Jim Loscutoff
James Loscutoff Jr. (February 4, 1930 – December 1, 2015) was a professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A forward, Loscutoff played on seven Celtics championship teams between 1956 and 1964.[1]
Personal information
February 4, 1930
San Francisco, California, U.S.
December 1, 2015 (aged 85)
Naples, Florida, U.S.
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
- Grant Tech (1948–1950)
- Oregon (1950–1951, 1954–1955)
1955: 1st round, 3rd overall pick
1955–1964
18
3,156 (6.2 ppg)
2,848 (5.6 rpg)
353 (0.7 apg)
Early life[edit]
Loscutoff was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Nellie George (Ramzoff)[2] and James Loscutoff. His parents were Spiritual Christian Molokans from Russia.[3] He starred in basketball at Palo Alto High School, graduating in 1948. Loscutoff then attended Grant Technical College, a two-year college near Sacramento, California, before proceeding to the University of Oregon. In his final season at Oregon, Loscutoff led the team in scoring and rebounding with 19.6 points per game and 17.2 rebounds per game.[4] He still holds the Oregon school record for rebounds in a game, with 32.[5]
Coaching career[edit]
Loscutoff coached the basketball team at Boston State College from 1964 to 1976 and compiled a record of 219–92 with the Warriors.
In November 1980, he became the head coach of the New England Gulls of the Women's Professional Basketball League, the first women's pro basketball league in the United States. He coached the team for six games, all of which they lost, before being replaced by assistant coach Dana Skinner in early January 1981.[8] Less than a month later, the Gulls folded due to financial difficulties.[9]
Personal life[edit]
Loscutoff lived in Florida and Andover, Massachusetts, where his family owns a day camp for children.[10] His wife was artist Lynn Loscutoff.[11] He died in Naples, Florida, on December 1, 2015, from complications of Parkinson's disease and pneumonia.[12][13]
In 1980, he was a member of the inaugural class of inductees to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.[14]