Bob Brannum

Bob Brannum

Personal information
Born	(1925-05-28)May 28, 1925 Winfield, Kansas, U.S.
Died	February 5, 2005(2005-02-05) (aged 79) Marshfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school	Winfield (Winfield, Kansas)
College	Kentucky (1943–1944, 1946–1947) Michigan State (1947–1948)
BAA draft	1948: undrafted
Playing career	1948–1955
Position	Power forward / center
Number	7, 18
Coaching career	1962–1986
Career history
As player:
1948–1950	Sheboygan Redskins
1951–1955	Boston Celtics
As coach:
1962–1968	Norwich
1968–1970	Kenyon
1970–1986	Brandeis
Career highlights and awards
Consensus first-team All-American (1944)
Career statistics
Points	2,455
Rebounds	1,944
Assists	699
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

Robert Warren Brannum (May 28, 1925 – February 5, 2005) was an American basketball player.

A 6'5" center from Winfield, Kansas, Brannum attended the University of Kentucky and Michigan State before playing professional basketball.

Brannum was named to the 1943 first team "All American" in his senior year at Winfield (Kansas) High School, and his twin brother Clarence was named to the second team at the same time.

Brannum spent his first three professional seasons with the Sheboygan Red Skins, whose pro roots dated from 1938, the second season of the National Basketball League. Brannum started all three seasons, during which Sheboygan played in three leagues: the NBL (1948–49), NBA (1949–50) and National Professional Basketball League (1950–51). He was one of the all-time great Redskins players, known for his hard-nosed play, rebounding prowess and scoring ability. In Brannum's final season with Sheboygan, when the Redskins finished with the NPBL's best record, he was selected first-team center after having the league's high scoring average (19.0 points per game). Brannum's 45-point barrage against the Kansas City Hi-Spots on December 28, 1950, was a franchise record, topping the 44 points Bobby Cook scored against the NBA's Denver Nuggets the previous January.

He spent the next four seasons with the Boston Celtics, with whom he earned a reputation as a hard-nosed, pugnacious player. Brannum often served as an unofficial "bodyguard" for smaller players on the team, especially point guard Bob Cousy. Cousy later remarked in an interview, "It was a great luxury to have Bob on the team, and to have him playing the role of protector. It definitely made my job a lot easier."

Brannum retired as a player in 1955. He later coached basketball at Norwich University, Kenyon College and Brandeis University, where he won a school-record 204 games. Brannum also was the long-time golf coach at Brandeis University. He died of pancreatic cancer in 2005.

Brannum was inducted posthumously into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.

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

NBA

Source

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	PPG
1949–50	Sheboygan	59	–	.326	.690	–	3.5	12.1
1951–52	Boston	66*	20.1	.369	.626	6.2	1.2	6.1
1952–53	Boston	71	26.8	.348	.595	7.6	2.1	6.8
1953–54	Boston	71	24.4	.309	.626	7.2	2.0	5.8
1953–54	Boston	71	22.9	.378	.709	6.9	1.8	6.2
Career		338	23.6	.344	.652	7.0	2.1	7.3

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	PPG
1950	Sheboygan	3	–	.349	.650	–	3.7	14.3
1952	Boston	3	16.0	.333	.167	3.3	1.0	3.0
1953	Boston	6	13.8	.522	.636	3.5	1.7	5.2
1954	Boston	6	22.7	.289	.545	7.5	1.7	4.7
1955	Boston	7	32.1	.426	.579	11.3	1.9	9.0
Career		25	22.4	.384	.567	7.0	1.9	7.0

External links

• Career statistics from NBA.com  and Basketball Reference