George Kaftan
George A. Kaftan (February 22, 1928 – October 6, 2018) was an American professional basketball player.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 22, 1928 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 6, 2018 (aged 90) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Xavier (New York City, New York) |
| College | Holy Cross (1945–1949) |
| BAA draft | 1949: 2nd round |
| Selected by the Boston Celtics | |
| Playing career | 1949–1953 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 9, 17, 6 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1949–1950 | Boston Celtics |
| 1950–1952 | New York Knicks |
| 1952 | Pawtucket Slaters |
| 1952–1953 | Baltimore Bullets |
| As coach: | |
| 1958–1972 | LIU Post |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career BAA and NBA statistics | |
| Points | 1,594 (7.5 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 424 (3.1 rpg) |
| Assists | 399 (1.9 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
George grew up in New York City and went to Xavier in Manhattan before going to Holy Cross for college. Though just 6'3", Kaftan was the starting center for the College of the Holy Cross team that won the 1947 NCAA basketball tournament. In 1947 Kaftan also won Most Outstanding Player honors after averaging 21 points per game in three games.
Kaftan was selected in the second round of the 1949 BAA Draft. Kaftan later played professionally for the Boston Celtics (1949–1950), New York Knicks (1950–1952) and Baltimore Bullets (1952–1953). He averaged 7.5 points per game in his BAA/NBA career.
Kaftan is a member of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame and the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame.