basketball Association of America, and was the leading scorer in the team's inaugural 1946–47 season. Palmer is considered to be one of the inventors of the jump shot.[1][2]

Bud Palmer

Palmer in 1948
Personal information
Born	(1921-09-14)September 14, 1921 Hollywood, California
Died	March 19, 2013(2013-03-19) (aged 91) West Palm Beach, Florida
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school	Hun (Princeton, New Jersey) Phillips Exeter (New Hampshire)
College	Princeton
Playing career	1946–1949
Position	Forward / Center
Number	16
Career history
1946–1949	New York Knicks
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Born in Hollywood, California, Palmer was the son of football player and actor Maurice Bennett "Lefty" Flynn and singer Blanche Palmer.[1] Palmer was 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) when he started playing basketball at Hun School of Princeton, and started using the jump shot to compensate for his height.[1] He grew a foot taller to 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) by the time he began playing college basketball at Princeton University, and played for three seasons before he enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II.[1]

After his NBA career ended, Palmer went on to have a successful career as a sportscaster.[1][3] He was Chief of Protocol and Official Greeter for the City of New York for seven years during John Lindsay's administration.

Palmer died at 91 of metastatic prostate cancer in 2013 in West Palm Beach, Florida.[1][4]

BAA career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	FG%	Field-goal percentage
FT%	Free-throw percentage	APG	Assists per game
PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	FG%	FT%	APG	PPG
1946–47	New York	42	.307	.669	0.8	9.5
1947–48	New York	48	.315	.744	0.9	13.0
1948–49	New York	58	.350	.762	1.9	12.3
Career		148	.326	.739	1.3	11.7

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	FG%	FT%	APG	PPG
1947	New York	5	.351	.600	0.8	15.6
1948	New York	3	.421	.769	0.0	14.0
1949	New York	6	.422	.771	1.7	13.5
Career		14	.388	.721	1.0	14.4

References

1. Martin, Douglas (March 22, 2013). "Bud Palmer, Jump Shot Pioneer, Dies at 91". The New York Times. Accessed on June 22, 2017.
2. Christgau, John (1999). The Origins of the Jump Shot. Eight men who shook the world of Basketball. Lincoln (NE): University of Nebraska Press.
3. "Bud Palmer gave up a mike for hot dogs". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 26, 1975. p. 2B.
4. "Bud Palmer, broadcasting pioneer and ex-Knicks captain, dies at age 91". Palm Beach Post. March 21, 2013.

External links

• Bud Palmer at Find a Grave