PLAYER PROFILE

JOHNNY BECKMAN

STATISTICS & HISTORY

Johnny Beckman  is usually associated with the New York Original Celtics, but he actually had an outstanding ten year pro career behind him when he first joined the Celtics in 1921. Always among any league’s top scorers, Beckman saw duty in the New York State Basketball League, Interstate Basketball League , Eastern Basketball League  and Pennsylvania State Basketball League during the teens. He led the 1915-16 Paterson and 1916-17 Bridgeport team to IBL titles. He added to his collection of championships as the star of the 1919-20 Nanticoke club that won the PSL title. Beckman also led the PSL in scoring during both the 1919-20 and 1920-21 seasons. Beckman consistently played over 150 games a season during his prime years from 1915 to 1925. He played on five teams in five different leagues during 1919-20 season in addition to countless games with independent teams. From 1921 through 1927, Beckman played with the New York Original Celtics. He and Nat Holman were the primary scorers on the famed team. Beckman was equally adept at long set shots and slashing drives to the basket. Beckman was a brilliant individual performer, but he was devoted to the Celtics’ principles of teamwork, passing and defense.  In the middle of the 1926-27 season, Beckman was sold to the lowly Baltimore club in the American Basketball League where he became player-coach. He served in the same capacity in Detroit the following year until the club folded 18 games into the season. Beckman remained in the ABL through the 1929-30 season, but the huge number of games he had played finally took their toll. Wracked by injuries during the final years of his career, Beckman survived on guile and his always fierce determination to win. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959.

 

JOHNNY BECKMAN Height: 5:09 Weight: 160 College: None
John Albert Beckman Born:   Oct 26, 1895 Died: Jun 22, 1968 Hometown: New York, NY
REGULAR SEASON RECORD
Year Team League     GA FGM  FTM   FTA  PCT.  AST  PTS AVG
1912-13 Brooklyn St. Gabriels Indep
1913-14 Union Hill (NJ) Troys Indep
1913-14 Bridgeport Blue Ribbons Indep
1913-14 Sheepshead Bay Gabriels Indep
1913-14 North Hudson Troys TSBL 2 10 17 37 18.5
1913-14 Kingston NYSL 41 107 78 292 7.1
1914-15 Paterson NYSL 20 46 39 131 6.6
1915-16 Philadelphia De Neri EBL 34 88 74 133 .556 19 250 7.4
1915-16 Paterson NYSL 9 7 22 36 4.0
1915-16 Danbury Woosters AC Indep 11 34 32 100 9.1
1915-16 Union Hill (NJ) Troys Indep
1915-16 Bridgeport Blue Ribbons Indep 28 93 108 294 10.5
1916-17 DanburyBridgeportNewark Turners IBL 21 42 54 138 6.6
1916-17 Reading EBL 38 92 54 94 .574 20 238 6.3
1917-18 Philadelphia De Neri EBL 8 20 34 7 74 9.3
1917-18 Danbury/Jersey City CBL 15 50 42 142 9.5
1917-18 Nanticoke PSL 20 57 111 7 225 11.3
1917-18 New Brunswick Wright-Martin Aeroplane Co. Indep
1917-18 Newark Turners Indep 109 118 336
1918-19 Newark Turners Indep 33 103 104 310 9.4
1918-19 Bridgeport Blue Ribbons Indep
1918-19 Nanticoke Indep
1918-19  Staten Island Standard Ship Yard Indep
1919-20 Nanticoke PSL 38 101 144 175 .823 14 346 9.1
1919-20 Philadelphia De Neri EBL 19 56 64 124 .516 20 176 9.3
1919-20 Adams NYSL 5 11 2 24 4.8
1919-20 New YorkJersey CityBrooklyn IBL 8 18 33 69 8.6
1919-20 Thompsonville IL 9 46 5 97 10.8
1919-20 Brooklyn St. James Triangles Indep
1919-20 Jordan Bay Big-Five Indep
1919-20 Stamford Indep
1920-21 Nanticoke PSL 40 84 193 27 361 9.0
1920-21 Stamford CSL 2 8 1 17 8.5
1920-21 PhiladelphiaTrenton EBL 8 16 42 66 .636 9 74 9.3
1920-21 Thompsonville IL 9 31 40 102 11.3
1920-21 New York Original Celtics Indep
1920-21 Beckman All-Stars Indep
1921-22 New York Original Celtics Indep
1921-22 New York EBL 21 59 80 152 .526 20 198 9.4
1922-23 New York Original Celtics Indep
1922-23 Atlantic City EBL 6 27 30 52 .577 8 84 14.0
1922-23 New York MBL 12 36 44 116 9.7
1923-24 New York Original Celtics Indep
1924-25 New YorkOriginal Celtics Indep
1925-26 New York Original Celtics Indep
1926-27 New York NYN 17 39 67 145 8.5
1926-27 BrooklynBaltimore ABL 37 91 141 323 8.7
1927-28 Paterson MBL 1 6 8 20 20.0
1927-28 DetroitChicago ABL 44 109 72 290 6.6
1928-29 RochesterCleveland ABL 38 101 67 269 7.1
1929-30 New YorkClevelandFort Wayne ABL 42 45 27 117 2.8
Major League Totals 634 1732 1930 5394 8.5
PLAYOFF RECORD
Year Team League     GA FGM  FTM   FTA  PCT.  AST  PTS   AVG
1915-16 Paterson IBL 5 6 12 24 4.8
1916 Paterson WS 4 12 18 42 10.5
1916-17 Bridgeport IBL 2 4 6 14 7.0
1919-20 Nanticoke PSL 4 7 15 29 7.3
1920-21 Thompsonville IL 5 10 15 35 7.0
1921-22 New York EBL 3 5 13 23 7.7
1928-29 Cleveland ABL 4 12 2 26 6.5
Major League Totals 27 56 81 193 7.1
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