Donald Paul Bielke (May 10, 1932 – February 2, 2023[1]) was an American basketball player.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 10, 1932 Minnesota |
| Died | February 2, 2023 (aged 90) |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Wilson (Saint Paul, Minnesota) |
| College | Valparaiso (1951–1953) |
| NBA draft | 1954: 8th round, 67th overall pick |
| Selected by the Fort Wayne Pistons | |
| Playing career | 1955–1956 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 18 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1955–1956 | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| As coach: | |
| 1973–1982 | Cal Lutheran |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
He played collegiately for the Valparaiso Crusaders.
He was selected by the Fort Wayne Pistons in the 8th round (67th pick overall) of the 1954 NBA draft.
He played for the Fort Wayne Pistons (1955–56) in the NBA for 7 games.
After his NBA playing days, Bielke went on to coach basketball at California Concordia College for 16 years, and at California Lutheran University for another ten, winning over 550 games in his collegiate coaching career. He also was a professor in the kinesiology department.
Bielke was a coach and instructor at California Lutheran University for over ten years. As the head coach of the college basketball team, the winning years 1977–78 (18–17) and 1979–80 (14–3) are attributed to him.[2] He spent over 27 years in the university's Athletic Department and was an adjunct professor and acting department chair of kinesiology. He coached for a total of 26 years and received the "Coach of the Year" awards on numerous occasions. He received the Leadership Award for the NAIA District III in 1990. Besides All-American honours and playing in the NBA, he also served as a board member with the YMCA, on the advisory board of the Boy Scouts, president of the Kiwanis Club, grand marshall of the Conejo Valley Days, and a Special Olympics coordinator. He received a bachelor's degree from Valparaiso University and a master's from San Francisco University.[3]
Career statistics
edit| 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
editSource[4]
Regular season
edit| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955–56 | Fort Wayne | 7 | 5.4 | .556 | .571 | 1.3 | .1 | 2.0 |
References
edit- ^ "Donald Paul Bielke Life Story". Ventura County Star. February 15, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Hekhuis, Mary (1984). California Lutheran College: The First Quarter-Century. Thousand Oaks, CA: California Lutheran College Press. Page 94.
- ^ "Award".
- ^ "Don Bielke NBA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
External links
edit- Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
- Don Belke To Be Inducted Into Valpo HOF
 | This biographical article relating to a United States basketball player, coach, or other figure born in the 1930s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |