John M. Abramovic Jr. (February 9, 1919 – June 9, 2000) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the Basketball Association of America (BAA) for the Pittsburgh Ironmen, St. Louis Bombers and Baltimore Bullets. Abramovic was nicknamed "Brooms" and worked in his family's broom manufacturing business after his playing retirement.
 Abramovic with the Salem Tigers | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 9, 1919 Etna, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | June 9, 2000 (aged 81) Ormond Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Etna (Etna, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Salem (1939–1943) |
| Playing career | 1946–1948 |
| Position | Forward |
| Number | 3, 9, 31 |
| Career history | |
| 1946–1947 | Pittsburgh Ironmen |
| 1947 | St. Louis Bombers |
| 1947 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1947–1948 | Syracuse Nationals |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Early life and college career
editAbramovic grew up in Etna, Pennsylvania, and graduated from high school in 1937.[1] He worked in his family's plant manufacturing brooms for two years.[1] Abramovic was offered a scholarship through his high school coach to attend Salem College (now Salem University) in Salem, West Virginia, where he played from 1939 to 1943.[1][2] Abramovic's 2,170 points made him the first college basketball player to score more than 2,000 points in a career.[2][3]
Abramovic spent three years in the United States Navy during World War II.[2]
Professional career
editAbramovic returned to Pennsylvania in 1946 to play for the Pittsburgh Ironmen of the newly formed Basketball Association of America (BAA).[2] Abramovic averaged 11.2 points per game during his only season with the team before it folded.[2] He played professionally for one more season and then retired from basketball to join the family broom and mop business in Etna.[2] Abramovic officiated prep and college sports for over 25 years.[2]
Legacy
editAbramovic was inducted into the West Virginia Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 1971, and the Salem University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984.[3]
BAA career statistics
edit| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | FG% | Field-goal percentage | ||
| FT% | Free-throw percentage | APG | Assists per game | ||
| PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high | ||
Regular season
edit| Year | Team | GP | FG% | FT% | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946–47 | Pittsburgh | 47 | .242 | .691 | .7 | 11.2 |
| 1947–48 | St. Louis | 4 | .100 | .500 | .3 | 1.0 |
| 1947–48 | Baltimore | 5 | .000 | .667 | .2 | .4 |
| Career | 56 | .237 | .686 | .7 | 9.5 | |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Forwards". Vintage Basketball Autographs. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Brooms Abramovic". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ^ a b "John "Brooms" Abramovic". Salem University Athletics. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com
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