Red Rocha

Ephraim J. "Red" Rocha (September 18, 1923 – February 13, 2010[1]) was an American professional basketball player and coach.

Red Rocha
Rocha in 1948
Personal information
Born(1923-09-18)September 18, 1923
Hilo, Hawaii
DiedFebruary 13, 2010(2010-02-13) (aged 86)
Corvallis, Oregon
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolHilo (Hilo, Hawaii)
CollegeOregon State (1944–1947)
NBA draft1947 / Round: -- / Pick: --
Selected by the Toronto Huskies
Playing career1947–1957
PositionCenter / Forward
Number4, 6, 16
Career history
As player:
1947–1950St. Louis Bombers
1950–1951Baltimore Bullets
1951–1953,
1954–1956		Syracuse Nationals
1956–1957Fort Wayne Pistons
As coach:
1957–1960Detroit Pistons
1963–1973Hawaii
Career highlights and awards
Career BAA and NBA statistics
Points6,362 (10.9 ppg)
Rebounds2,747 (6.6 rpg)
Assists1,153 (2.0 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Basketball

A 6'9" center from Oregon State University, he earned All-Pacific Coast Conference honors in 1945, 1946, and 1947. He was also selected as a 1947 All-American.

Rocha played in the BAA and NBA in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He represented the Baltimore Bullets in the 1951 NBA All-Star Game, the first NBA All-Star Game.[2] Rocha had 6,362 career points in the NBA and won an NBA title with the Syracuse Nationals in 1955.[2] The first person from Hawaii to play in the NBA,[3][4] Rocha still shares, with former teammate Paul Seymour, the NBA record for most minutes in a playoff game with 67.[5]

After his playing days he became a coach, including head coach of the Detroit Pistons from 1958 to 1960.[2] Rocha also coached the Hawaii Chiefs of the American Basketball League.[6] Rocha then became head coach for the University of Hawaii men's basketball team.[2] At UH, he assembled what is known today as the "Fabulous Five" during the 1970 to 1972 seasons. In 1970, the team advanced to postseason play for the first time in school history. Red also co-founded the Rainbow Classic — an eight-team collegiate men's basketball tournament, with UH hosting the tournament.

Later years

He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1980, and into the Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. Ephraim "Red" Rocha died from cancer on February 13, 2010, in Corvallis, Oregon, at the age of 86.[3]

BAA/NBA career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship

Regular season
Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1947–48 St. Louis 48–.314.690–.812.7
1948–49 St. Louis 58–.389.768–2.710.5
1949–50 St. Louis 65–.405.703–2.411.8
1950–51 Baltimore 64–.352.8098.02.313.1
1951–52 Syracuse 6638.5.401.7708.31.912.9
1952–53 Syracuse 6935.6.388.7557.42.011.2
1954–55† Syracuse 7234.3.368.7826.82.511.3
1955–56 Syracuse 7226.2.361.7835.81.810.0
1956–57 Fort Wayne 7216.0.349.7573.81.15.3
Career 58629.9.370.7596.62.010.9

Playoffs
Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1948 St. Louis 7–.246.733–.911.4
1949 St. Louis 2–.444.800–3.018.0
1952 Syracuse 739.4.432.7256.91.417.0
1953 Syracuse 253.5.385.7868.53.515.5
1955† Syracuse 1133.7.418.7596.71.312.4
1956 Syracuse 823.6.338.8466.51.98.5
1957 Fort Wayne 29.0.000.6673.0.02.0
Career 3932.0.360.7586.61.512.2

References
  1. McInnes, Brian (February 13, 2010). "Former UH basketball coach Red Rocha dies". Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
  2. "Legendary Hoop Star Red Rocha, Tower of the 'Thrill Kids,' Dies" (PDF). Oregon Stater. OSU Alumni Association. 95 (2): 32. Spring 2010.
  3. Buker, Paul (February 15, 2010). "R.I.P. Red Rocha, whose life at OSU as a "Thrill Kid" and in the NBA was right out of a movie script". The Oregonian. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
  4. Cedric Ceballos was also born in Hawaii, but went to high school in California, whereas Rocha also went to high school in Hawaii. "Red Rocha NBA & ABA Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. September 18, 2012.
  5. "A March Marathon – Flashback: 1953's Four-OT Thriller - Boston Celtics vs. Syracuse Nationals". Basketball Digest. March 2003. Archived from the original on March 30, 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2008.
  6. Association for Professional Basketball Research American Basketball League page
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