HOF hoops forward Clyde Lovellette dies after cancer battle

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Clyde Lovellette, the Hall of Fame forward who led Kansas to the 1952 national championship before helping the U.S. win gold at the Helsinki Olympics, died Wednesday after a battle with cancer. He was 86.

Lovellette's family said he died at his home in North Manchester, Ind.

A two-time All-American, Lovellette had 33 points and 17 rebounds in the Phog Allen-coached Jayhawks' victory over St. John's in the NCAA title game. The performance helped him earn tournament MVP honors.

The 6-foot-10 Lovellette led the nation in scoring as a senior with a 28.4 average. He's fourth on Kansas' career scoring list with 1,979 points and 10th in rebounding with 813.

Lovellette spent the 1952-53 season with the AAU's Phillips 66ers and went on to play 11 seasons in the NBA, averaging 17.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in 704 regular-season games with Minneapolis, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Boston. The four-time All-Star helped Minneapolis win the NBA title as a rookie in 1954 and was on Boston's championship teams in 1963 and 1964 in his last two seasons in the league.