Tony Lavelli

Anthony Lavelli Jr. (July 11, 1926 – January 8, 1998) was an American professional basketball player and musician. He averaged 6.9 points per game during his two-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career (1949–1951) while also providing half-time entertainment with his accordion performances.

College

A native of Somerville, Massachusetts, Lavelli attended Yale University as a music student and was a member of Skull and Bones. He aspired to compose musical comedies after he graduated. He wrote over a dozen songs while in college, with titles like "I Want a Helicopter" and he also appeared as an accordion soloist for the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. As a senior, he applied to the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the New England Conservatory of Music.

College statistics Year Team GP FG% FT% PPG 1948–49 Yale 30 .350 .824 22.4

Professional basketball Despite his athletic accomplishments, Lavelli's first love was music, and he initially refused to sign with the Celtics so that he could enroll at Juilliard. The Celtics conceded to his demands.

Lavelli made his Celtics debut on November 24, 1949, in a game against the Fort Wayne Pistons. He tallied 20 points in his first game, and averaged 8.8 points per game over the course of the 1949–50 NBA season. In a typical performance, Lavelli would greet the fans and play "Granada", "Lady of Spain", and other musical pieces before dashing off to the Celtics' locker room. He usually played in his basketball jersey, as he had little time to change his clothes.

Lavelli signed with the rival New York Knicks prior to the start of the 1950–51 NBA season. He averaged 3.3 points per game with the Knicks and participated in their playoff run, which ended in the 1951 NBA Finals at the hands of the Rochester Royals. However, Lavelli had joined the Knicks so that he would be close to Juilliard, and he began taking courses there during his tenure with the team.

Personal life Lavelli's cousin, Dante Lavelli, played for the Cleveland Browns in the 1940s and 1950s and was later inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

Death In 1998, he suffered a heart attack at his home in Laconia, New Hampshire and died shortly afterwards.

NBA career statistics Legend GPGames played MPG Minutes per game FG% Field-goal percentage FT% Free-throw percentage RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

Regular season

Playoffs