Nicholas Mantis (December 7, 1935 – August 13, 2017) was an American-Greek professional basketball player.
College career After having a standout career as a high school player at East Chicago Washington High, while playing for head coach Johnny Baratto; Mantis enjoyed a stellar collegiate career at Northwestern, where he led the Wildcats in field goal percentage as a senior. That season (1958–59), he served as team captain, and led them to their best finish in the Big Ten - a tie for 2nd with an 8–6 conference record, 15–7 overall. The Wildcats won nine of their first ten games, dropping a stunner to #5 ranked North Carolina in the University of Louisville-hosted 'Bluegrass Festival Tournament.' The Wildcats spent seven consecutive weeks on the AP Poll, and knocked off the Jerry West-led West Virginia Mountaineers.
Professional career Mantis was selected in the 1959 NBA draft, by the St. Louis Hawks, after a collegiate career at Northwestern University. He played for the Hawks, Minneapolis Lakers, and Chicago Zephyrs, during a two-year NBA career. Mantis also played in the American Basketball League in the 1961–62 season, and in the Midwest Professional Basketball League, earning league MVP and first-team all-league honors, in the 1963–64 season.Midwest Professional Basketball League History. Retrieved on February 7, 2016.
Death Mantis died on August 13, 2017, at the age of 81.
Career statistics
NBA Source
Regular season Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG Minneapolis 10 7.1 .256 .500 .6 .9 2.1 St. Louis 9 6.4 .400 .333 .7 .8 2.1 Chicago 33 19.0 .384 .600 2.4 2.3 5.9Career 52 14.5 .367 .549 1.8 1.8 4.5
References
External links Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame entry