Fred LaCour

Fred LaCour (February 7, 1938 – August 5, 1972) was an American professional basketball player.^[1] LaCour was selected in the 1960 NBA draft by the St. Louis Hawks after a collegiate career at the University of San Francisco.^[1] In his NBA career, LaCour averaged 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while playing for the Hawks and then the San Francisco Warriors.^[1] He also played one season for the San Francisco Investors of the National Industrial Basketball League in 1960.^[2]

Fred LaCour

LaCour with the St. Louis Hawks, c. 1961
Personal information
Born	February 7, 1938 San Francisco, California, U.S.
Died	August 5, 1972(1972-08-05) (aged 34) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school	St. Ignatius Prep (San Francisco, California)
College	San Francisco (1957–1959)
NBA draft	1960: 3rd round, 22nd overall pick
Drafted by	St. Louis Hawks
Playing career	1960–1964
Position	Point guard / small forward
Number	19, 12
Career history
1960	San Francisco Investors
1960–1962	St. Louis Hawks
1962–1963	Oakland Oaks
1963	San Francisco Warriors
1963–1964	Wilkes-Barre Barons
Career highlights
2× California Mr. Basketball (1955, 1956)
Career NBA statistics
Points	940 (6.5 ppg)
Rebounds	474 (3.3 rpg)
Assists	269 (1.9 apg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

High school career

LaCour played on the varsity team at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco, California where he graduated from in 1956.^[3] He stood at 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) and his array of ball-handling and shooting abilities enabled him to play at any position.^[3] LaCour led his team to a combined 81–12 record in his three seasons.^[3] He was selected as California Mr. Basketball in 1955 and 1956.^[3] LaCour was inducted into the San Francisco Prep Hall of Fame for basketball in 1983.^[4][5]

Personal life

LaCour was of Louisiana Creole mixed-race descent.^[3] His friends claimed that he subsequently struggled with his racial identity.^[3] His coach with the San Francisco Dons, Phil Woolpert, stated that LaCour's "attempts to integrate into a white-type culture met rebuff after rebuff" and he did not identity as a black person; Woolpert described it as the "most difficult and insoluble problem [he] ever confronted."^[3]

Death

On August 5, 1972, LaCour died at the Ralph K. Davies Memorial Hospital in San Francisco.^[6] He had been hospitalized for almost three months during a battle with cancer.^[6] LaCour donated his body for cancer research.^[6]

NBA career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	PPG
1960–61	St. Louis	55	13.1	.417	.750	3.2	1.5	5.6
1961–62	St. Louis	73	20.6	.429	.815	3.7	2.3	7.8
1962–63	San Francisco	16	10.7	.384	.563	1.5	1.2	4.1
Career		144	16.7	.421	.774	3.3	1.9	6.5

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	PPG
1960–61	St. Louis	5	9.4	.333	.857	1.2	.8	4.0