Frank Saul
Personal information
Born(1924-02-16)February 16, 1924
Oradell, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedNovember 7, 2019(2019-11-07) (aged 95)
East Hanover, New Jersey, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeSeton Hall (1942–1943, 1946–1949)
BAA draft1949: 1st round, 10th overall pick
Selected by the Rochester Royals
Playing career1949–1955
PositionGuard
Number03, 33, 18, 10
Career history
1949–1951Rochester Royals
1951–1952Baltimore Bullets
1952–1955Minneapolis Lakers
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points2,152 (5.6 ppg)
Rebounds683 (2.0 rpg)
Assists596 (1.6 apg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Frank Benjamin "Pep" Saul Jr. (February 16, 1924 – November 7, 2019) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Rochester Royals, Baltimore Bullets and Minneapolis Lakers. Saul won four consecutive NBA championships from 1951 to 1954. He played college basketball for the Seton Hall Pirates and had his number 3 retired by the team.

Early life

Saul was born in Oradell and raised in Westwood, New Jersey, as the eldest of eight children to Frank and Lena Saul.[1] He attended Holy Trinity High School in Hackensack, where he captained the baseball and basketball teams to state championships.[1] He transferred to Seton Hall Preparatory in West Orange for his senior year.[2]

College basketball career

Saul played collegiately for the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball, leaving college after his freshman year to serve for three years in the United States Army during World War II. He scored his 1,000th career point in a game against Creighton University on March 5, 1949, making him the first player from Seton Hall to reach that milestone.[2]

Professional career

Saul won four consecutive NBA championships with the Rochester Royals in 1951 and with the Minneapolis Lakers from 1952 to 1954. He, Steve Kerr and Patrick McCaw are the only three players in NBA history who won three championships with two different teams in consecutive seasons,[3] with him and Kerr winning four times in a row.

Later life and death

Saul worked in insurance after his athletic retirement.[1] He worked with State Farm and James E. Wordley Agency before he opened his own agency in 1967; he sold his business in 1994.[1]

Saul was married to his wife for 72 years and had eight children.[1] He was a resident of East Hanover, New Jersey.[2] Saul died on November 7, 2019, at the age of 95.[1]

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
 †  Won an NBA championship *  Led the league

Playing

NBA

Source[4]

Regular season
Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1949–50 Rochester 49–.404.723–.63.7
1950–51† Rochester 63–.339.6861.31.04.3
1951–52 Baltimore 3918.5.339.8002.22.05.6
1951–52† Minneapolis 2530.4.389.7633.22.78.6
1952–53† Minneapolis 7025.7.397.7102.01.67.4
1953–54† Minneapolis 7125.4.347.7532.22.06.4
1954–55 Milwaukee 6517.5.317.7722.11.64.4
Career 38423.0.360.7392.01.65.6
Playoffs
Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1950 Rochester 2–.538.800–2.09.0
1951† Rochester 9–.333.500.3.71.0
1952† Minneapolis 1340.8.463.7292.83.511.3
1953† Minneapolis 12*24.8.419.7272.31.57.2
1954† Minneapolis 13*17.5.353.7352.11.14.7
Career 4927.7.428.7302.01.86.6

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Frank Saul Obituary". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Iseman, Chris (February 9, 2016). "Where are they now? Seton Hall basketball star Frank 'Pep' Saul". The Record. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  3. ↑ Hudson, Jr., David L. (2007). Basketball Championships' Most Wanted. Potomac Books, Inc. p. 202. ISBN 978-1-59797-014-3. Retrieved May 25, 2022 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ↑ "Pep Saul NBA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
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