Hall of Fame
Ed Macauley led St. Louis University to the NIT basketball title in 1948, which remains the school's signature moment on the court. After playing as SLU, he went on to a 10-year career in the NBA, being named to the league's first team three times and eventually being inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960.
The 6-foot-8 center played for the St. Louis Bombers and the Boston Celtics before being traded back to St. Louis to play for the Hawks in a deal that sent Bill Russell to the Celtics. The Celtics retired his uniform number, 22. He also coached the Hawks for two seasons.
Macauley went to St. Louis U. High before attending SLU, where with a team made up entirely of St. Louis-area players, the Billikens won the NIT at a time when it, not the NCAA Tournament, was considered college basketball's premier event. Macauley scored 24 points as SLU, which finished with a 24-3 record under first-year coach Ed Hickey, beat New York University in the final at Madison Square Garden. Three days later, the team arrived at Union Station by train and was greeted by 15,000 fans for a parade.
The following year, SLU, with Macauley, defeated Kentucky and was ranked No. 1 in the nation. He was a first-team All-American after the 1948 and '49 seasons and was a third-team selection in 1946. He was named the 1948-49 college player of the year by the Associated Press and still ranks 10th on SLU's all-time scoring list with 1,402 points. He was the top draft pick of the Bombers in 1949 and played one season before joining Boston, where he played six seasons. Back with the Hawks in a trade that would ultimately create a dynasty in Boston, Macauley helped the Hawks win their only NBA title in 1957-58.
In 10 NBA seasons, he scored 11,234 points, averaging 17.5 a game over his career. He twice led the league in shooting percentage and was considered by many the best defensive big man of his time. He played in seven All-Star games and was MVP of the first All-Star Game in the 1950-51 season. After his basketball career ended, Mr. Macauley worked as an investment banker and a television sportscaster.