Lakers Players

Zelmo Beaty

Zelmo Beaty

Zelmo "Big Z" Beaty (born October 25, 1939 in Hillister, Texas) is a former American basketball player.

A 6'9" center from Prairie View A&M, Beaty was selected with the third pick of the 1962 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft by the St. Louis Hawks. He played seven seasons with the Hawks, making NBA All-Star Game appearances in 1966 and 1968, before leaving the NBA to play in the rival American Basketball Association (ABA). Beaty led the Utah Stars to the 1971 ABA title, then played three more seasons with the Stars before returning the NBA as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He retired in 1975 with combined ABA/NBA totals of 15,207 points and 9,665 rebounds. Afterwards, he briefly served as a coach for the ABA's Virginia Squires.

Established NBA Star (17 ppg, 2-Time NBA All-Star) when he jumped from the NBA Atlanta Hawks to the ABA Utah Stars; Had to sit out one season (1969-70) before playing for Stars; Led ABA in Field Goal Percentage in 1970-71 Season; 2-Time Member of ABA All-Pro Team; 3 Time ABA All-Star; Member of 1970-71 Utah Stars Championship Team; Known as "The Franchise" to Utah Stars fans; Coached Virginia Squires during latter half of 1975-76 season

One of slickest big men in pro game . . . Nicknamed "The Franchise" for obvious reasons . . . Brought class to ABA and championship to Salt Lake City in first year in league after sitting out season when he jumped from NBA's Atlanta Hawks, for whom he had starred for seven years . . . Jumped to ABA for "the security my contract provides" . . . Switched to ABA under misconception that San Francisco Warriors center Nate Thurmond was making a similar move . . . Said when he signed with Stars that he got "more for one year than for three at Atlanta" . . . Four-year contract in excess of $400,000 . . . Led Stars in scoring and rebounding in both 1970-71 regular season and playoffs and established ABA record for percentage shooting with 55.6% mark . . . Named president of ABA Players' Association and was their spokesman when he said the ABA players were in favor of ABA-NBA merger . . . "I think the caliber of play in the ABA is fast catching up with play in the NBA," he said. "We still have a lot of young players in our league. But once they get the experience..." . . . Scored 63 points against Pittsburgh Condors on February 21, 1972, a league record later broken by Larry Miller, but that's not his normal game . . . Established team record for rebounding with 28 takedowns against Virginia on December 2, 1971 . . . Moves about the court like a snobbish butler, but works like laborer under boards . . . Peter Carry of Sports Illustrated described him thusly: "Beaty has even perfected a sort of on-court hauteur; he strides about with his lengthy carriage militarily erect, his head cocked back and his eyes peering down in apparent disdain at the swarm of underlings milling about him." . . . Pushes, shoves and holds with best in middle, and outsmarts likes of Paultz and Gilmore consistently . . . Often underrated through the years, but rated by his competitors as one of the all-time greats . . . Lots of know-how here

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