Jim Loscutoff

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Jim Loscutoff
Personal information
Born(1930-02-04)February 4, 1930
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedDecember 1, 2015(2015-12-01) (aged 85)
Naples, Florida, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High schoolPalo Alto (Palo Alto, California)
College
  • Grant Tech (1948–1950)
  • Oregon (1950–1951, 1954–1955)
NBA draft1955: 1st round, 3rd overall pick
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Playing career1955–1964
PositionSmall forward
Number18
Career history
As player:
1955–1964Boston Celtics
As coach:
1964–1976Boston State
1980–1981New England Gulls
Career highlights and awards
As player:
Career statistics
Points3,156 (6.2 ppg)
Rebounds2,848 (5.6 rpg)
Assists353 (0.7 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

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]

Early life

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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]

Professional career

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The Celtics honored Loscutoff by having his nickname "Loscy" hang from the rafters.

Standing 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall, Loscutoff was selected with the third non-territorial pick of the first round in the 1955 NBA draft. He was originally drafted by coach Red Auerbach to provide some much-needed defensive nerve for the Celtics team, which (despite becoming the first team to average 100 points per game in the 1954–55 season) had one of the worst defensive records in the league.

During his rookie year, Loscutoff set a then-record for the Celtics with 26 rebounds in a game.[4] In the 1957 NBA Finals, he sank the final two free throws of a 125–123 double-overtime victory over the St. Louis Hawks in game seven, as the Celtics won their first NBA championship.[5] Loscutoff missed most of the 1957–58 season due to a knee injury, working closely with Auerbach on his rehabilitation.[6] He successfully returned to the Celtics and was a member of six more championship teams.[6]

In nine NBA seasons, from 1955–56 to 1963–64, Loscutoff was a member of seven championships as part of the legendary Celtics teams of the 1960s. A small forward, he was sometimes described as the Celtics hatchet man.[7] His defense and strength were part of the defensive greatness of the 1960s Celtics, alongside Hall-of-Famer Bill Russell.

Loscutoff's nicknames included "Jungle Jim" and "Loscy". The organization wished to honor Loscutoff, but he asked that his jersey number (18) not be retired, so that a future Celtic could wear it. Instead, the Celtics added a banner with his nickname "Loscy" to the retired number banners hanging from the rafters of their arenas. The number was later retired in honor of another Celtic great, Dave Cowens.

Coaching career

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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

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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]

NBA career statistics

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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

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Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1955–56 Boston 71 22.3 .360 .671 8.8 0.9 8.3
1956–57† Boston 70 31.7 .345 .706 10.4 1.3 10.6
1957–58 Boston 5 11.2 .355 .333 4.0 0.2 4.6
1958–59† Boston 66 25.5 .353 .738 7.0 0.9 8.3
1959–60† Boston 28 19.1 .322 .611 3.9 0.4 5.5
1960–61† Boston 76 15.2 .301 .645 3.8 0.3 4.4
1961–62† Boston 79 14.5 .362 .536 4.2 0.6 5.3
1962–63† Boston 63 9.6 .375 .524 2.5 0.4 3.3
1963–64† Boston 53 8.5 .308 .581 2.5 0.5 2.5
Career 511 18.5 .345 .653 5.6 0.7 6.2

Playoffs

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Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1955–56 Boston 3 29.7 .355 .778 8.7 1.3 9.7
1956–57† Boston 10 25.9 .284 .643 8.3 0.5 8.0
1958–59† Boston 11 23.6 .345 .524 6.6 1.2 8.1
1960–61† Boston 10 11.6 .278 .778 3.5 0.3 3.7
1961–62† Boston 14 15.1 .360 .400 4.2 0.4 4.7
1962–63† Boston 9 6.2 .280 .500 2.3 0.1 1.7
1963–64† Boston 1 5.0 1.000 – 2.0 0.0 4.0
Career 58 17.2 .324 .608 5.2 0.6 5.5

Note: Following the 1959–60 regular season, Loscutoff did not play in the 1960 postseason due to injury.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Team Statement on Celtics Legend Jim Loscutoff". Archived from the original on January 12, 2016.
  2. ^ "FamilySearch.org".
  3. ^ "FamilySearch.org".
  4. ^ a b Pave, Marvin (December 3, 2015), "Jim Loscutoff, at 85; forward on seven Celtics title teams", The Boston Globe
  5. ^ a b Schudel, Matt (December 2, 2015), "Jim Loscutoff, brawny forward for Celtics dynasty, dies at 85", The Washington Post
  6. ^ a b Abacus Reveals (December 2, 2015). "Recalling Jim Loscutoff -- An Auerbach Guy to the Core". celticslife.com. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  7. ^ Reynolds, Bill (2010). Rise of a Dynasty: The '57 Celtics, the First Banner, and the Dawning of a New America. Penguin Group. ISBN 9781101475058.
  8. ^ Ray Fitzgerald (January 14, 1981). "Loscutoff charges; Gulls owner denies". The Boston Globe. p. 69. Retrieved October 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  9. ^ "New England Gulls grounded". Press Journal. Associated Press. January 29, 1981. p. 3B. Retrieved October 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  10. ^ Twiss, Jeff. "Legal Timeout with Jim Loscutoff". NBA.com. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
  11. ^ Singlelais, Neil (February 17, 1957). "The Wives Get Along Together". The Boston Globe.
  12. ^ "Jim Loscutoff, brawny forward for Celtics dynasty, dies at 85 - The Washington Post". The Washington Post.
  13. ^ "'Jungle Jim' Loscutoff was fearsome but fun-loving - the Boston Globe". The Boston Globe.
  14. ^ "Jim Loscutoff – Basketball". oregonsportshall.org. Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  15. ^ "Injury Hit Celtic Hopes". The Gettysburg Times. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. January 12, 1960. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
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