Paul J. Senesky (January 25, 1925 – July 11, 1994)[1][2] was an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Saint Joseph's Hawks. Senesky was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1950 but turned down the offer to pursue a career in law.

Paul Senesky
Personal information
Born(1925-01-25)January 25, 1925
Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJuly 11, 1994(1994-07-11) (aged 69)
Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight165 lb (75 kg)
Career information
CollegeSaint Joseph's (1947–1950)
NBA draft1950: 4th round, 39th overall pick
Selected by the Philadelphia Warriors
Playing career1950–1952
PositionForward
Career history
1950–1952Sunbury Mercuries
Career highlights and awards
  • All-EPBL First Team (1951)
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Early life

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Senesky was born and educated in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, and was the brother of fellow basketball player George.[1] He enlisted in the United States Army after his high school graduation and served in World War II from 1943 to 1946.[1] Senesky worked in radio intelligence with the 66th Infantry Division and helped to break German codes.[1] He survived the sinking of the SS Léopoldville in 1944.[1]

Playing career

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Senesky attended Saint Joseph's University (then Saint Joseph's College) and played college basketball for the Hawks from 1947 to 1950.[1] He emerged as a star forward for the team and scored 1,471 points in his career.[1] Senesky was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where his brother played, but he turned down a contract to instead attend the Temple University School of Law.[1] He paid for his tuition by playing for the Sunbury Mercuries of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL),[1] where he led the league in scoring with 537 points and was selected to the All-EPBL First Team in 1950–51.[3][4]

Later life

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Senesky practiced law in the Philadelphia area for 30 years until his retirement in 1988.[1] He specialised in admiralty law, then negligence cases as a defense lawyer, and finally in products liability.[1]

Senesky died in Pompano Beach, Florida, on July 11, 1994, aged 69.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Paul Senesky, 69, a retired lawyer, ex-basketball star". The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 18, 1994. p. 68. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  2. ^ "Paul J Senesky in Social Security Death Index". Fold3. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  3. ^ "Paul Senesky minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  4. ^ "1950-51 Eastern Professional Basketball League Leaders". Stats Crew. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
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