Don Carlson
 Carlson in 1948 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 22, 1919 Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Died | October 16, 2004 (aged 83) |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Edison (Minneapolis, Minnesota) |
| College | Minnesota (1940–1942, 1945–1946) |
| Playing career | 1946–1951 |
| Position | Guard / forward |
| Number | 15 |
| Career history | |
| 1946–1947 | Chicago Stags |
| 1947–1951 | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1950–1951 | Baltimore Bullets |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Donald Vernon Carlson (March 22, 1921 – October 16, 2004)[1] was an American professional basketball player. Known as Swede Carlson, he was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
A 6-foot-0-inch (1.83 m) guard/forward from the University of Minnesota, Carlson played professionally for five seasons, from 1946 to 1951, in the Basketball Association of America, National Basketball League and the National Basketball Association as a member of the Chicago Stags, Minneapolis Lakers, and Baltimore Bullets. He won three professional championships with the Lakers, one in each of the leagues he played in, and the World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1948. After his playing days, he was a coach and athletic director at Columbia Heights High School in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.[2][3]
Carlson died in 2004.[2]
Professional career statistics
[edit]| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won an NBA championship |
Regular season
[edit]| Year | Team | League | GP | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946–47 | Chicago | BAA | 59 | .322 | .541 | – | 1.0 | 10.7 |
| 1947–48† | Minneapolis | NBL | 58 | - | .596 | – | - | 8.2 |
| 1948–49† | Minneapolis | BAA | 55 | .334 | .662 | – | 3.1 | 9.2 |
| 1949–50† | Minneapolis | NBA | 57 | .341 | .726 | – | 1.3 | 4.7 |
| 1950–51 | Baltimore | NBA | 9 | .370 | .500 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 4.7 |
| NBL career | 58 | - | .596 | – | - | 8.2 | ||
| NBA/BAA career | 180 | .330 | .623 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 8.0 | ||
Playoffs
[edit]| Year | Team | GP | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946–47 | Chicago | 11 | .270 | .614 | – | .5 | 12.3 |
| 1948–49† | Minneapolis | 10 | .242 | .560 | – | 2.8 | 6.0 |
| 1949–50† | Minneapolis | 10 | .568 | .800 | – | 1.1 | 5.4 |
| Career | 31 | .295 | .631 | – | 1.5 | 8.0 | |
References
[edit]- ^ Social Security Death Index
- ^ a b Austin Knoblauch (February 15, 2011). "All things Lakers: Don Carlson". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ Tom Briere (January 26, 1951). "Coaching beats playing pro ball". Minnesota Star Tribune. p. 18. Retrieved May 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from NBA.com · Basketball Reference
 | This biographical article relating to a United States basketball player, coach, or other figure born in the 1920s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1919 births
- 2004 deaths
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- American men's basketball players
- Baltimore Bullets (1944–1954) players
- Basketball players from Minneapolis
- Chicago Stags players
- Edison High School (Minnesota) alumni
- Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball players
- Minneapolis Lakers players
- People from Columbia Heights, Minnesota
- Shooting guards
- Small forwards
- Sportspeople from Anoka County, Minnesota
- American basketball biography, 1920s birth stubs