Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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Born | Épiais-lès-Louvres, France | 14 June 1937||||||||||||||
Died | 13 August 1999 Épiais-lès-Louvres, France | (aged 62)||||||||||||||
Listed height | 218 cm (7 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 285 lb (129 kg) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
College | Gonzaga (1957–1959) | ||||||||||||||
NBA draft | 1960: 9th round, 64th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
Selected by the Minneapolis Lakers | |||||||||||||||
Position | Center | ||||||||||||||
Stats at Basketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Jean-Claude Lefebvre (14 June 1937 – 13 August 1999) was a French basketball player who was a member of the French national basketball team.[1][2] He played two seasons of college basketball in the United States for Gonzaga University where he set the schools then single game scoring record with 50 points in 1958.[3][4][5]
Lefebvre was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers with the 64th pick in the 1960 NBA draft, becoming the first French player to be drafted to the National Basketball Association.[6][7]
National team career
Lefebvre played 57 games for the French national basketball team from 1967 to 1963. He participated in the 1963 FIBA World Championship and the European Basketball Championship in 1957, 1959, were France won bronze, and 1963.[citation needed]
Personal life
Lefebvre's father was 199 cm and his mother was 191 cm.[8]
References
- ^ Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff (22 March 2018). "Gonzaga Basketball's French Connection". Vice.com. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Howard M. Tuckner (17 September 1957). "Basketball Player Hits a High Note; 7-Foot 3 -Inch Star Could Rival Crosby as Gonzaga Great Frenchman, Too Tall for Army, Is Just Right on Court". The New York Times. p. S40. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Mike Schmeltzer (21 February 2017). "The Eiffel Rifle". The Spokesman-Review. pp. B1, B5. Retrieved 28 September 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "French giant makes hoop debut tonight". Spokane Chronicle. 2 December 1957. p. 19. Retrieved 28 September 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bill Boni (3 September 1957). "French toast ain't french, 6-6 ain't tall". The Spokesman-Review. p. 20. Retrieved 28 September 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Sacha Rutard (7 April 2021). "Une histoire sur Jean-Claude Lefèbvre, le géant de 2,18m qui fut drafté en NBA". Basket Europe (in French). Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Éric Michel (21 June 2023). "63 ans avant Wembanyama, le géant Jean-Claude Lefèbvre, à jamais le premier Français drafté en en NBA". Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Jerry O'Brien (9 December 1957). "Ah, quel homme! Oh, quels feet". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
External links