View source for Bobby Wanzer

{{Short description|American basketball player and coach (1921–2016)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name         = Bobby Wanzer
| image        = 
| width        =
| caption      =
| height_ft    = 6
| height_in    = 0
| weight_lb    = 170
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1921|06|04}}
| birth_place  = [[Brooklyn, New York]], U.S.
| death_date   = {{death date and age|2016|01|23|1921|06|04}}
| death_place  = [[Pittsford, New York]], U.S.
| high_school  = [[Benjamin Franklin High School (New York City)|Benjamin Franklin]]<br/>(New York City, New York)
| college      = {{nowrap|[[Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball|Seton Hall]] (1942–1943, 1946–1947)}}
| draft_year   = 1948
| draft_league = BAA
| draft_round  = 1
| draft_pick   = 10
| draft_team   = [[Rochester Royals]]
| career_start = 1948
| career_end   = 1957
| career_number = 9
| career_position = [[Point guard]] / [[shooting guard]]
| years1          = {{nbay|1948|start}}–{{nbay|1956|end}}
| team1           = [[Rochester Royals]]
| coach_start     = 1955
| coach_end       = 1987
| cyears1         = {{nbay|1955|start}}–{{nbay|1958|end}}
| cteam1          = [[Sacramento Kings|Rochester / Cincinnati Royals]]
| cyears2         = 1963–1987
| cteam2          = [[St. John Fisher Cardinals|St. John Fisher]]
| highlights   = 
'''As player:'''
* [[NBA champion]] ([[1951 NBA Finals|1951]])
* 5× [[NBA All-Star]] ([[1952 NBA All-Star Game|1952]]–[[1956 NBA All-Star Game|1956]])
* 3× [[All-NBA Second Team]] ([[1951–52 NBA season|1952]]–[[1953–54 NBA season|1954]])
* No. 8 [[Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball#Honored and retired jerseys|retired by Seton Hall Pirates]]
'''As coach:'''
* [[List of NBA All-Star Game head coaches|NBA All-Star Game head coach]] ({{nasg|1957}})
| stats_league=BAA and NBA
| stat1label    = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value    = 6,924 (12.2 ppg)
| stat2label    = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| stat2value    = 1,979 (4.5 rpg)
| stat3label    = [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
| stat3value    = 1,830 (3.2 apg)
| HOF_player     = bobby-wanzer
| CBBASKHOF_year = 2006
}}
'''Robert Francis Wanzer''' (June 4, 1921 – January 23, 2016) was an American professional [[basketball]] player and coach. A five time [[NBA All-Star]] and three time [[All-NBA Second Team]] selection, Wanzer played his entire professional career for the [[Rochester Royals]] of the [[Basketball Association of America]] (BAA) and [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA). He won an [[List of NBA champions|NBA championship]] with the Royals in [[1951 NBA Finals|1951]]. During his final two years as a player, he served as the team's [[player-coach]]. After he retired  from playing in 1957, he remained as a coach with the Royals for one season, before he became the head coach of the [[St. John Fisher Cardinals]] college basketball team in 1963. He stayed in the role with the college for 24 years until his retirement in 1987. Wanzer was inducted into the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] in 1987 and into the newly formed [[New York City Basketball Hall of Fame]] in 1991.

==College career and military service==
A 6'0" guard, Wanzer played collegiately at [[Seton Hall University]]. After leading Seton Hall to a 16–2 record as a sophomore, Wanzer enlisted in the [[United States Marine Corps]]. He made the All-Pacific Armed Forces All-Star basketball team, and participated in the occupation of [[Guam]].<ref name=diveronica>{{citation |last=DiVeronica|first=Jeff |title=Rochester basketball legend Bobby Wanzer dies at 94 | newspaper=[[Democrat and Chronicle]] |date=January 23, 2016 |url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/2016/01/23/rochester-basketball-legend-bobby-wanzer-dies-94/79246678/}}</ref>

==Professional career==
Wanzer was selected by the [[Rochester Royals]] in 1948.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/wanzebo01.html|title = Bobby Wanzer Stats}}</ref> Royals star [[Bob Davies]] was a Seton Hall coach and steered the star guard to the NBL contender.  Initially a reserve behind [[Al Cervi]] and [[Red Holzman]], Wanzer later teamed with Davies to form a potent backcourt for the day. The Royals were very successful from 1947 to 1954, and their smaller stars, like Wanzer, were considered their biggest assets. With Wanzer, Rochester won the 1950–51 [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) title.

Wanzer played his entire career with the Royals, retiring from play after the end of the 1957 season.  He was a five-time All-Star with the Royals, made the [[All-NBA Second Team]] three consecutive times and, in the 1951–52 season, Wanzer became the first player to ever shoot over 90% from the [[free throw]] line in a season.<ref name=encyc>{{cite book | title = The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia | publisher =  Villard Books | date = 1994 | page = 378 | isbn = 0-679-43293-0}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
Wanzer served as the [[player-coach]] of the Royals for two years, and then, after the franchise moved to [[Cincinnati]], coached for another season. His [[1957–58 Cincinnati Royals season|1957–58 Cincinnati Royals team]] were an NBA championship contender, but injuries stopped the team short. When star [[Maurice Stokes]] was permanently injured, Wanzer moved on early the following NBA season.

In 1962, Wanzer became the first coach at [[St. John Fisher College]] in [[Pittsford (town), New York|Pittsford, New York]].  He coached there for 24 seasons and also served as the school's athletic director.  He also served as the schools golf coach for many years before retiring. <ref name=goldstein>{{citation |last=Goldstein|first=Richard |title=Bobby Wanzer, 94, Hall of Fame Player From N.B.A.'s Early, Patient Days, Dies  | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 24, 2016 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/25/sports/basketball/bobby-wanzer-94-hall-of-fame-player-from-nbas-early-patient-days-dies.html}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Wanzer died on January 23, 2016, at his home in Pittsford, New York.<ref name="diveronica"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://13wham.com/news/top-stories/former-rochester-royals-player-bobby-wanzer-dies|title = Former Rochester Royals player, Bobby Wanzer dies|date = January 24, 2016}}</ref>

Pre-deceased by his wife, Nina Penrose Wanzer and son-in-law Darrel Dupra he was survived by daughters, Mary and Beth Wanzer and son, Bobby (Nancy) Wanzer; grandchildren Jeff, Zach and Whitney Dupra, Marti and Madison Wanzer; great-granddaughter Seneca Hernandez Dupra; and sister, Marilyn (Robert) Ulrich.

==Legacy==
He was inducted into the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] in 1987. He is also a member of the Seton Hall College Hall of Fame and the [[New York City Basketball Hall of Fame]] (1991<ref>{{cite web | url=https://hoopshallny.org/inductees/ | title=Inductees Listed by Year of Induction – the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame }}</ref>), among others.

On August 17, 2007, Wanzer was inducted into the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame.<ref name=diveronica/>

== BAA/NBA career statistics ==
{{NBA player statistics legend|champion=y}}

=== Regular season ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"
!Year
!Team
!GP
!MPG
!FG%
!FT%
!RPG
!APG
!PPG
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1948–49 BAA season|1948–49]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1948–49 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|60
|–
|.379
|.823
|–
|3.1
|10.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1949–50 NBA season|1949–50]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1949–50 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|67
|–
|.414
|.806
|–
|3.2
|11.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;" |[[1950–51 NBA season|1950–51]]†
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1950–51 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|68
|–
|.401
|.850
|3.4
|2.7
|10.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1951–52 NBA season|1951–52]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1951–52 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|66
|'''37.8'''
|.425
| style="background:#cfecec;" |'''.904*'''
|5.0
|'''4.0'''
|'''15.7'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1952–53 NBA season|1952–53]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1952–53 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|70
|36.8
|.367
|.812
|5.0
|3.6
|14.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1953–54 NBA season|1953–54]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1953–54 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|'''72'''
|35.3
|.386
|.734
|'''5.4'''
|3.5
|13.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1954–55 NBA season|1954–55]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1954–55 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|'''72'''
|33.0
|.395
|.786
|5.2
|3.4
|13.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1955–56 NBA season|1955–56]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1955–56 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|'''72'''
|27.5
|.376
|.719
|3.8
|3.1
|10.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1956–57 NBA season|1956–57]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1956–57 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|21
|7.6
|'''.469'''
|.783
|1.2
|0.4
|3.9
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Career
|568
|32.5
|.393
|.802
|4.5
|3.2
|12.2
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |All-Star
|5
|26.2
|.395
|.857
|3.4
|3.4
|9.2
|}

=== Playoffs ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"
!Year
!Team
!GP
!MPG
!FG%
!FT%
!RPG
!APG
!PPG
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1949 BAA Playoffs|1949]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1948–49 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|4
|–
|.317
|.706
|–
|2.3
|9.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1950 NBA Playoffs|1950]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1949–50 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|2
|–
|'''.471'''
|.846
|–
|2.0
|13.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;" |[[1951 NBA Playoffs|1951]]†
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1950–51 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|'''14'''
|–
|'''.471'''
|.910
|5.1
|4.2
|12.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1952 NBA Playoffs|1952]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1951–52 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|6
|'''41.5'''
|.429
| style="background:#cfecec;" |'''.959*'''
|6.3
|3.2
|'''18.8'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1953 NBA Playoffs|1953]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1952–53 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|3
|38.7
|.378
|.852
|'''7.0'''
|3.0
|17.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1954 NBA Playoffs|1954]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1953–54 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|6
|40.8
|.405
|.818
|5.8
|'''4.3'''
|16.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1955 NBA Playoffs|1955]]
| style="text-align:left;" |[[1954–55 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|3
|33.3
|.457
|.917
|'''7.0'''
|2.7
|18.0
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Career
|38
|39.4
|.425
|.880
|5.8
|3.5
|14.6
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Basketballhof|robert-f-bobby-wanzer|Bobby Wanzer}}
* [https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/wanzebo01.html Basketball-Reference.com: Bobby Wanzer (as player)]
* [https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/wanzebo01c.html Basketball-Reference.com: Bobby Wanzer (as coach)]
*{{IMDb name|1890733}}

{{Navboxes| list1 =
{{Sacramento Kings coach navbox}}
{{Rochester Royals 1950–51 NBA champions}}
{{1948 BAA Draft}}
{{1987 Basketball HOF}}
{{Basketball Hall of Fame guards}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wanzer, Bobby}}
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:Amateur Athletic Union men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Royals head coaches]]
[[Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:Guards (basketball)]]
[[Category:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:NBA All-Stars]]
[[Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Basketball player-coaches]]
[[Category:Rochester Royals draft picks]]
[[Category:Rochester Royals head coaches]]
[[Category:Rochester Royals players]]
[[Category:Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II]]