Hank Luisetti

Basketball Player

• Born: June 16, 1916
• Birthplace: San Francisco, California
• Died: December 17, 2002
• Place of death: San Mateo, California

Sport: Basketball

Early Life

Angelo Joseph Luisetti was born June 16, 1916, in an Italian neighborhood in San Francisco, California. His father, Steven, worked as a chef at a local restaurant. His mother, Amalia, took care of the family. As a child, Angelo suffered from severely bowed legs and wore braces until age ten. The braces limited his activity, but Angelo developed an interest in basketball and began playing the game at a playground near his home.

Angelo frequently played with older and taller youngsters. Because of his small size, he was forced to shoot the ball a distance from the basket. Consequently, Angelo developed a one-handed shooting style quite different from the traditional two-handed set-shot style of that era. Other youths criticized and laughed at Angelo’s shooting technique, but, with continued practice, Angelo became an accurate shooter.

The Road to Excellence

Angelo, called “Hank” by his friends, played on his first organized team as a freshman at Galileo High School in San Francisco. Despite his shooting ability, Hank’s playing time was limited because of his small size. Not to be discouraged, he developed a running one-handed shot and began to experiment with dribbling and passing behind his back. Hank also began to grow, reaching a height of 6 feet 2 1/2 inches and 165 pounds by his senior year.

During his junior and senior years, Hank made his team’s starting lineup, but again, his size hindered his game. He was one of the tallest players on the team, so his coach moved him under the basket to rebound, thus reducing his scoring effectiveness. Hank was a competitive player and soon became an effective rebounder. College coaches, however, felt he was not big enough to play center in college. Only John Bunn, Stanford University’s basketball coach, recognized Hank’s offensive potential and offered him a scholarship.

The Emerging Champion

Hank entered Stanford University in the fall of 1934. Concerned about his unusual shooting style, he asked Coach Bunn if he could continue his one-handed technique. Following Hank’s impressive shooting demonstration, Bunn grinned and said, “Stick with it boy.”

Hank took Bunn’s advice. He continued to develop physically, improving his coordination, jumping ability, speed, and quick reactions. These attributes, along with his offensive skills and fierce competitiveness, helped Hank lead the Stanford freshman team to an undefeated 18-0 season.

In 1935-1936, his sophomore season, Hank led Stanford to the first of three consecutive Pacific Coast Conference Championships. He scored a total of 416 points for an 18-point-per-game average and received all-American honors. Following the 1935-1936 season, Hank joined the Stanford University track and field team as a high jumper.

As a junior, Hank added a running one-handed jump shot to his offensive arsenal and was moved to the forward position. With his new shot and new playing position, Hank led Stanford to a 25-2 record and the school’s second conference championship in two years.

On December 30, 1936, at Madison Square Garden in New York, Hank played one of the best games of his career. Although he scored only 15 points, he rebounded, shot, dribbled, and passed Stanford to a 45-31 win over Long Island University, ending the Blackbirds’ forty-three-game winning streak. As Hank left the court, the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Long Island University coach Clair Bee praised Hank: “I can’t remember anybody who could do more things.”

Hank completed the 1936-1937 season with 410 points for a 15.2-points-per-game average. He received all-American honors for the second time and was named college player of the year. By 1937-1938, his senior year, Hank’s weight increased to 184 pounds, but it did not slow him down. His teammates elected him team captain, and Hank responded by leading Stanford to a 21-3 record and the school’s third straight conference title. Hank’s most outstanding game as a senior was a 50-point performance on January 1, 1938, as Stanford defeated Duquesne University 92-27. Hank’s performance was the first time a collegiate player had scored that many points in one game. For the second time, Hank was named college player of the year, and his 1,596 career point total set a new four-year college scoring record.

Continuing the Story

After completing his college career and graduating with a business degree in 1938, Hank opted to play Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball with Stewart Chevrolet Company in San Francisco. Before the season began, however, Hank accepted ten thousand dollars to play the role of a basketball player in the film Campus Confessions (1938) with Betty Grable. The AAU suspended Hank for one year because his basketball playing performance in the film made him a professional player.

After his suspension, Hank returned to AAU competition for the 1939-1940 season. He averaged 19 points per game and led his Stewart Chevrolet team to the AAU national tournament, where he set a tournament record with 72 points in four games and was named the tournament’s outstanding player.

Hank joined the AAU Phillips 66 Oilers for the 1940-1941 season, but he played sparingly after sustaining a knee injury early in the season. On April 18, 1941, Hank married Jane Rossiter, with whom he had two children, a daughter, Nancy, and a son, Steven.

Hank enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and averaged 30 points per game while playing basketball for the St. Mary’s Preflight School. In 1944, Hank was hospitalized with spinal meningitis and lost 40 pounds. He recovered, but doctors advised him that playing basketball would endanger his health.

Following his discharge from the Navy, Hank returned to Stewart Chevrolet Company and coached its team for five seasons, guiding it to the AAU Championship in 1950-1951. Hank left coaching after his title season and served as sales manager for Stewart Chevrolet Company and conducted basketball clinics in the San Francisco area. In 1958, Hank joined E. F. McDonald Travel Company as president of its West Coast region until retiring in 1984.

Summary

Hank Luisetti never played in a postseason college basketball tournament, but because his playing style was showcased during one game at Madison Square Garden, he became the most heralded player of his era. His one-handed, jump-shooting style revolutionized basketball and helped to make the game it is played today.

Bibliography

Pallette, Philip. The Game Changer: How Hank Luisetti Revolutionized America’s Great Indoor Game. Bloomington, Ind.: AuthorHouse, 2005.

Smith, Ron, Ira Winderman, and Mary Schmitt Boyer. The Complete Encyclopedia of Basketball. London: Carlton, 2002.