Ray Kuka

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Ray Kuka
Ray Kuka 1948.jpg
Kuka in 1948
Personal information
Born(1922-02-17)February 17, 1922
Havre, Montana
DiedMarch 27, 1990(1990-03-27) (aged 68)
Havre, Montana
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolHavre (Havre, Montana)
College
BAA draft1947 / Undrafted
PositionForward
Number12
Career history
As player:
19471949New York Knicks
As coach:
1949New York Knicks (interim HC)
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Raphael Eugene "Ray" Kuka (February 17, 1922 – March 27, 1990) was an American professional basketball player.[1] He played in the Basketball Association of America for the New York Knicks during the 1947–48 season and part of the 1948–49 season.[1] Kuka also served briefly as the Knicks' interim head coach for a few games in February 1949.[2] Joe Lapchick, the regular head coach, was hospitalized to treat a stomach disorder.[2] Kuka had also previously served as a team scout.[2]

Kuka played in college for Notre Dame before being drafted into the United States Air Force for World War II.[3] After World War II he returned home and played for Montana State, where he earned all-conference honors.[3]

Following his playing career, Kuka returned to hos hometown of Havre, Montana, where he was a successful high school coach and teacher.[4]

BAA career statistics[]

Legend
  GP Games played  FG%  Field-goal percentage
 FT%  Free-throw percentage  APG  Assists per game
 PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season[]

Year Team GP FG% FT% APG PPG
1947–48 New York 44 .326 .595 .6 5.2
1948–49 New York 8 .278 .556 1.4 3.1
Career 52 .320 .591 .7 4.9

Playoffs[]

Year Team GP FG% FT% APG PPG
1948 New York 3 .300 1.000 .0 2.7
Career 3 .300 1.000 .0 2.7

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Ray Kuka NBA stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Montanan' Now Knicks Coach". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. February 8, 1949. p. 17. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "MHSA Athletes' Hall of Fame" (PDF). Montana High School Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 23, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  4. ^ Vernoy, Lee (May 1, 2020). "Havre GOAT: Ray Kuka: From the Hi-Line to the New York Knicks". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved August 11, 2020.

External links[]


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