Bill Tosheff
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 2, 1926 Gary, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | October 1, 2011 (aged 85) Hawaii, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Froebel (Gary, Indiana) |
| College | Indiana (1948–1951) |
| NBA draft | 1951: 4th round, 32nd overall pick |
| Drafted by | Indianapolis Olympians |
| Playing career | 1951–1954 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 9 |
| Career history | |
| 1951–1953 | Indianapolis Olympians |
| 1953–1954 | Milwaukee Hawks |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 1,859 (9.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 608 (3.0 rpg) |
| Assists | 661 (3.3 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
William Mark Tosheff (June 2, 1926 – October 1, 2011) was an American professional basketball player.
A 6'1" guard, Tosheff played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers from 1947 to 1951 after a stint with the U.S. Army Air Corps. From 1951 to 1954, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Indianapolis Olympians and Milwaukee Hawks, averaging 9.2 points in 203 games. Some sources list him as the 1952 NBA Co-Rookie of the Year (with Mel Hutchins); however, official NBA guides generally have not included pre-1953 winners.
In 1988, Tosheff founded the Pre-1965 NBA Players Association in order to secure fair pension plans for NBA players who were active before 1965. Tosheff lobbied to close a loophole in the NBA pension that granted benefits to post-1965 players with a minimum of three years of service, but required pre-1965 players have five years of service.
A San Diego resident, Tosheff died in Hawaii from cancer aged 85 on October 1, 2011.