Five-time All-Star and NBA champion — one of the finest guards of the early professional era.
Robert Wanzer was born in New York City in 1921. Rochester Royals signed him in 1947 and he spent his entire 10-season career there. He won the NBA championship with the Royals in 1951. He was selected to five All-Star games and named All-NBA Second Team three times. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. He shot 90.4% from the free throw line in the 1951-52 season — a record at the time and still among the highest single-season free throw percentages in NBA history. His combination of perimeter defence, shooting and basketball intelligence made him one of the premier guards of the early 1950s. He later coached the Rochester Royals and Cincinnati Royals from 1955 to 1958. His free throw shooting record stood for years and reflects the technical precision that defined his approach to every dimension of the game.
Being a skilled guard and key player for the Rochester Royals' 1951 NBA Championship team
How They Played
Fundamentally sound guard with excellent shooting and basketball IQ
Lasting Impact
Hall of Fame guard known for his fundamentally sound play and leadership during early NBA years
NBA Champion (1951)
Career Honours
- NBA Champion (1951)
- All-Star 5x
- All-NBA Second Team 3x
- Hall of Fame (1987)
- 92% free throw season