Former St. Louis Hawks star center Zelmo Beaty died recently at his home in Bellevue, Wash. at the age of 73.
Beaty enjoyed an excellent 12-year career in professional basketball, the first six with the St. Louis Hawks of the National Basketball Association. A collegiate star at Prarie View A&M, Beaty was drafted by the Hawks with the No. 3 pick in the 1962 NBA Draft.
The 6’9” 225-pound Beaty averaged 16.7 points and 11 rebounds game in his six seasons with the St. Louis Hawks and appeared in two NBA All-Star Games.
Beaty played during an era where he went up against Hall of Fame centers such as Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Nate Thurmond. He averaged 20.7 points a game in 1966 and 21.1 points a game in 1968, which was his last season in St. Louis before the franchise moved to Atlanta.
Beaty jumped to the rival American Basketball Association, where he became one of the league’s biggest stars with the Utah Stars. He led the Stars to the ABA Championship in 1971. In his four seasons in the ABA, Beaty selected to three All-Star games, averaging more than 20 points a game.
