| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 17, 1923 Victoria, British Columbia |
| Died | April 23, 1989 (aged 66) Victoria, British Columbia |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 1946–1948 |
| Position | Guard |
| Number | 16 |
| Career history | |
| 1946 | Chicago Stags |
| 1946–1948 | Vancouver Hornets |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Norman Henry Baker (February 17, 1923 – April 23, 1989) was a Canadian professional basketball and lacrosse player.
Early life and career
Baker started his career at the age of ten while playing for the Nanaimo Mosquitoes.[1] He became the youngest player to win a Canadian senior national championship as the team won in 1939.[1] As a sixteen-year-old, Baker led the Mosquitoes to a win over the Harlem Globetrotters and was called "one of the greatest natural players I have ever seen" by Globetrotters founder Abe Saperstein.[2]
Baker won two more championships with the Mosquitoes in 1942 and 1946.[1] While serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force, he won another championship in 1943 for the Pat Bay Gremlins.[1] Baker set a league scoring record with the Gremlins when he posted 38 points in a game against Windsor.[1]
Professional career
Baker became professional in 1946 when he played for the Chicago Stags of the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[1] He was released after only four games with the team.[3] Baker stated that the main reason he did not stay was because he had trouble with his contract and was only offered $900 a month.[4]
Baker played lacrosse for the Westminster Adanacs in 1947.[1]
Baker played 70 games for the Vancouver Hornets of the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League from 1947 to 1948 and averaged 28.0 points per game.[1] He joined the New York Celtics, Stars of America and Boston Whirlwinds as the touring opponent of the Harlem Globetrotters.[4] He played for the Whirlwinds in the 1950–51 and 1952–53 seasons.[1]
Baker was the only non-American player on a basketball team billed as "The Stars of the World" that toured thirteen countries in Europe and Africa in 1950.[1]
After his playing career ended, Baker worked as a police officer.[3] He coached basketball and lacrosse.[3]
Legacy
Baker was voted as Canada's "Most Outstanding Player of the Century" in 1950.[1]
He was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1966,[1] Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1978,[4] Canada Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979,[5] and Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.[2]
BAA career statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | ||||
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | ||||
| FT% | Free-throw percentage | ||||
| APG | Assists per game | ||||
| PPG | Points per game | ||||
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | FG% | FT% | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946–47 | Chicago | 4 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 4 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Norm Baker". BC Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- 1 2 "Norm Baker (1991)". Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- 1 2 3 "Norm Baker". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- 1 2 3 "Catch You on the Rebound: Norm Baker". Basketball Canada. April 17, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ↑ "Norm Baker". Canada Basketball. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com