Ken Sears

Kenneth Robert "Ken" Sears (August 17, 1933 – April 23, 2017)^[1] was an American professional basketball player. He holds the title of being the first basketball player to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, appearing on the December 20, 1954 issue.^[2]

Ken Sears

Personal information
Born	(1933-08-17)August 17, 1933 Watsonville, California
Died	April 23, 2017(2017-04-23) (aged 83) Watsonville, California
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	198 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High school	Watsonville (Watsonville, California)
College	Santa Clara (1951–1955)
NBA draft	1955 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall
Selected by the New York Knicks
Playing career	1955–1964
Position	Power forward, Small forward
Number	12, 20, 17
Career history
1955–1961	New York Knicks
1961–1962	San Francisco Saints
1962	New York Knicks
1962–1964	San Francisco Warriors
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA All-Star (1958, 1959) All-ABL Second Team (1962) Third-team All-American – UPI, NEA (1955) 2× WCC Player of the Year (1953, 1955) No. 55 retired by Santa Clara
Career NBA statistics
Points	7,355 (13.9 ppg)
Rebounds	4,142 (7.8 rpg)
Assists	843 (1.6 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Sears played eight seasons (1955–1961, 1962–1964) in the National Basketball Association as a member of the New York Knicks and San Francisco Warriors. He averaged 13.9 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game in his NBA career, appearing as an NBA All-Star in 1958 and 1959. Sears spent the 1961–62 basketball season in the short-lived American Basketball League.^[3]

Sears died on April 23, 2017, at his home in Watsonville, California, aged 83.^[2]