Norm Baker
Personal information
Born(1923-02-17)February 17, 1923
Victoria, British Columbia
DiedApril 23, 1989(1989-04-23) (aged 66)
Victoria, British Columbia
NationalityCanadian
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
Playing career1946–1948
PositionGuard
Number16
Career history
1946Chicago Stags
1946–1948Vancouver 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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Norm Baker". BC Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Norm Baker (1991)". Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Norm Baker". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "Catch You on the Rebound: Norm Baker". Basketball Canada. April 17, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  5. "Norm Baker". Canada Basketball. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
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