When it comes to famed Kansas basketball big men, the names of Wilt Chamberlain and Danny Manning often come first to mind – and rightfully so. They’re arguably the top two players to ever put on a Kansas uniform.
But the first Kansas big man who paved the way for their success was none other than Hall of Fame center Clyde Lovellette.
Lovellette is one of the most decorated – and perhaps underrated – Jayhawks of all time.
While playing at the University of Kansas from 1949 to 1952 under Hall of Fame head coach Phog Allen, Lovellette racked up multiple accomplishments and made history along the way.
The 6-foot-9 center from Terre Haute, Indiana, averaged 24.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game during his Kansas career. He led the Big Seven Conference in scoring each of his three years on campus, which earned him three consecutive First Team All-Big 7 honors and back-to-back First Team All-American honors in 1951 and 1952.
His final season at Kansas ended in storybook fashion with him leading his team to an NCAA championship win over St. John’s 80-63.
To this day, Lovellette had one of the best performances in NCAA Tournament history.
He averaged more than 35 points per game in postseason play and was named Most Outstanding Player following his 33-point, 17-rebound showing in the championship game.
Not only did the win give Allen and KU its first NCAA championship in school history, but Lovellette became the first – and only player to this day – to lead the NCAA in scoring (28.4 ppg) and win the national championship in the same season.
Shortly after winning the title in 1952, Lovellette and six of his teammates would go on to win gold at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. Playing under Allen, who was an assistant coach for Team USA, Lovellette led the team in scoring on their way to Olympic glory.
Lovellette would go on to be drafted 10th overall in the 1952 NBA Draft by the Minneapolis (now Los Angeles) Lakers, with whom he would win an NBA title in 1954.
The 1954 NBA championship made Lovellette the first basketball player in history to win an NCAA championship, NBA championship, and Olympic gold medal. To this day, only seven other players have accomplished that feat, including the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Bill Russell.
Lovellette played in the NBA for 12 seasons and was a four-time NBA All-Star. He ended up winning three NBA championships (one with Minneapolis, two with Boston) in his professional career, and he was the first to win a championship with both the Lakers and Celtics – the NBA’s two most storied franchises and bitter rivals.
Once his career was over, Lovellette was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in May 1988 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
His No. 16 jersey was also retired at Allen Fieldhouse in 1992 during the 40-year celebration of the 1952 title team.
Lovellette’s accomplishments are second to none in the illustrious history of Kansas basketball. He will forever be one of the greatest Jayhawks to don a Kansas uniform.