Hank Luisetti
(1916-2002)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1959
Card Shown:
1993 Action Packed
Position: F
Height: 6’2″
bb
bb
Angelo “Hank” Luisetti is considered by many to be the best basketball player of the 1930s. Luisetti is remembered for being the first player to shoot a running one-handed shot at a time when everyone else was shooting two-handed set shots or hook shots. He developed his unique shot, often from distance, as a way of competing against the taller boys that he often played against as a child. Hank’s style of play changed basketball forever and led to the styles of many top players who would follow in his footsteps. Luisetti was also a great ball-handler and passer. He led his teams to success at all levels of play.
Awards and Honors
- Hank led Galileo High School to city championships in the early 1930s. Even at that time he used his patented one-handed shot. Due to his success, his coaches in high school and later in college allowed Hank to use his unorthodox shot even though many basketball purists considered it the wrong way to play.
- Luisetti starred at Stanford University where he was recognized as the college player of the year in 1937 and 1938. He left Stanford as the school’s career scoring leader with 1,596 points.
- Hank was a three-time All-American at Stanford. He led the Cardinal to three consecutive Pacific Coast championships from 1936-1938, averaging 16.1 points per game. In 1937, he led Stanford to the Helms Athletic Foundation National Championship.
- Luisetti finished his Stanford career as the greatest scorer in college basketball history.
- When the Associated Press chose the greatest basketball players of the first half of the twentieth century, Luisetti finished second, trailing only the great George Mikan.
Points of Interest
- On December 30, 1936 fans filled the stands at Madison Square Garden to witness the iconic game between Long Island University (LIU) and Stanford. LIU was riding a 43-game winning streak and was ranked number one in the country. Stanford was one of the top teams from the West Coast. The fans were also there to see Luisetti and his running one-handed shot. Hank did not disappoint. He scored 15 points and led Stanford to a 45-31 victory. The fans, most there to support the local LIU team, gave Luisetti a standing ovation as he left the game.
- Hank was the first college player to score 50 points in a game. He accomplished this feat against Duquesne on January 1, 1938 as Stanford won 92-27.
- Luisetti played AAU basketball after leaving Stanford but he was suspended for a year after he received $10,000 for appearing in the movie Campus Confessions with Betty Grable. This payment compromised his amateur status. He did return to play AAU ball after his suspension ended and he was named the outstanding player in the 1939-40 national tournament.
- Hank came down with spinal meningitis in 1944. Although he recovered, doctors recommended that he not play basketball again for health reasons.
- Luisetti was a part of the first class of players inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1959. Joining him in that inaugural class were George Mikan, Chuck Hyatt, and John Schommer.
Hank Luisetti Videos
There is not much, if any, video footage of Hank Luisetti that I have found. The video below is a presentation at Stanford University by Mike DeLucia, who wrote the book Madness. Madness is historical fiction that tells of the enormous impact that Luisetti had on the game of basketball as we know it today. The sound quality of the video is poor but if you can get past that you might find it interesting.